Beck is 3 months post graduation. He has been doing 8 peanuts / twice a day. They drew blood and checked his igE levels, and unfortunately, his levels aren't lowering as much as they'd like to see.
Some people at this point have their maintenance dose lowered. Beck hates (really, a word stronger than hates would suffice) peanuts. Dry heaves, gags them down, has to power through it.
Every. single. dose.
So, to hear his maintenance dose wasn't being reduced to 8 once a day was pretty discouraging for him. The plus is, he only has to eat them once a day now, but he has to eat 12, once a day. :(
It's not fun to have to eat something you detest.
So, looking back on this journey...would I suggest it to others?
Absolutely. It is life changing.
That being said, I wish I'd have had some real life experiences shared with me. Nobody explained to me that most kids hate peanuts after they do the program. I mean detest them. I have only met 1 girl so far that enjoys eating them. And, when she told me she loved them, she was only at 2 peanuts twice a day for her dose.
Asking someone to wake up in the morning (every single day) and eat 12 peanuts at breakfast before they can go about their day, gets old. Real old.
The mom's of younger kids used to always lament to me that if only their child were Beck's age, this program would be so much easier. I don't know. I can reason with him better than with a 5 year old, yes. But, he's a teenager. He is old enough that little bribes don't work. I think it's difficult at any age.
I am so grateful he's not allergic anymore and we don't have to worry about peanut products. He is allergic to a number of other nuts as well. At this time, we have decided to not do any more desensitization programs, or food challenges. It's too much to ask of him at this point. The other nuts are easier to avoid. I cannot imagine asking him to eat peanuts PLUS walnuts, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts every single day as a dose. I left it up to him and he decided he'd rather avoid those nuts than do the program again. Haha.
So, there you have it. Desensitized to peanuts. Amazing journey. So thankful it was an option for us. My stress level has decreased tenfold. Truth be told - it's not just getting to "graduation". It's the after graduation real life grind that's a killer.
