Discussion Boards => Main Discussion Board => Topic started by: Mfamom on January 26, 2014, 11:22:03 AM
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Title: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 26, 2014, 11:22:03 AM
thought I'd let you all know that my ds is doing peanut challenge on Wed. afternoon. he bailed on the last one, he's fairly nervous. I'll let you all know how it goes. He's trying to figure out how he will be able to bring himself to eat something that smells so vile and that he's spent the last 11 years avoiding. We'll see.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: momma2boys on January 26, 2014, 11:30:55 AM
Oh wow! I can understand his concern. How long has it been since he reacted? Good luck!!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: GingerPye on January 26, 2014, 11:31:58 AM
Oh, my kids say the same thing. Let us know how it goes! Wishing you both a boring, safe, no-reaction challenge. :grouphug:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Stinky10 on January 26, 2014, 11:33:25 AM
We'll be rooting for him!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: CMdeux on January 26, 2014, 11:40:19 AM
Oh, Mfamom-- the BEST of luck to you both for Wednesday.
Tell him that we're cheering him on!! :yes:
My DD was pretty scared to do her first 'big-deal' food challenge, too-- it is a scary thing.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Scout on January 26, 2014, 11:50:51 AM
omg...how exciting......I will be thinking of you all! :D
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: MaryM on January 26, 2014, 12:23:18 PM
Best of luck!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: LinksEtc on January 26, 2014, 12:57:43 PM
Good luck! Personally, I'm so glad and thankful that we were able to do IOFC's for dd. Knowing everything that I know now and everything we went through with one of those challenges ... if I had to go back in time, I would still say yes to each challenge again.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: PurpleCat on January 26, 2014, 02:24:59 PM
Good Luck!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: GoingNuts on January 26, 2014, 04:02:26 PM
Good luck! Fingers crossed!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mookie86 on January 26, 2014, 06:50:52 PM
Food challenges are so stressful and scary, so I understand how he feels. It took me months to get comfortable being around the formerly allergenic food when ds2 passed his PN challenge. To this day, sometimes I get uncomfortable around PNs, and he outgrew in 2009!
Maybe it would help if he focuses on the good things that'll happen if he passes? Good luck to him, and to you, that the challenge goes well! :crossed:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 26, 2014, 08:13:23 PM
Yes we've been talking about how different things will be even if we know from the uknow that he won't have big reaction. He had ana rx when he had just turned 4. Has had a few contact reactions. He is almost 16 now.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: aggiedog on January 26, 2014, 08:29:09 PM
Good luck! It is soooo hard to turn around and eat what you've been told to avoid for so long.
Fingers crossed it all goes well for him.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: yelloww on January 26, 2014, 08:36:50 PM
Good luck!!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Macabre on January 26, 2014, 11:11:38 PM
Oh wow--good news. I bet it would be hard.
I don't know if it would help, but DS has been ingesting micro bit of peanut three times a day in his SLIT drops. Uber low concentrations.
I hope he is willing to do it---and that it goes swimmingly!!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 27, 2014, 09:56:50 AM
I'll mention that to him, Macabre! Thanks for the idea/reminder. My dh is not that happy about it. He sees it as an unnecessary risk. Honestly, NO way I would do it if we didn't have the information from uknow test. My ds lives pretty normal life, but i do think sometimes it holds him back socially when kids are going out to different places. we have several new places to eat/get treats in town and they are no good for him with outright peanut stuff (red mango has pb yogurt or whatever they serve, several new places have thai offering etc. ) I hope good decision. I feel weird too, need to buy a jar of pb for the challenge. I am wired to pass right by that section. cannot imagine buying a jar! lol
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: hk on January 27, 2014, 04:26:56 PM
Best of luck to you guys! I hope he passes!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 28, 2014, 05:17:33 PM
When I was at the store today, I realized I need to buy peanut butter!? was talking to ds tonight about the test to be sure he's good to go tomorrow. He asked again about the uknow and wanted to know if its more accurate in its prediction about severity of reaction than the weather forecasters lol. I showed him where the hospital is in relation to the dr office (same street about 1/4 mile away) Hopefully it goes well. I think I will feel so much guilt if this doesnt go well. I think it will though.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: momma2boys on January 28, 2014, 05:40:55 PM
Keep us posted tomorrow! What time is it?
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 28, 2014, 05:42:34 PM
230 est
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mookie86 on January 28, 2014, 05:49:49 PM
I will be thinking of you tomorrow! ds2 did his PN challenge with Reese's Pieces. Dr. Wood said that goes better than PN because it tastes better and because the thickness of PB can make your throat feel weird even without an allergic reaction.
:luck:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 28, 2014, 06:00:02 PM
that's interesting! how did they measure the dose? I thought they use pb so they can be specific about how much he's getting?
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: CMdeux on January 28, 2014, 06:10:18 PM
I'll be thinking about you both, Mfamom. :heart: :heart:
Mfamom-- I think that each individual candy has a pretty uniform amount of pn in it.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mookie86 on January 28, 2014, 06:22:52 PM
They had a precise dosing regimen. He ate 1 Reese's Pieces, we waited 30 minutes or some set timeframe to monitor, then he ate an increasing amount. I don't think there's time for you to use this protocol tomorrow, but I believe I can track down the dosing schedule if it would be helpful to you. I'm pretty sure I kept the information how many he ate in each portion.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Macabre on January 28, 2014, 06:34:37 PM
I would take both PB and Reese's Pieces. And an extra shirt and sweat pants just in case.
I am hoping for good things!!!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 28, 2014, 08:41:49 PM
thanks for info on the reeces peices! Never thought about a change of clothes. I won't lie, I'm starting to panic. Bad. Thinking bad thoughts like what if this is his last day!? OMGosh, I'm not a drama girl, but I'm starting to meltdown. I do think it will b okay though.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mookie86 on January 28, 2014, 08:50:13 PM
I got through ds' food challenge by repeatedly singing Kyle Dine's Epi Man silently in my head. I found it reassuring. I know it's weird, but it's what worked for me.
Good luck getting through tomorrow, and I hope it has a successful outcome. :grouphug:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: daisy madness on January 28, 2014, 09:08:33 PM
My DS had an egg challenge last summer. He's 5, so it was a little easier I think, because he didn't really have any understanding of the risk. He failed it on the third bite, but the doctor's office was ready to respond with the epi immediately. And DS was not traumatized at all.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: CMdeux on January 28, 2014, 09:13:56 PM
I won't lie, I'm starting to panic. Bad.
I was, too, before DD's egg challenge. I was crying the day that I made the challenge brownies just from the stress... virtually hyperventilating the night before...
I had to keep reminding myself that Dr. Awesome has almost as much sense of responsibility and fear as we do w/r/t DD, and he knows what her allergies are like. He knows how scary it is, and he's prepared. The "worst" that would happen (probably) is that she'd get Epi'ed, and that the allergist and his staff would see some SERIOUSLY wack shiz (the stuff we've been telling them all these years, basically)-- now, at the start of adolescence, that pair of things seemed like a really positive thing either way. I knew that no WAY would I let them continue a challenge if DD started to feel 'off' and want to stop, not that the allergist would do it anyway.
I know that you trust your doctor, too, Mfamom. They won't let you down. :grouphug:
Your family has a lot of people holding you near and dear in our thoughts. KNOW that. :heart:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Macabre on January 29, 2014, 05:58:36 AM
Thinking about your family this morning. Maybe it's because both DS and I have had reactions recently for which Epi has helped, but I imagine (though wouldn't know) that if I were in your shoes, I might not be worried about having such dire consequences--just a reaction. I would think that with so many eyes on DS, a reaction wouldn't cascade into worst possible scenario. I don't know--maybe I would have the same fear, but reading yours surprised me and made me say "Oh!" internally.
Try not to think of the worst.
Just trust your medical team. And those wonderful Uknow results! And know that we are all pulling for him!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: GoingNuts on January 29, 2014, 06:02:36 AM
I was totally panicked before DS's almond challenge.
I hope things go as smoothly for your DS as it did for mine!
Good luck today; I'll be thinking of you guys.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Janelle205 on January 29, 2014, 09:06:42 AM
Thinking about you and your DS today.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: rebekahc on January 29, 2014, 09:25:32 AM
Thinking of y'all today! :heart:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: SilverLining on January 29, 2014, 11:57:02 AM
Just checking in. I hope all is going well.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: MaryM on January 29, 2014, 12:03:52 PM
Thinking of you today.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: PurpleCat on January 29, 2014, 12:52:02 PM
Rats! The waiting...........hoping..........
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Macabre on January 29, 2014, 01:01:54 PM
I'm guessing you are heading there now.
:grouphug:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: momma2boys on January 29, 2014, 01:55:03 PM
Waiting anxiously for hopefully some good news!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Macabre on January 29, 2014, 02:30:03 PM
Thinking about y'all right now. I hope all is going very, very well!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 29, 2014, 02:44:13 PM
We're on our way to a pass!!!! He's had about 2 tablespoons in past 1.5 hours. I'm blown away Thank you for checking on him. We will be here another hour. More later!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Macabre on January 29, 2014, 02:53:14 PM
Oh wow!!!!!
I am so thrilled. This is amazing. Life changing.
So, so happy!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Janelle205 on January 29, 2014, 02:56:10 PM
:thumbsup:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: CMdeux on January 29, 2014, 02:59:18 PM
:happydance:
All my compulsive checking in here has been working for you, I see! ;D
Thank you SO much for checking in. I've been sitting on pins and needles. :heart:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: PurpleCat on January 29, 2014, 03:06:21 PM
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: GoingNuts on January 29, 2014, 03:24:48 PM
Just checking...
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: becca on January 29, 2014, 03:29:13 PM
Wow! I had not seen this! Awesome!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: MaryM on January 29, 2014, 03:35:24 PM
:happydance: great news!!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: hedgehog on January 29, 2014, 03:35:57 PM
:happydance:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: momma2boys on January 29, 2014, 03:45:33 PM
Wow, just so so happy for you guys! Just life changing. He must be ecstatic. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mookie86 on January 29, 2014, 03:51:30 PM
First thing I did when I got home is check this thread. Wow, I hope the rest of the challenge went well and is officially no longer PA!!!!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: SilverLining on January 29, 2014, 03:55:12 PM
Still keeping everything crossed for you. Glad it"s going well.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: momtoAidenDeclan on January 29, 2014, 04:12:44 PM
:thumbsup: :happydance:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: rebekahc on January 29, 2014, 04:14:56 PM
:crossed: :happydance: :crossed:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 29, 2014, 04:40:14 PM
Thanks for checking in everyone!! I never in my wildest dreams ever thought this day would come. My ds was pretty nervous. in the car, he lamented that he forgot to tell me to bring shorts in case he needed the epi pen because he didn't want to ruin his favorite jeans! then he told me he felt like he would if someone told him that bullets wouldn't kill him anymore and told him to pull the trigger of a loaded gun. yikes! dr talked to him first about hte test and what the results mean. told him to relax and not fail because he's nervous. took vitals, did checked oxygen level, blew in the peak flow meter etc. He didn't give him any time to think about that first dose, basically said stick out your tongue and swiped the pb on it with tongue depressor. he increased dose every 10 min working up to two tablespoons of pb. The only thing I noticed is he seemed a tiny bit wheezy at one point, but dr checked vitals again and there was not a change! He rode home with my dh. I stopped and bought him a bunch of candy that he's never had/can't have. I think my ds is in shock. He's pretty even mood wise, even when he's really happy about something. I also wonder if he identifies so much with having the allergy that he is feeling odd to be without it? does that make sense? All I know is I am one happy mommy. Thank you for your support gals!!!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mookie86 on January 29, 2014, 04:48:31 PM
So happy that he passed! :happydance:
Enjoy trying new foods, and enjoy not having to worry about PNs!
If you want to talk about what it's like as a parent, I'm happy to commiserate. I had a hard time no longer viewing peanuts as poison. It took a long time, and I shed a lot of tears about his eating peanuts now.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: GoingNuts on January 29, 2014, 05:15:38 PM
Omigoodness, omigoodness, omigoodness!!!
This is such amazing news - and I'm so happy he has something positive to hang his hat on during what's been a difficult year, KWIM?
Hooray for Mfamom's son!!! :happydance:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: twinturbo on January 29, 2014, 05:22:24 PM
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: joanna5 on January 29, 2014, 05:47:56 PM
Congratulations! That's wonderful news!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Macabre on January 29, 2014, 06:03:32 PM
I just sat through two really awful plays by thinking about your DS. I was imagining his going to get ice cream.
I can't wait to tell my DS later tonight. Wow.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 29, 2014, 06:07:10 PM
that's so sweet, Macabre. Think of all the "firsts" at nearly 16 years old! He is such a funny kid. He came home, ate dinner, did homework and is playing xbox right now. Has hockey later. No hooting and hollering. nothing. He isn't a hooter or a hollerer so I shouldn't b surprised. LOl wonder how long it takes to undo my habits like reading every label, calling places, saying do you have your epi pen? seems surreal
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mookie86 on January 29, 2014, 06:38:24 PM
:yes: Definitely surreal. Your ds has no more FAs, if I'm understanding right?
For awhile, ds2 asked me to take pictures of him eating each new food. It was a whole new world opened before him. I hope he enjoys all of the exploring!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 29, 2014, 06:50:13 PM
he is allergic to strawberries. the last time he had contact, turned blood red, hives everywhere and really wheezy. He has never eaten tree nuts and his tests have been inconsistent. we went to dr. sicherer a few years ago, they were all negative on spt. although we had positive in the past. Dr. is going to look through his file for RAST for tree nuts and let me know how to proceed. Has oral allergy syndrome, environmentals and asthma. So, the big one is marked off the list at least.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: momma2boys on January 29, 2014, 07:34:18 PM
Is he still carrying epi for awhile?
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 29, 2014, 07:47:25 PM
The Doc said he's fine, but I noticed he put it in his hockey bag tonight. Not sure if that was him being safe/sure or habit. I would prefer he keep it with him awhile. Still haven't eaten tree nuts either
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: LinksEtc on January 29, 2014, 07:53:17 PM
Congratulations! Wonderful news :happydance:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: hezzier on January 29, 2014, 10:51:15 PM
Very cool!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: notashrimpwimp on January 30, 2014, 12:30:47 AM
What great news for your son and your family! :happydance:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: catelyn on January 30, 2014, 08:17:46 AM
;D
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Scout on January 30, 2014, 08:48:49 AM
:happydance: I need him to eat a snickers for me! I miss those, but cannot get myself to eat one because of dd........I will satisfied with your ds eating one for me!
God Bless him.....I am so happy for your son and family. :heart:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Ree on January 30, 2014, 09:03:57 AM
Wow! Amazing, incredible news! So excited for you both!! :happydance:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: GingerPye on January 30, 2014, 09:06:38 AM
OhmyGOSH!!!! Just now seeing. Happy happy happy!!!!! I'm so happy for you guys. That's great news!!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: my3guys on January 30, 2014, 10:13:06 AM
:happydance: :happydance: Amazing news!! Congrats to him and to you! :heart:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: becca on January 30, 2014, 02:18:57 PM
So awesome!
Imagine walking into a bakery and choosing *whatever.* That is a dream my dd has.
Though, with the strawberry allergy and uncertain on tree nuts, shouldn't he still carry epi?
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: momma2boys on January 30, 2014, 02:23:20 PM
How are you handling tree nuts and may contain tree nut warnings?
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 30, 2014, 06:01:51 PM
We think all tree nuts were negative in last spt and rast. dr. was going to look through the file for the results. I also have them, but need to dig for them. I don't think he's allergic to tree nuts. He once ate an entire box of cereal (in one or two sittings LOL) we missed the warning about almond flour. we just never bothered to deal with the other nuts due to cross contamination and because ds showed zero interest. once the dr calls and says the tests are negative, we'll find out if ok to try at home or not. He used to be positive for them, but we believe the spt was a cross reactive positive as he has a lot of environmental allergies.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: booandbrimom on January 30, 2014, 06:44:19 PM
Good for you, MFA, for getting through it, and him for having the courage to try. What wonderful news!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Macabre on January 31, 2014, 12:11:06 AM
So what has he eaten/done so far?
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on January 31, 2014, 06:58:18 AM
mostly non peanut stuff that he couldn't have before like M&Ms, chocolate pretzels, kit kat etc. I want him to eat some additional pb stuff just for peace of mind. was thinking something like little debbie bar where the pb isn't "thick" or somthing with chopped/whole pn.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mookie86 on January 31, 2014, 09:01:28 AM
Does current thinking remain that he needs to eat PN regularly so his body doesn't forget that it's ok, or has that school of thought changed?
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: sneaker on January 31, 2014, 10:48:48 AM
Congrats!!! That Is Great News!!!
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: ajasfolks2 on February 02, 2014, 12:38:06 PM
:happydance: :happydance: :happydance:
So, while you're getting him all that peanut stuff, don't forget this for you:
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on February 03, 2014, 05:41:18 AM
the dr didn't give us a specific direction about continuing to eat pb. I don't want to push him. he doesn't like it and I want to give him some time to settle down...that was really emotionally hard for him. I bought little debbie pb wafer things. I've never LOVED pb or peanuts, but I always liked those. Not so thick and strong. I made white chocolate chip cookies yesterday. I think I would feel better if he ate something peanut butter again soon and weekly just for reality check. Adding: my name is total overkill at this point. When I started with this group, ds was 4, we had shellfish, egg, soy, peanut, strawberry, tree nut, later added oas. Now we're down to OAS and strawberries (I think tree nuts off list too).
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: SilverLining on February 03, 2014, 08:19:58 AM
I am just so happy for both of you.
I was thinking about you last night....wondering if you were watching the game. Food is such a BIG part of the Super Bowl, so. I wondered if you got to have some new food this year.
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on February 03, 2014, 09:13:01 AM
No nothing new, I guess I did use toll house white chocolate for cookies
Title: Re: ds doing challenge on Wed
Post by: Mfamom on November 05, 2014, 03:40:24 PM
so, we're doing great since the challenge. DS still won't eat straight up peanut butter. I'm not sure how much to push this. I would like him to eat it sometimes just so I know for sure we aren't going to have any problems!!
He also hasn't eaten tree nuts and he has negative tests for them. I'm not sure if i should just have him do a challenge at home (to make him more comfortable) or call the dr.