10th Cinic Visit--October 17, 2012

He made it!  The little guy survived all the upset stomachs and dose derailments.  He made it to his maintenance dose of 306mg of peanut protein, or 1 whole peanut a day.  Our journey started on May 9th and with all the protocol changes, he made it to this point a lot quicker than anticipated.  I knew that even if he had trouble with the dose today that he would still get there in his own little time.

Today was a lot different than even 2 weeks ago for the little guy.  Today, he didn't want me to pick him up early from school and was not happy he had to leave before recess.  I think he has made some good friends and finally enjoys everything about school.  He had a bit of a hard week though getting settled into a reading group.  He reads really well, so the teacher is challenging him just enough that he has to really focus when he reads.  How dare she make him work at school!  :)  He was a little out of sorts for peanut clinic because of a rough day with his reading.  I just hoped his mood wouldn't put a damper on his visit.  The little guy greeted the allergist for hopefully the last time for a while, had his vital signs taken, and ate down 306mg of peanut protein.  Aside from being a little cranky and emotional while we were there, he had no stomach complaints or other side effects!  He really truly did it.

So this marks the beginning of the "maintenance phase".  The little guy was given a month supply of the 306mg peanut protein that he will continue to eat each day.  We will pick up "refills" each month from the clinic and just plug along at home without having to go to clinic visits unless a problem arises.  I will peel him off the rest of his stomach medications over the next 3-4 weeks and hope that it all continues to go well.  After 3 months of doing our home regimen, we will go back and he will be given the powder equivalent of up to 16 peanuts.  The allergist breaks the dosing up into three increments.  If he can do well with that, then more blood work will follow.  For now, I will just enjoy having him at 1 peanut a day, knowing that if he made it here, in time, he will make it all the way.

This all happened at a perfect time with Halloween right around the corner.  I am going to buy candy this year that I haven't purchased in years.  He is excited to enjoy plain M&M's for the first time on Halloween.  I figured I would save giving them until then so it was a special treat.  Most of all, this means there is a comfort in sending him to school that he will be safe should he come in contact with peanut products.  He has made some good friends sitting near the "allergy kids" at lunch, so I'm sure he will keep sitting with them since he enjoys that so. Kindergarten has been a breath of fresh air for him in SO many ways.

I am so thankful to everyone reading this blog who has prayed for him and wished him well.  I am also incredibly grateful to live so close to a wonderful institution so he could get this opportunity.  He still has a ways to go, but he has made to a huge milestone.  I look forward to the day when he can fully understand just what he has done and at such a young age.

Next challenge is the yearly flu shot--that will be more of a trauma to him than any peanut experience!  Check back for updates!

to be continued...