Tomorrow is the big day! It's food challenge time. Time to see if Abigail's body is ready to stop the peanut protein drops and start getting the real thing.
We're heading out after lunch today to go to my parent's house which is just 30 minutes from Chapel Hill. Given that Abigail and I need to be at the hospital tomorrow at 8:00 am, their house is very conveniently located. It's also nice that they can keep my 5 year old. The day is going to be long enough as is.
The challenge is blinded and Abigail will have to consume both peanut flour and oat flour. She'll know quickly what she's eating. It's pretty hard to disguise the taste of peanut flour. We're praying that the lab sends the peanut flour first. There's an hour between challenges usually coinciding with lunch time. If she has the peanut flour first thing in the morning, we can leave as soon as she finishes the oat challenge in the afternoon, around 3:30. If she gets the oat flour first, then we have to wait two hours for evaluation after she finishes the peanut challenge in the afternoon meaning we're there till at least 5:30.
As soon as we get there tomorrow, they'll put numbing cream on Abigail's arm so they can insert an IV. After the IV is inserted and all safety precautions are in place, they'll begin giving her applesauce mixed with doses of flour at timed intervals working up to the highest amount. A nice perk is that our doctor from earlier visits to Duke plus the two nurses that have been there from the very beginning will be at UNC to oversee every step of the challenge. So, with lot's of familiar faces and a big bag of activities, hopefully it will be a fairly easy day (if one can refer to this process as easy). During the day, they'll also draw blood for labs and do some tree nut skin test. She's tested negative to tree nuts in the past on her blood test, but given that she's never consumed raw nuts, she also needs to be skin tested. They'll test for just 2 to 3 tree nut at this visit and do 2 to 3 more at our next visits.
And, what happens after tomorrow? If it's a success, she'll stop the drops, stay on her restricted peanut-free diet, and then head back to UNC for a second food challenge in August. That one will be a repeat of tomorrow except at the end, if she passes, she'll have to consume the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. If tomorrow Abigail doesn't make it past all doses of peanut flour (the equivalent of 16 to 17 peanuts)....well, we'll address that then.
As for today, we're asking for prayers for a safe trip, peace for Abigail during the challenge (she's super nervous) and that God continue blessing this trial, not just for Abigail and our family, but for the many children and families whose lives can be changed as an outcome of this journey.
I'll keep you posted. Thanks for all of your continued support!
