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Real Families, Real Stories, Real Success
My son Tyler is 16 and started OIT in June. I will admit that I was so nervous about this whole program even though I had been reading about it for a couple of years since the beginning stages when this sort of program was done only in a hospital setting. My son actually pushed me to make the call and set up an appointment for the consultation. He is older now and I felt that I was no longer going to have the control that I have had over the years regarding his safety. As Tyler began his teen years I started feeling my anxiety levels heighten again. The thoughts of him growing and maturing and discovering his own path in life, making choices, decisions, and mistakes for himself without us ensuring his safety ahead of time were overwhelming.. After 16 years you kind of get use to the routine which has become our way of life. These thoughts brought me back to that initial feeling of fear when we found out that he had a peanut allergy at 8 months old, amongst other food allergies at the time. I remember going into Trader Joe’s market and just breaking down into tears because he was so limited, and all I thought at the time was “What am I going to feed my son, he is just a baby!” Peanu… Read more
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We are a family of four and live in central Oklahoma, an area known for high allergens. With no known family history of food allergy, I never expected my baby would be “that kid”; and have a severe peanut allergy. When my son, Callen, (at 16 mo) vomited after his first real Halloween candy, a Reese’s Cup, I had a slight feeling it could be food allergy. He had chronic eczema and blood tests did reveal a peanut allergy but I knew the tests weren’t black and white and didn’t absolutely mean a true food allergy was present. After all, he could eat eggs just fine and those were on his panel too. So, one day I gave him 2 mini Ritz crackers with peanut butter. He got lethargic and vomited. Just like that Halloween night. It was confirmed. My husband’s grandma has since shared that she has some reactions to peanut but not anaphylaxis.
Kaitlyn has a life-threatening peanut allergy that truly dictates every aspect of her daily life. Her allergy is so severe, that she will go into anaphylactic shock if she ingests even the smallest particle of a peanut. This includes ingesting any product that has been produced at a facility that also produces peanut products, being touched by someone who has recently eaten a peanut, and even airborne particles such as those recirculated in a commercial airplane. Daily life is hard, and arguably harder on a such a young girl of 11.
Don’t let distance stop you. We travel 2,408 miles to see our OIT doctor. Although this requires a time and financial commitment, we discovered it was easier to overcome those hurdles than we thought. Long distance OIT can be done!
I didn’t think it would be too hard to manage my younger son’s multiple food allergies. He would be safe if he only ate food that I provided and made for him, and I would be able to protect him from exposure or cross contamination if we avoided places or situations that may have his food allergens. However, as he grew older and more independent, I realized that it was harder than I thought. As kindergarten drew closer, I became more and more anxious – how could I protect him when he was at school, with kids eating peanut butter sandwiches, granola bars, and anything else that contained nuts? How could I trust others to look after him, and know the appropriate action to take if he had an anaphylactic reaction? We also found out my older son had developed a peanut allergy at that time. Our stress levels were through the roof!
Many people think OIT is just for kids. The truth is, it’s for everyone. In fact, if you think keeping a kid with allergies safe is difficult, imagine what their life will be like going off to college and beyond. This is the story of a girl named Marni in her 30s who now gets to live her food fairy tale.
Andrew was diagnosed with an anaphylactic peanut allergy around the age of 2. He was airborne and contact sensitive, and every RAST test he had came back “over 100” for peanuts. For 13 years, we took no risks and practiced strict avoidance of any and all peanuts.
I think the thing that made me most realize we needed to do OIT was reading about the tragedies of those who died. An underlying theme to the vast majority was that they had only ever had mild reactions and had always been careful about avoiding eating things with peanuts. Until they accidentally did eat peanut on the last day of their lives.
I am here to offer you HOPE.
As I reflect on our journey through OIT, the famous quote from Nelson Mandela speaks volumes: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears”. I think back to the night before my daughter began the biggest journey of her young life. Making the choice to purposely begin feeding her the very thing that could kill her. The fear was real. We had spent the past 7 1/2 years protecting and teaching this child to avoid peanuts and tree nuts at all costs.FROM OUR OIT NEWS BLOG
Wall Street Journal Covers OIT in another story of success
The Wall Street Journal featured OIT/Oral Immunotherapy in a featured health column by By Sumathi Reddy. Three of our allergists, Dr. Factor of New England Food Allergy Treatment Center, Dr Wasserman of Dallas Allergy, and Dr. Mark Weinstein of NJ were interviewed with several parents and children. We even made it into the story: "A growing … [Read More Here]
US News & World Report OIT Story: New Peanut Therapy Alters DNA
New Peanut Therapy Alters DNA By Shannon Firth A new experimental therapy creates changes in the DNA expression of peanut allergy sufferers. Using blood tests and DNA sequencing technology, researchers at Stanford University were able to successfully predict which subjects with peanut allergies would react to a peanut test. At the end of 24 … [Read More Here]
Umer: Listing data to copy and paste in each doctor’s listing
Mercy Medical Group: Dr. Rubina Inamdar and Dr. Binita Mandal Windom Allergy: Dr. Hugh Windom and Dr. Jean Ly Kansas City Allergy and Asthma: Dr. Derrick Ward, Dr. James Sterner and Dr. Mark Neustrom Allergy, Asthma & Sinus Care Center: Dr. Manoj Warrier and Dr. Josie Vitale Bernstein Allergy: Dr. Jonathan Bernstein and Dr. Justin … [Read More Here]
National Institute of Health: “Oral Immunotherapy Is Safe, Effective Treatment for Peanut-Allergic Preschoolers”
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016 Oral Immunotherapy Is Safe, Effective Treatment for Peanut-Allergic Preschoolers, Study Suggests WHAT: Nearly 80 percent of peanut-allergic preschool children successfully incorporated peanut-containing foods into their diets after receiving peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT), a clinical trial has … [Read More Here]
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Over 400 published media articles, videos and medical journals about OIT
