Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Peanut Allergy Gone!

Allie was one year old, 2004, when I gave her a taste of peanut butter. Within one second she was scrapping her tongue trying to get it off. She was crying. We saw some hives around her face and neck. Three hours at the St. Cloud Hospital ER she was discharged with a peanut allergy as a diagnosis.

We followed a pediatric allergist, Dr. Mary Keating every year. The doctor would take one blood sample to see how sensitive she was to the peanut. Fast forward to age 9 and the blood test showed that she had grown out of her peanut allergy.

Next step, was called the peanut challenge. What a dramatic title. On June 20, 2013 we drove to St. Cloud to Dr. Keating's office. Allie was given a 1/2 of a peanut, then the doctor took her vitals, looked for skin irritations, and looked down her throat for any type of reaction. Every 15 min for the next hour this would continue. The final was a larger dose of peanut then wait one hour to see if there was a reaction. Her throat felt funny, but other than that irritation nothing else. The doctor said she can now officially have peanuts! She passed. This makes our lives a little easier.