Peanut Oral Immunotherapy FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions

My son Alexander is being successfully treated for his life threatening peanut allergy.
Click here to read more about his experience eating peanuts as part of his treatment.


Below - Links to each of separate Oral Immunotherapy FAQ pages for Peanut, Wheat, Milk and Egg published on the website of Dallas Allergy Immunology.


Following the links below I have copied a few of the 27 Frequently Asked Questions about Oral Immunotherapy for Peanuts as published on the website of Dallas Allergy Immunology www.dallasallergy.net (which is Dr. Wasserman's website). 


Links to the pages for the Oral Immunotherapy FAQ's. Each allergen has it's own page dedicated to questions for that particular food and its respective oral immunotherapy program.
PEANUT   http://dallasallergy.net/peanut-oral-immunotherapy-faqs
WHEAT    http://dallasallergy.net/wheat-oral-immunotherapy-faqs
MILK        http://dallasallergy.net/milk-oral-immunotherapy-faqs
EGG         http://dallasallergy.net/egg-oral-immunotherapy-faqs.


Below are a few of the PEANUT FAQ's I found most helpful. On the Dallas Allergy website there are 27 frequently asked questions and the relevant answers to each.
Question 1:  How long will the entire process take?

A. The first day procedure will take about 7-8 hours. If there are no reactions during the oral immunotherapy, you child will be eating a full serving of peanuts in about three months.

Question 3: What is the timeline for the months after the first day?
A. Exactly how it will go depends on each individual child. If everything goes well, some amount of the whole food will be eaten during the second month and a whole serving of peanuts may be eaten by the fourth month. By four months, if there are no reactions, two doses per day will be required to maintain desensitization.  After one year the dosing frequency will be reduced to once a day.

Question 5:  How often can the dose be increased?
A. The interval between dose increases is a minimum of seven days.
Question 6:  What time of day should home doses be given?
A. For twice a day peanut dosing, try to make the interval between peanut doses no less than 9 hours and no more than 15 hours.

Question 8:  How long should my child stay awake after the evening dose?
A. Children should be observed for at least one hour after the dose is given.  They should not be allowed to sleep during this time.

Question 10:  If there is a reaction at home, what should I do?
A. Treat the reaction the same way you would any food reaction; antihistamine if there is just rash, Epi-pen if there are other symptoms of anaphylaxis. If there is just one or a few hives, DO NOT give antihistamine for the first hour so we can see if the reaction progresses. If the hives are increasing, give antihistamine. Call us after the appropriate immediate intervention. We will give instructions on future dosing.

Question 16:  What if my child is sick and can’t take the doses on schedule?

A. If there is a gap of more than 15 hours between doses, call before giving the next dose. If it is less than 15 hours, pick up on the standard schedule.

Question 17:  When can foods containing peanuts be introduced into the regular diet?

A. Foods containing peanuts may be introduced into the diet at the end of the oral immunotherapy process

Question 18:  What is the goal of this process?

A. The number one goal is safety; to allow the patient to eat peanuts and foods that contain peanuts without thinking about it.

Question 21: Does my child need to avoid exercise during the oral immunotherapy process?
A. Exercise should be avoided for at least two hours after peanut dosing, but it is ideal to avoid exercise for four hours after dosing.  Exercise following peanut dosing increases the chance of a reaction. 
Question 23: How much peanut can/must my child eat following completion of the oral immunotherapy process?
A.Your child must ingest 8 peanuts twice daily as a maintenance dose for the first year following completion of the oral immunotherapy process.  The next year the dose will be reduced to 8 peanuts once daily.  Your child may also consume as much peanut as he/she would like in addition to the daily maintenance dose upon completion of the oral immunotherapy process.  We will have regularly scheduled follow-up appointments, and if the time comes when the frequency of the maintenance dose changes, we will let you know.  Until then, your child must continue the twice daily or daily maintenance dose. 


I hope you find this information to be helpful. For a complete list of the peanut FAQ's be sure to visit the relevant page on the Dallas Allergy website. Link provided above.

Peanut Allergy Treatment #3 and #4

Appointment #3 December 16th. 


I was unable to take Alexander to his appointment so I enlisted the help of his grandmother Judy. She was great. Judy had to pick up Alexander (and his brother Dylan) at school and take them to the peanut appointment. All went smoothly yet to my surprise Alexander's came home with a "peanut pill".                                                                                     
No more peanut and grape juice cocktail. No more refrigeration. 
The pill turned out to be a much easier way to take his dose although according to Xander "the pill is a pain". 
The peanut capsule is teeny tiny. 
The peanut protein has to be dug out of the capsule with a toothpick to get every grain. Needless to say my son is looking forward to the capusule size increasing so he can eliminate digging for the peanut dust with a toothpick. 
Swallowing of the capsule is not allowed. 
I am not sure why. 


For his first at home dose Alexander mixed the peanut powder into yogurt. This worked "ok" but not great. Eventually he chose to mix the peanut flour into liquid. 


The instructions he received from the nurse were explicit when it came to mixing the peanut flour from the pill into liquids. His brother Dylan was quick to remind him of this fact.
The rule: Mix the entire capsule contents into a glass of liquid then swirl the powder to mix well. Drink. Next to be sure no peanut protein or traces are stuck on the sides of the glass, add more liquid to the same glass then swirl to mix and drink.


The remainder of the week proceeded normally and Alexander was very diligent to follow the dosing instructions and timing exactly. Another successful week!


Appointment #4 December 23rd


We arrive at the office and follow the same routine as outlined in an earlier post. 
Believe me I am so thankful that this process is becoming routine.
What a relief and a blessing the peanut desensitizing is going well thus far.


Alexander's dose is increased to 100 mg of peanut flour given twice daily as shown in our dosing instruction sheet picture below. 
Since it would be so much easier if the peanut pill could be swallowed I asked the Physician's Assistant why the dosing instructions did not allow swallowing of the pill. It turns out that no research has been done to determine if this capsule itself would be fully digested. If not then the peanut flour would not be fully absorbed either. 
Ok. Good rule. Makes sense. 
We wait the customary 1 hour after the dose is administered - no reaction and we are on our way home.

At home Alexander embarks on the project of digging the peanut flour out of the tiny capsule. 

This time the new increased dose of 100 mg is contained in what seems to Xander to be the same teeny size capsule. (to my eye it is slightly bigger).

This time the toothpick method of extracting the last bit of powder is traded for a new "improved" digging device pictured below. (I have cropped the photo for an up close look)

To Xander's delight indeed the new tool proves handy. 

The dosing method is a follows.

1) The capsule is opened and the peanut flour is added to a glass containing some liquid. Alexander uses gatorade or juice

2) Xander drinks the solution immediately. 

He does not like the peanut taste but the tried and true method of holding ones nose works like a charm. 

4) Again more gatorade is poured into the same glass and swirled around to ensure every single molecule of peanut flour is mixed into the liquid. 

5) Down the hatch!  

6) The current dose is successfully taken.  

Peanut Allergy Treatment #2

I have been remiss in posting our progress.  (Blame it on the holiday duties).  
In this post I'd like to explain in more detail the treatment process for the beginning weeks of the program.  


After a patient's "initial day long" treatment the process begins with once per week appointments at Dallas Allergy Immunology.
The goal of the appointment is to increase the patients dose of peanut protein (or the relevant food dose for Egg, Wheat or Milk allergy treatments which are also offered) 
The dose is increased if the patient has successfully tolerated the first dosing amount since the last appointment. 
For Alexander, thankfully all went well thus on December 9th we successfully increased Alexander's dose! 


The process is generally as follows- 
1) Upon arrival for each appointment you fill out a computerized health questionnaire about the patient's recent and current health. (This medical practice is very cautious and thorough in my opinion). I love the computerized record keeping. 


2) Blood pressure is taken.

3) Lung peak flow meter test
4) A doctor or physician's assistant conducts a brief interview about the patient's health then performs a quick exam.
5) A nurse enters the current data in the computer.

6) A physician assistant re-enters the exam room to administer the new "dose" to the patient. Alexander new increased dose is administered.  
This time we receive an increased amount of peanut "dust" again dissolved in grape juice (shown below). 
Alexander takes this orally via syringe (shown on the right side of the photo below).

7) We move to a large treatment room where Alexander stays for 1 hour of observation before he is released.


We go home with a small jar of the desensitizing "peanut/grape juice medicine" premixed to exact specification. For each dose Alexander will extract a precise dosing amount into a syringe and take orally. Alexander must take this dose twice per day and follow the dosing rules exactly.


Dosing Rules-
1)The dose is taken twice per day. 
2) This week's dose must stay refrigerated.
3) Interval between doses must be 9-15 hours apart.
4) The patient must be observed for 1 hours for any signs of a reaction by an adult.
5) No exercise for 2 hours and preferable 4 hours after the dose.
6) Call the doctor if there is any reaction. Or if the patient misses a dose. Or if the patient is sick

Note per Dallas Allergy Immunology "once oral immunotherapy is complete the previously allergic food can be freely included in the diet. To maintain tolerance the food must be eaten daily."


My next post will be Frequently Asked Questions about Peanut Oral Immunotherapy. The Dallas Allergy Immunology website also posts FAQ's for Milk, Wheat and Egg Oral Immunotherapy.

Lemon Tea Bread Recipe from Ann Pask

This recipe was developed by Ann Pask for her son who is allergic to several foods including eggs and milk. This recipe is Egg free and Milk Free.
I met Ann last week on Day 1 of our treatment for peanuts. It turns out we knew each other in "another life" years ago during our business careers. Small world. I sat right next to her 10 year old son who was beginning treatment for his Egg allergy.

Ann brought a loaf of her Lemon Tea Bread to give a friend as a "thank you" for bringing lunch up to the treatment room where we were "captives from 9 hours (only the first day is a marathon).
It looked really yummy. Ann's friend happily whisked it away. Sadly no taste for me.
Enjoy!

Lemon Tea Bread
½ cup Fleischmann’s Unsalted Margarine (milk-free)
1 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer + 3 tablespoons canola oil + 3 tablespoons water,
mixed together (equals 2 eggs; available at Whole Foods)
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup Silk soymilk
2 tablespoons lemon zest, divided
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
 
Beat softened margarine at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add egg replacement mixture, beating until just blended.  
 
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to margarine mixture alternately with soy milk, beating at low speed until just blended.  Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon zest.  Spoon batter into greased and floured 8” x 4” loaf pan.  
 
Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until a wooden tooth pick inserted in center of bread comes out clean.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes.  Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.  
 
Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.  Spoon evenly over top of bread, letting excess drip down sides.  Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.  Sprinkle on top of bread.  
 
Makes 1 loaf.
 
 
Recipe by Ann Pask
 

NIAID New Guidelines for Food Allergy Diagnosis and Management

Yesterday the NIAID published new Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergies. 
The NIAID is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.


NIAID worked with 34 professional organizations, federal agencies, and patient advocacy groups to develop concise clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals on the diagnosis and management of food allergy and the treatment of acute food allergy reactions. Below is a link to this important information.


The guidelines provide 43 concise clinical recommendations for healthcare professionals on how to diagnose and manage food allergy and how to treat acute food allergy reactions. They also identify gaps in the current scientific knowledge to be addressed through future research. The guidelines contain an introduction and five sections that address the following major topics:

• Definitions, prevalence, and epidemiology of food allergy (Section 2)
• Natural history of food allergy and associated disorders (Section 3)
• Diagnosis of food allergy (Section 4)
• Management of non-acute food allergic reactions and prevention of food allergy (Section 5)
• Diagnosis and management of food-induced anaphylaxis and other acute allergic reactions to foods (Section 6)

Guidelines. Click the link below.
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/clinical/Pages/default.aspx

There is a lot of information to explore on the NIAID site. Be sure to check out the page "FAQ About the Guidelines" 

Food Allergy Treatment and Recipes-The early years

When my boys were little they were "allergic but mainly intolerant" to 50 foods each. Not to mention scads of trees, grass, molds etc. 
Don't get me started on the hours, days and weeks of time it took to test over 100 foods.  
They were tested in the old fashioned way via injection or intradermal testing. During this test, a small amount of the allergen solution was injected into the skin. We sat in the office for hours receiving shots of decreasing strength until there was no reaction. (First with my oldest son and later with the younger)
The treatment?  Shots of allergy extracts customized with the exact level of allergen needed for each food. We did this for years!  Poor kids.  (There is much more to the story but that's it for now.)
Soooo both boys tested positive for wheat, corn, rice, soy, milk,eggs, brewers yeast (the list goes on). Each child had a different list of foods with some commonalities and different levels of intolerance to those "foods".  
I embarked down the journey of creating my own "versions" of recipes without those allergens. At the time there were few resources for alternative ingredients or non-allergic recipes. Now thanks to the internet such recipes exist. 
Many of you have created your own recipes in order to survive the food allergy dilemma. 
Some were probably disasters and some surprises. Share your funny stories, your successes and your failures.  
Most of all let's all share the best of the best of our recipes as there is a great need for non-allergic recipes that work and taste great. 

Click on the "Recipes Without" link at the right hand side of the blog to view Recipes.

Over time I will post some of my best non-allergic recipes. 

I invite you to email your recipes to 

salt.light.truth@gmail.com   I will post them for you!

Oatmeal Lace Cookies

Oatmeal Lace Cookies

2 1/4 c Quick Cooking Rolled Oats

1  c       Butter or Margarine melted  

1 1/2 c  Dark Brown Sugar, firmly packed

1 Egg, slightly beaten

1 T   Amber Agave Nectar or Molasses  

1 t Vanilla

3 T Rye Flour or All Purpose Flour

1/2 t Salt

Combine Quick Oats with melted Butter and brown sugar.  Stir well to combine

Let stand overnight at room temperature (or longer) so the oats will absorb the butter.

The next day add remaining ingredients. Mix well. (I used a hand mixer ).

Drop 1 level teaspoon of batter onto parchment lined or well greased baking sheet .  

9 cookies per sheet (they will spread).

Bake 1 sheet at a time in a preheated 375 degree oven for 7 minutes or until golden brown. 

When cooled should be very crispy. 

Cool 30 sec to 1 minute on pan.  Remove to rack.  Turning parchment over onto rack is easy way to remove the sticky cookies or use thin metal spatula.


(Wheat Free, Milk Free, Nut Free)

Peanuts to CURE Peanut Allergy

CBS News reports on a research and clinical trial conducted at Duke University Medical Center using peanuts to "cure" peanut allergies according to the CBS interview.
subtitled- "Patients with Sometimes-Deadly Allergy Consume Tiny Amounts of Peanuts Daily to Build Up Immunity in Pioneering Studies."

Our son Alexander just began Oral Immunotherapy TREATMENT for his life-threatening peanut allergy.  This is a full treatment program not a study or clinical trial.

Its a 3 year long Treatment program offered by Dallas Allergy and Immunology.
The initial desensitization phase can take 6 to 12 months depending on the patient
followed by a maintenance phase of 2 years.

I am documenting our entire treatment process on this blog.


The Duke study shown in this video used Oral Immunotherapy also.


After participating in the Duke study the 11 year old boy in the video is no longer deathly allergic to peanuts.
He eats a handful Peanut M&Ms as his daily "medicine"


Per this CBS interview the doctor stated "We don't know that long-term it really will make it (the peanut allergy) go away: and that is where the studies are concentrating now."


Watch the CBS NEWS VIDEO by clicking here 

Peanut Allergy Treatment DAY 1

A revolutionary new treatment is available for people allergic to Peanuts, Milk, Eggs and Wheat. The treatment is called Oral Immunotherapy (OIT).   

We begin today - our Food Allergy Desensitizing Day 1 is here. There are 3 patients ready to begin the treatment program. Each person has a different Food allergy- Egg, Milk, and Peanut. My son is the peanut patient.

We arrived at 8am to Dr. Wasserman's of Dallas Allergy Immunology with pillows, blankets, snacks, electronics and "to do's" in hand. The stage is set for an entire day at the doctors.

Entrez Vous

After completing our computerized health status questionnaire we proceed for med check (height,weight, blood pressure) & then to the PFT test which Alexander FAILED in September (click here to see my "Roadblocks" post). 
Xander passed this time with 79% lung function. Not great but vastly improved. Next the physicians assistant questions Xander about his current health as he was undergoing treatment for a cough & drainage in addition to Advair for his asthma and poor lung function.
Hurray- we are deemed healthy enough and allowed to proceed.


We settle into a large room with reclining loungers along with an 18 year old teenage boy with an Egg allergy and a 10 year old boy with a Milk allergy.
Picture a small table set up in the room and a nurse armed with a timer to dispense a dose of the allergen every 15 minutes (treatment details will be provided in posts to come). Alexander is given a name tag to wear that says "PEANUT". The other 2 patients don "EGG" and "MILK" name tags. 

As a precaution each patient wears a name tag displaying his particular allergen

The dosing procedure is fully explained and we begin.


8:54 a.m. I am handed a syringe with Dose 1.  A tiny bit of peanut flour mixed with grape juice.  I hand it to Alexander and he squirts the peanut "cocktail" into his mouth.

A syringe is used for the "allergen cocktail" of peanut flour and grape juice

After a few doses Alexander "settles in for the long haul" teenager style.

The environment is comfortable especially with the teenage accouterments 

This scenario is repeated every 15 minutes like clockwork. Alexander ingests 26 doses of peanut flour mixed in grape juice with each dose increasing in strength. Very precise procedures.
The nurses regularly check to ensure each patient feels normal, no cough, itching, hives or worse.  
For more information on this treatment click here for my post "Oral Immunotherapy Frequently Asked Questions".


5pm- He made it! Ingesting all the doses with no adverse reactions. 
WHEW! Praise God.

Share your food allergies stories. Email your stories to salt.light.truth@gmail.com and I will post them on the blog. 

There is a world out there waiting for information, help or encouragement

Roadblocks

Roadblocks. Dictionary.com defines "roadblocks" as "an action, condition, etc., that obstructs progress toward an objective:"

Objective-Desensitize our son to peanuts. Not a simple task.
Having only found out in mid-August this was possible I have been on a fast track mission.
I immediately scheduled Alexander to start in September.

Roadblock #1-
We were all set and arrived for our initial medical visit with Dr. Wasserman at Dallas Allergy Immunology.
A few days later we were scheduled to begin Peanut Oral Immunotherapy Day 1
- yet this was not to be.

During our med checkup the nurse administered a PFT or Pulmonary Function Test
to measure how well Alexander's lungs are working.
Pulmonary Function testing measures the function of lung capacity and lung and chest wall mechanics to determine whether or not the patient has a lung problem.
The patient blows air into a measuring device blowing out as much as they can, then inhales as deeply as possible. This is repeated 3 or more times. The goal is to get a reproducible result that is consistent

The nurse kept asking our son to try harder. "Hmmm, try again Alexander".
I was blissfully unaware that there might be a problem.
At one point she thought perhaps her machine was malfunctioning.
To our horror (and the doctors surprise) Alexander's PFT revealed his lungs were functioning at 60%.  An "abnormal result" per the doctor. 
I felt like a bad Mom. Why didn't I detect this health issue? How could our son perform well in sports and school with such a low level of lung function?  
I just think Alexander got used to the way he "was".  He had adjusted.  This was "his normal". Thank goodness we found out.

So the peanut program was off.

Alexander embarked on a protocol to increase his lung function. He does have mild asthma or so we thought.
Obviously his asthma was hiding in a more silent way than wheezing etc.

In the end we were thankful for this "roadblock" as it revealed a serious health issue of which we were unaware.

Leave it to a teenager to be able to play sports, attend school and live life with,
to quote Dr. Wasserman "an unacceptable level of disability"
Who knew.

(We are so thankful for the advances and breakthroughs in medical science that allow such a program to now be offered by a few doctors.)

So now what?

Peanut De-sensitization Program- watch this video interview

The day is fast approaching that we will begin a new food allergy de-sensitizing treatment.
The treatment is for patients with life-threatening food allergies, specifically peanut allergy, wheat allergy, egg allergy and milk allergy.
Learn a little more by watching the new interview below with Dr. Wasserman of Dallas Allergy Immunology.
VIDEO on the Treatment we will begin Nov 18

PEANUT ALLERGY SCARE C'mon Man! What are the chances of this happening.

Well now its time to tell a few stories about our "scares" in food allergy land.  On Halloween this year we travelled out of town for the day.  Our only choice was to fly Southwest Airlines due to the time we had to arrive at our destination for an event.  This is always a scary choice as SW Airlines serves peanuts on all its flights.  Thankfully they do allow you to let them know if someone traveling has a Peanut Allergy.  We appreciate this fact. I made all the necessary arrangements ahead of time and again at the gate.  They designated the flight a "non-peanut" flight and serve pretzels instead. (Of course they cannot control the food brought aboard.)


We carry wipes aboard and my son wipes down the seat, seat belt, tray, armrests etc.
We settle in. All went well with our outbound flight. The first flight of they day usually results in a clean plane, so all went well.


The return flight- same bat channel- all the precautions.  Of course the plane has ferried passengers to their destinations all day full of peanut munchers  (note- I actually love peanuts myself so no offense meant to my fellow peanut lovers).  Needless to say the plane is not clean nor any effort made to clean up the peanuts.  Yes when we chose to fly on SW we expected this might be the case.  Yes this is a  little nerve wracking.  


Alexander takes it in stride but he must be a little fearful.
I don't think the prospect of a peanut emergency in mid-air with an Epipen that only lasts 20 minutes (and a 2nd Epipen a few more minutes) and thus  the possible scenarios have dawned on him. (is this a run-on sentence?)


We take off.  Usually and wisely a SW flight attendant announces that there is a "peanut allergy aboard" but this time they did not.  Sure enough about 30 minutes into the flight the lady next to Alexander pulls out her snack. I wish I had a pictures.
It was a GALLON SIZE BAGGIE full of every kind of peanut imaginable. I've never seen such a thing.  A gallon baggie full of peanut M&M's, spanish peanuts, salted peanuts, dry roasted peanuts.  You get the idea. YIKES!


I thought "what are the chances?".  The chances of the only person in the universe with a gallon size baggie full of peanuts plopping down right next to a kid with a peanut allergy 
(not to mention the "mid-air" part.)
"C'mon man!"


Alexander did not say a word.  When I noticed this baggie I whispered to Alexander that he needed to tell her he had a peanut allergy etc.  He say "no" and I thought "are you crazy".
Not able to convince him, I waited to see if she was going to eat some of her "snack".
A little while later she started to open the bag.  It was open maybe 1/2 inch and the strongest peanut "aroma" I had ever encountered wafted through our aisle.
I had to let her know my son had a peanut allergy. I was nice and respectful and she was nice. She immediately put away her peanuts. (Thank you whoever you are). Near disaster avoided. God answered my prayers for protection.  


"What are the chances".  Tell us your "C'mon man story"


Share your food allergies stories. Email your stories to me at salt.light.truth@gmail.com and
I will post them on the blog.
I know some stories might not turn as well as the story above but I am sure they will help others.  
After all there is a world out there waiting for help or encouragement.

The Countdown to the BIg Day

On November 18, 2010 Our son Alexander will begin a new oral immunotherapy program for his life-threatening allergy to peanuts.
This new treatment is supposed to provide a long-term solutions for patients allergic to any of 4 different food allergies. In my opinion, It is revolutionary. 

Alexander will be treated at Dallas Allergy Immunology located in Dallas, TX. 
As of the date of this post they have had 40 patients successfully graduate from their food allergy treatment program which treats Peanut,Milk,Egg and Wheat food allergies.


Some patients and their families travel from other states in order to be treated.
Why? 
Living with severe food allergies is often a huge challenge not to mention unnerving and scary.
I would love to hear your food allergy story.


This blog is written to help others. You can too by posting a Comment in the box below with your questions, helpful information or your story. 


Treatment here we come! Hallelujah! We pray.

(details forthcoming in additional posts as we proceed thru the treatment)

Where to begin?

Where to begin?  This is my first post and my first blog.  Until a few months ago I knew literally nothing about blogs.  My friend Kay Wyma told me she wrote a blog called The MOAT. I loved it. I then realized that I had in fact visited a few blogs while searching for recipes.

All that said, I decided to write this blog Just A Little Peanut as my feeble but heartfelt effort to help others with food allergies.
My teenage son Alexander has a life-threatening peanut allergy.  He is 15 years old.
We are embarking on a "peanut adventure" of sorts as we begin a new Treatment program using oral immunotherapy to de-sensitize my son to peanuts.
He is "off the blood chart" allergic to peanuts. 

This food allergy treatment program is also available for Milk, Egg and Wheat allergic patients. It is only offered in a few places in the U.S.
This is not a clinical trial but a full fledged treatment program!
Alexander will be treated at Dallas Allergy Immunology.
(more details will be provided in later posts as we proceed with treatment).

So join us on our journey.  This new de-sensitizing treatment program just may be the "miracle" breakthrough all of us with a peanut allergy or peanut allergic child have been praying for....