Abigail is peanut allergy free! She did it! We did it!
After the required IV, blood draw and skin test, we got down to business with the first flour food challenge. Even with cinnamon applesauce, she knew it was the peanut flour almost immediately. The nurses couldn't confirm, but it didn't matter. She successfully finished the first challenge having consumed the equivalent of 16 and 2/3rd's peanuts. Several hours later after sitting through the observation period and finishing the required oat flour challenge, we moved on to the real stuff. She ate 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Can you guess how many peanuts are in 2 tablespoons of peanut butter? Approximately 33 and 1/3rd! Amazing! Per a suggestion from the nurse, we made a party of it. I brought leftover party plates, napkins, a few party hats and the bag of ingredients for our peanut butter treats. Her doctor and nurses joined us, and we all sat around the kiddie table and ate peanut butter together. She was nervous, but excited for the treat.
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| Here we are almost ready to start the party. |
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| Abigail at the start of the clinical trial. |
What an incredible day and an incredible journey. It's been three years and three months. I reminisced this morning that she was just about to finish up Kindergarten when we started in May of 2009. Now, no longer a little girl, she's going to start 4th grade in a couple of weeks. This year though, in a completely different manner.
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| Abigail on the last day of the trial. |
While she'll have an Epi Pen in the nurse's office, there is no longer a need to have one in the classroom. She can sit beside anybody in the cafeteria. There's no need to wipe down her spot with a wipe and inspect neighboring lunchboxes. I won't need to request that special snacks be served at her class parties. There will be no meeting with her teacher prior to school starting to discuss her allergy, no printing out allergy action plans for her classroom, book and medicine bags or reviewing safety precautions with her bus driver. Our only allergy requirement for the start of this school year is the completion of the medical authorization/release forms that stay on file with the nurse.
And tomorrow...she eats peanuts. A peanut and a 1/2 on a regular basis will protect her. The nurse's advise this afternoon was to relax and just have her eat some peanut products. Honestly, I don't think I'm going to have any trouble doing just that! We are so excited about the life changes that are about to come our way. It's hard to believe that we've been blessed in such a manner.
