Setback With Peanut Treatment

I love keeping this journal of my Daughters Oral Immunotherapy treatment for her peanut allergy. We did however have a setback this past week. We went into her Allergists for her dose of peanuts to be raised and after about ten minutes my daughter started to complain of an itchy back and itchy throat.  I looked at her back, it appeared to have a rash beginning to break out.  So sadly, we will be staying on the same dose for two weeks instead of going up a dose with the rest of the group. This puts us five weeks behind the rest of the kids in the group.

It is so discouraging for us watching everyone else power through this oral therapy, while we are getting setbacks. Her allergist talked to me and said that since he has seen improvement with her to not let us get too discouraged. We talked about how her level of peanut allergy is so high that this treatment really is the best thing I can do for her to insure her future safety. The oral immunotherapy treatment is only suppose to take 5 months, but I have a feeling we will be doing this for closer to a year.

It has been however, a great learning experience for my Daughter and I as we have embarked on this journey. I have noticed my daughter starting to understand what it feels like to have a reaction to peanuts. I have kept her diet very strict in the past so she very rarely had reactions. This treatment has taught her how to recognize symptoms her body has when she has consumed something with a trace of peanut in it. She is very good at knowing and recognizing this and telling me immediately. I think for a 4 year old this is HUGE!!!

My Daughter will be starting school very soon. I am thinking of taking her to the store with me each week and showing her foods that are safe and not safe to eat. To educate her to know for herself what she can and cannot have. I am hoping to not only empower her with this knowledge, but help myself by easing my mind. I just wish I had thought to start doing this sooner. I am so anxious for her to begin school. I know the school is keeping her classroom peanut free, but I cannot help but be scared. Accidents happen this I know, that's what scares me the most. I try not to let her see my fears. I feel her up with excitement for school, I do not want school to be a place of fear for her. All I can do is educate her and her teachers.

I pray this treatment works for us, I just want my sweet princess to be safe!!!