Food Allergy Support

Discussion Boards => Main Discussion Board => Topic started by: GoingNuts on December 16, 2013, 07:00:56 AM

Title: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GoingNuts on December 16, 2013, 07:00:56 AM
His challenge is scheduled for 1 PM today.  I'm nervous.  Details to follow.

Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: MaryM on December 16, 2013, 07:50:12 AM
Best of luck!   Tell Dr. N and Ingrid we say hello ;) 
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Macabre on December 16, 2013, 08:08:37 AM
Good luck! Hoping for the best outcome!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: LinksEtc on December 16, 2013, 08:13:06 AM
Good luck GoingNuts!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: rebekahc on December 16, 2013, 08:33:11 AM
 :luck:
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: yelloww on December 16, 2013, 08:33:32 AM
Good luck!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: jschwab on December 16, 2013, 09:10:37 AM
Good luck! I hope you get the outcome you want :)
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: twinturbo on December 16, 2013, 09:33:55 AM
Best of luck!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GoingNuts on December 16, 2013, 09:37:06 AM
I'm waiting for him to get ready to leave.  Of course he's balking at their "ridiculous" rules about how much to eat and when.  At 19, he thinks "breakfast" is something you eat at noon, and being a male adolescent with the metabolism of a hummingbird, thinks 4 slices of pizza is an appropriate "morning" meal.  ~)
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: YouKnowWho on December 16, 2013, 10:03:39 AM
Quote from: GoingNuts on December 16, 2013, 09:37:06 AM
I'm waiting for him to get ready to leave.  Of course he's balking at their "ridiculous" rules about how much to eat and when.  At 19, he thinks "breakfast" is something you eat at noon, and being a male adolescent with the metabolism of a hummingbird, thinks 4 slices of pizza is an appropriate "morning" meal.  ~)

You mean it's not  :hiding:  I was not blessed with a hummingbird metabolism and given that four slices of pizza at noon sounds fine, you understand where my weight issues come into play LOL

Thinking of you today!!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GingerPye on December 16, 2013, 10:15:27 AM
Oh, good luck.  Good Luck Good Luck Good Luck!   :crossed: :crossed: :crossed:

Almonds would be so wonderful to have in the diet.  Hoping it works out!!

(sorry about the car issues)
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GoingNuts on December 16, 2013, 01:02:05 PM
Knock wood, poo poo poo. Third dose in. So far, so good.
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: my3guys on December 16, 2013, 01:35:23 PM
Fingers crossed it continues!!  And glad you made it there, despite car issues!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: PurpleCat on December 16, 2013, 01:49:07 PM
very very cool!  Hoping for continued success!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: CMdeux on December 16, 2013, 02:19:50 PM
:crossed:


Watching avidly for updates and hoping for GOOD, GOOD news.   :heart:
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Macabre on December 16, 2013, 02:38:30 PM
Came between meetings to see how it's going!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GoingNuts on December 16, 2013, 02:50:07 PM
No official determination, but no reactions.  ;D

We're waiting for Dr.  Nowak now.
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: CMdeux on December 16, 2013, 02:51:10 PM
No reaction is definitely good news, no matter how you look at it!!   :heart:
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: twinturbo on December 16, 2013, 03:17:11 PM
ooh. promising.
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Jmarc on December 16, 2013, 04:14:49 PM
crossing fingers toes an paws here...... :yes:
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: momma2boys on December 16, 2013, 04:34:10 PM
Yay for no reaction!   :happydance:
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Mookie86 on December 16, 2013, 05:08:17 PM
I came to FAS to see how it went.  Is it a pass?!?!?
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Macabre on December 16, 2013, 05:33:27 PM
Passed?
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GoingNuts on December 16, 2013, 06:05:39 PM
It was a pass.   ;D  The only casualty of the day were my glasses, which broke when I took them off to read something and I dropped a water bottle on them.  :dunce:

Now the challenge will be to find non-Xcontaminated almonds.  Blue Diamond are now on shared equipment with every darned tree nut known to mankind.  I really don't want to have to buy raw ones, wash them, roast them, etc. 

But hey, I can make almond butter buckeyes! :thumbsup:
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: MaryM on December 16, 2013, 06:09:32 PM
Congratulations!!!!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GoingNuts on December 16, 2013, 06:15:48 PM
This is the response I got from Blue Diamond:


Thank you for contacting Blue Diamond Growers with your product inquiry.

First, Blue Diamond only processes almonds; however, the transportation equipment used to transfer the almonds from the orchards to the processing facilities is shared with other nut growers. Many of our almond growers in our grower co-op have other tree nut orchards (separate from the almond orchards).

Let me emphasize that the harvested almonds are NOT shipped together with any other nuts; however, because the equipment is shared , it is possible that a stray walnut, pistachio or hazelnut be left behind in the dumpers.

With our tightly controlled processes, it si unlikely that something like that would get through our system and into our finished/packaged products, but in the event it does, we need to inform our consumers of the possibility with that statement on our packages.

Other tree nuts would include walnuts, pistachios and hazelnuts.

I hope that this information is helpful; however, if I can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact me.
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Macabre on December 16, 2013, 06:44:20 PM
Okay, well that is less contact than I thought.

Congrats!!!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Janelle205 on December 16, 2013, 06:52:32 PM
Congrats - big day for the FAS kids!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Jmarc on December 16, 2013, 07:53:05 PM
yay!!! congratulations!!! it is a big day for fas kids indeed!!!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GoingNuts on December 16, 2013, 08:29:11 PM
Found 'em!

http://us.wonderfulalmonds.com/wa_static_ipad/faq.php (http://us.wonderfulalmonds.com/wa_static_ipad/faq.php)
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GingerPye on December 16, 2013, 08:34:47 PM
WooHOOO!!!  Yay for the pass!!!  Yum, almonds!  How very exciting.....  :happydance:
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: LinksEtc on December 16, 2013, 08:47:10 PM
Quote from: GoingNuts on December 16, 2013, 06:05:39 PM
Now the challenge will be to find non-Xcontaminated almonds.  Blue Diamond are now on shared equipment with every darned tree nut known to mankind.  I really don't want to have to buy raw ones, wash them, roast them, etc. 

Congrats!

Maybe something like this would work for the almonds?
http://www.barneybutter.com (http://www.barneybutter.com)
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GoingNuts on December 16, 2013, 09:27:23 PM
Links, that's what they use for The challenge. And it comes in chocolate, too!  ;D

I'm going to bake Cookies with it on Wednesday.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Mookie86 on December 17, 2013, 07:26:31 AM
 :happydance: on passing, and I'm glad you found ones that he can eat.

:thumbsup:
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: hezzier on December 17, 2013, 07:28:05 AM
Wonderful news!!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: my3guys on December 17, 2013, 08:03:22 AM
 :happydance: :happydance:
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Macabre on December 17, 2013, 08:13:50 AM
Wonderful also makes pistachios. We buy both the almonds and pistachios.

Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Macabre on December 17, 2013, 08:16:29 AM
Just read your link. Oh wow. Okay we need to put this IMHO in the Pn free tn thread. So cool!!!

GN you can get them right?  super Target sells them.

I cried the first time I bought almonds in a store.


Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: SilverLining on December 17, 2013, 11:31:51 AM
so happy to read about another pass.  ;D
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GoingNuts on December 17, 2013, 03:56:08 PM
OK, I have a few minutes to expand on yesterday's visit.

They divided the dose into 4 servings, waiting 10-15 minutes between  doses, with each dose getting progressively larger.  He had a total of about 2 Tbsps. of Barney Almond Butter.  He had no symptoms at all, but if he had, the RN was stationed right outside the door, with Dr. Nowak nearby.  She came in between doses to check his breathing, etc.

With this pass, Dr. Nowak instructed him to be sure to eat some at least 2X a week for the first 6 months (more if he doesn't get tired of it!) to be sure that his immune system is really tolerating it.  I have instructed him not to eat it unless his father or I are home for at least the first few weeks, just to be sure, and not to exercise afterwards.

He is due to come back in the spring, and I know DS would rather find someone locally (and one that isn't exclusively pediatric, given that he is turning 20 in a few weeks), but as long as they are willing to see him I'd rather continue because I like the way they do challenges there.  He may also be able to do a chick pea challenge, which he was initially "meh" on, but I think he's starting to see the value of adding chick peas to his diet.

Alas, the allergen he would really like to get rid of is sesame, and that has shown no signs of abating whatsoever.  :tongue:

So that's the story.  We're pretty happy.  I can't stop thinking about the baking implications.  For one, I could have actual "mandel" (almond in Yiddish) in my mandel bread! 
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: CMdeux on December 17, 2013, 04:35:39 PM
That sounds like more or less the standard protocol that our allergist (a Sinai product) also follows for challenges.

He starts with the vehicle, and then adds allergen slowly.  How slowly depends on patient history, evidently.

I'm just SO thrilled for you guys, GN!   :D

Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: twinturbo on December 17, 2013, 04:48:30 PM
It's really the freedom from another allergen rather than the food but it's nice when you can have the traditions. Dr. Nowak certainly seems like the doctor to have. I'm sheepishly considering moving from Sicherer to her. I'm not sure you can change within a practice though.
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: PurpleCat on December 17, 2013, 04:54:31 PM
Congratulations!  What a nice add to your kitchen!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: Jmarc on December 18, 2013, 08:24:55 AM
that is wonderful news!!!! YAY!!! your allergist sounds like ours!! we were there for a total of 6 hrs and got up to two tablespoons of peanut butter!!

and our allergist said to keep the epi pens for another year just incase..and then if no issues after a year we do not have to renew them..yay!!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: booandbrimom on December 18, 2013, 10:00:38 AM
Wow - congrats! That's wonderful news. Almonds are such a fun thing to be able to use.
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: joanna5 on December 18, 2013, 04:35:00 PM
More good news!  Congrats on the pass!
Title: Re: DS's Almond Challenge at Mt. Sinai
Post by: GoingNuts on December 18, 2013, 06:03:13 PM
Quote from: twinturbo on December 17, 2013, 04:48:30 PM
It's really the freedom from another allergen rather than the food but it's nice when you can have the traditions. Dr. Nowak certainly seems like the doctor to have. I'm sheepishly considering moving from Sicherer to her. I'm not sure you can change within a practice though.

I'm sure you can TT.  FWIW, I love Dr. Sicherer, but he's not on our insurance.  I think DS would really like him too, especially because adolescent boys relate better to men.  And he has a goofy sense of humor.  ;)

Dr. Nowak has a lovely, soft, nurturing manner that I think probably translates well with younger kids.  She really is a doll.

Boo, he's really thrilled because he's been in search of a shelf-stable, healthy snack at school.  He has given up on beef jerky (where is a retching emoticon when you need one?), and was hoping to have a reasonably healthy, satisfying alternative.  :thumbsup:

I got out of work too late today to go buy the Wonderful almonds, and I guess he was too lazy.  I guess it will be tomorrow or Friday.