The Great American Peanut Butter Challenge- Bring It On!
With much cajoling, I was able to convince Son #1 to submit to an open peanut butter challenge. This is a task much easier said than done.
After the tolerated accidental ingestion and negative skin test, I knew the risk of a reaction was low, but I still wanted to follow the protocol and do it right. So I spent a little over 2 hours feeding him incrementally larger amounts of creamy peanut butter. (Disclaimer- in all seriousness, please do not do this at home. Food challenges can be dangerous, and should be performed by a medical professional trained to immediately recognize, and equipped to treat, the symptoms of a life-threatening allergic reaction. Luckily for me, I just so happened to fit the bill.)
So, picture me chasing a 4 year old around every 30 minutes with a measuring spoon.
Me: "Come on, honey. One more bite, okay?"
Son #1: "You can't catch me, Mommy! I'm fast!"
Me: (out of breath) "Slow...down...or... I'm calling...your...father."
Son #1: (reluctantly) "Aaah. Eeew- sticky! "
Normal vital signs, no rash & an awake, alert, happy kid who apparently isn't a big fan of peanut butter. That's OK. All I needed was confirmation that he can tolerate peanuts without turning into a swollen itchy blob. He doesn't need to become the spokesboy for Skippy.
I'm the AllergistMommy. My work here is done.
(Nevermind, Son#2 just tried to eat dice. My work here is just beginning.)
After the tolerated accidental ingestion and negative skin test, I knew the risk of a reaction was low, but I still wanted to follow the protocol and do it right. So I spent a little over 2 hours feeding him incrementally larger amounts of creamy peanut butter. (Disclaimer- in all seriousness, please do not do this at home. Food challenges can be dangerous, and should be performed by a medical professional trained to immediately recognize, and equipped to treat, the symptoms of a life-threatening allergic reaction. Luckily for me, I just so happened to fit the bill.)
So, picture me chasing a 4 year old around every 30 minutes with a measuring spoon.
Me: "Come on, honey. One more bite, okay?"
Son #1: "You can't catch me, Mommy! I'm fast!"
Me: (out of breath) "Slow...down...or... I'm calling...your...father."
Son #1: (reluctantly) "Aaah. Eeew- sticky! "
Normal vital signs, no rash & an awake, alert, happy kid who apparently isn't a big fan of peanut butter. That's OK. All I needed was confirmation that he can tolerate peanuts without turning into a swollen itchy blob. He doesn't need to become the spokesboy for Skippy.
I'm the AllergistMommy. My work here is done.
(Nevermind, Son#2 just tried to eat dice. My work here is just beginning.)
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