There are over 50 OIT family blogs published in our “Research & Learn“ library. They contain the journey of that family in OIT–some are in clinical trials, and others are in private practice with board-certified allergists. All the blogs are fascinating to read, full of wisdom and knowledge unique to that family’s journey.
ONE EXCERPT FROM THE BLOG:
Lights, Cameras, Action!
I recall in the beginning of my blog posts regarding Gavin’s OIT process that I knew I would have plenty to write about however; I stated that on many of the other parent blogs they were indicating the journey itself was BORING (no reactions)! While we appreciate the boring journey that OIT has offered us, things are getting ready to get exciting…in a good way! From the beginning, I knew I would somehow document Gavin’s OIT journey. I have often thought about how I can help others recognize what this process is and how food allergies impact our everyday lives. Of course, this blog has been outstanding in allowing people to follow the path we have chosen. That being said, tonight we will reach people that may have never heard of OIT before or seen my blog.
A week ago Gavin’s allergist and our Hero…Dr. Jacobs was asked by Fox 4 News to share the OIT process on a documented special. They wanted to ask questions to a child and their family about how the OIT process has impacted them. Dr. Jacob’s texted me and asked if Gavin would be interested. Of course, we were happy to do it. It is difficult not to give God the credit for this one too, so I will. I truly believe that he continues to use us to help people with food allergies.
On 4/21 we went to Dr. Jacob’s office for our “normal” updose of peanuts. We ate 6 peanuts on this day all under the watchful eye of Fox 4 news cameras. They recorded Gavin through the entire office visit. They interviewed Dr. Jacobs (can’t wait to see this). Then they interviewed myself and Gavin. He did a great job at answering questions about how his food allergy affects his everyday life. I then discussed and answered questions regarding the impact on the family when having a child with a food allergy. I was asked questions surrounding the fact that OIT is not FDA approved and the fact that many allergists believe it is not ready to be used on patients yet. It is difficult to respond because I do know the importance of the FDA concerning the health of their citizens. That being said, I researched and asked questions about OIT for months prior to starting. I read all the studies and questioned Dr. Jacobs regarding risks and benefits. Our family believes we made the right choice for us! With a success rate of 85% for children who begin OIT, a very low risk of having anaphylaxis and no reported deaths it was an easy choice for us. Believe me when I say that I realize that not everybody agrees with the choices we have made however; you must live in our shoes before you decide that. Gavin had a higher risk of ingesting peanuts accidently, suffering from anaphylaxis and dying prior to OIT.
With all of our excitement we also celebrate the fact that we are eating 6 peanut M&Ms every morning at 5:30 am (except on non-school days). Gavin still says he does not like them but he eats them like a champ knowing they are very important! So Lights, Camera, Action, tune in tonight at 10pm to Fox 4 news and see a snip it of our families journey through this process. We realize we are just one of the thousands of families that are going through this process and hope we represent all of us! See if you would have made the same choice we did when we said “OIT”! Thanks again for all your support and prayers. The picture above is Gavin’s day of interviews with Meryl Lin McCain and Ron, the camera man, they were fantastic!!!
