Peanuts

This is a horrible picture but I just want you to be able to see the peanut butter smeared on Evyn's lips. The food we have been avoiding for years o.n. h.e.r. l.i.p.s. Yesterday was her food challenge at the allergist's office. It was quite a process, starting off with wiping peanut butter on a spot on her arm and letting it sit for 15 minutes, looking and waiting for a reaction. They checked her blood pressure and had her blow into a peak flow meter periodically to check her lungs - all was fine. The next step was wiping it around her mouth - after 15 minutes, still no adverse reaction. The next step was what is pictured - peanut butter rubbed onto her lips like lip gloss. No problemo. She then put a small amount on her tongue and immediately spit it out. Still fine. The last step was putting it on Evyn's tongue and then having her swallow it. Again, not a problem. Breathing was fine, skin was fine. We waited and waited, according to protocol, and there was no reaction at all. We no longer have to worry about anything that Evyn eats containing peanuts. Honestly, it is a little hard to believe. Five years ago she had a quick and rather scary reaction to peanut butter and then skin testing proved she was indeed allergic. We have been reading labels and avoiding certain foods ever since.

After spending about four hours in the allergist's office and reading the last half of The Tale of Depeareaux (our first really long book), this was an enormous relief. I never have to pack a safe snack for any of Evyn's extracurricular activities, don't have to send a safe treat on her class treat days or make sure her teachers know that she cannot be in a situation that would expose her to peanuts. I don't have to shell out $100 for each EpiPen I have to buy each year nor do I have to pack it along with her clothes anytime she spends the night away from us. We have definitely gone from one extreme to the other here. I think we are somewhere in the middle at this point with Evyn saying that maybe some day she would like to try a PB&J. I just hope her EpiPen has not expired when she chooses to do that....... I'm holding onto it just in case.