It has been 8 1/2 months since we started our OIT journey.

Sahil’s treatment for his peanut allergy has been smoother than Jaya’s treatment for her dairy allergy.

In Feb 2017 Sahil started with a peanut solution of 1/1000th of a peanut.  For the last four weeks – since early October – Sahil has been eating 2 peanuts a day.  The reflux symptoms he experienced during the first 2 weeks have reduced; he complained of the acidic taste in his mouth just twice during the last 2 weeks.  However,  because he is not symptom free Dr Mack recommends holding the dose at 2 peanuts.  He said we could choose not to increase and set 2 peanuts as his maintenance dose.

Dr Mack will start the tree nut oral food challenges for Sahil at our next appointment.

In Feb 2017 Jaya started with 1 drop of serially diluted milk.  For the last month Jaya has been on 1 mL of undiluted milk.  The last 2 weeks were better than the prior two.  She did not complain of any stomach aches – we are not sure if it is because we switched to lactose-free milk or if she just got used to the 1 mL dose having been on it for an extended time.

Today Dr Mack updosed her to 2mL of milk.  This is her 11th updose since we started OIT.  About 30 minutes after the dose Jaya complained of a mild stomach ache which subsided after 10 minutes and she sneezed 3 times.  I was relieved she tolerated the increase in dose.  We will continue with 2 mL of milk daily for the next 2 weeks.

The biweekly trips to Burlington give me hope that my children, my family and I will one day be free of the emotional and physical burden of living with life threatening food allergies.  The trips also fuel my fear as I wonder if the updose will cause a reaction.  I am exhausted at the end of these updose days.

Living somewhere between hope and fear.

Focussing on hope.