DID SOMEBODY SAY PEANUT BUTTER?!

HOLY MOLY- IT'S PEANUT BUTTER DAY!!!

YES SOMEBODY DID SAY PEANUT BUTTER!!!

It has been another relatively boring week of OIT, (his only issue being some slight flushing of the cheeks one day),  yay! Over the last week, Coby decided to dose twice at home with the two full peanuts and the other FOUR days with the three peanut m and ms. I'm so proud of him! But as yesterday's spelling sentence (sentence 2) shows, he is still NOT a fan of those 'MNMs.' 

"I DON'T like the flavor of MNMs."

When he dosed with the 'mnms', it took him a couple of minutes to eat all three of them (while holding his nose), but he did it!!! And he hopes it will soon taste better. Meanwhile he told me confidently that he is positive he will love peanut butter....

So how'd it go?

Okay----ish.

Being his own hero!!!!

Wait a sec- I'm really gonna eat this?

The pre-check went fine. And so the doctor measured out 3/4 of a teaspoon of peanut butter. She told me how I have to be careful to make sure there are no air bubbles to insure that he gets his full dose. We then spread it on a graham cracker as he requested. 

And then it was go time.

Haha. "It smells bad!"

And for some still shots:

Sideways thumb!!! I will take that!!!!
That means mediocre! For Coby--- that is awesome!
Woot, woot!

First taste EVER of peanut butter

I was soooo excited he ate it willingly. Slowly, but willingly. I did not have to beg him to eat it. He just kept at it until the whole graham cracker was gone. No gagging. No hurling. It was wonderful.

I was stoked!

.For about a minute and a half...

Within a minute or two of dosing I noticed something under his eye. I thought it may be my own paranoia, so I looked at all the pix I took of him pre-dose and zoomed in and there was NO mark under his eye before dosing. 

Which means it appeared right after dosing.

CRAP.

Cue my heart to begin its racing.... 

I mean, I know Coby's updose was a pretty hefty increase--- 50% at this level is huge, AND kids can have a problem when trying peanut butter for the first time due to its thickness.

I literally ran through the hall looking for a nurse or the doctor. I found the doctor who rushed right in. She also looked at my before pictures and validated that I indeed was seeing something. She felt it and said that it was basically flush with the skin and since it wasn't raised probably was not a true hive but that it definitely was a 'something'. And just moments after dosing!

She said to keep watch and if anything happens to just call and they'll come running. No need to hesitate.

I knew there was absolutely nothing to DO at that point. After all if he was having a small reaction we wouldn't want to benadryl or steroid him because we wouldn't want to mask a possible full reaction.

So all we could do was wait and watch.

And so I did. He started scratching at his right eye quite a bit. His voice sounded a little 'thick'/mucousy when he talked at another point. But he was chill and happy and relaxed.

So there was nothing more to DO.

And so this is how the hour progressed.... 

After the hour was up his blood oxygen level was still good, his peak flow was still just about where it was pre-dosing (190 instead of 200) AND the mark under his eye had mostly faded!!!!

BUT his cheeks were slightly flushed. The doctor told me she notices this tends to be 'his thing'. She said it's not necessarily a 'reaction' at that point, but his 'sensitivity', his sensitive skin and such. (I do hope as he continues he will become completely symptom-less.) In any event, it's our reminder that his body is fighting its poison. Keep fighting the good fight Cobes!

The doctor said she is 'passing' him for this up-dose... but to watch him. (At times things can go okay (ish) in the office, but a day or two later at home, it may no longer be okay (ish).)

It's gonna be a looooong night.

In the car ride home he nearly fell asleep which is very unlike him. He gets sooooo tired on up-dose days. I know this is normal to a degree, but also a bit disconcerting watching your child do something that is so out of character for him (ie-nap in cars and be too tired at home to do anything but lie on the couch afterwards)

BUT- I am taking some comfort in knowing that at least this dose he is FORCED to stay on for two weeks (because of shavuous) so it will give him more time to get used to it.... and while next time he goes up again by another full peanut- at that point it will be just a 33% increase and not a 50% one.

And at his next up-dose appointment she may begin clearing him to eat certain things that are 'made in a facility with...'!!!!

This week his daily dose is allowed to be either:

1. 3/4 teaspoon of (this specific brand of) peanut butter (he informed me he will be trying the chocolate flavor one tomorrow)

OR

2. 3 peanuts from the shell

OR

3. 16 reese's pieces (yeah right)

OR

4. 5 peanut m & ms.

YOWZERS! (Though she did say to try to stick with one or two through these two weeks or to call the office and let them know what we are doing).

Okay-ish---- but he did it!!!!!