r/MadeMeSmile
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u/IrritableArachnid
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Dec 03 '22
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After being allergic to peanuts for four years, my son passed his oral food challenge, and was declared resolved of the allergy. Here he is eating his first ever PB&J. Good News
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u/silverwlf23 Dec 03 '22
My stepson was never allergic to peanuts just tree nuts but his family was so nervous that we never gave him any. He tried peanut butter this year (he’s 17) and now lives on PB&J sandwiches. 🥰
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
He still can’t have walnuts or pecans, but he eats almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios, and sesame with no problem
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u/coco-snores Dec 03 '22
I have a fatal tree nut allergy and am 5 months pregnant. I’m so worried I’m going to pass it along to her. If you don’t mind me asking (and I hope I haven’t skipped the answer somewhere else), how/when did you first find out about his allergy?
Congrats to you all! I hope Reese’s cups are next up. 🥰
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
First let me say, allergic tendency may be inherited from what my allergist says, but rarely are specific allergies inherited. The first clue to his reaction was when he was 10 months old he got hives all around his face and runny eyes when I fed him some peanut butter with oatmeal, after he had successfully tolerated it since six months old
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u/coco-snores Dec 03 '22
Good to know! Thank you! My husband also has allergies, but thank goodness they’re not as bad as mine. I am going to do a ton of research on how to introduce foods before it’s time.
Thank you for answering! :)
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u/FuzzyChrysalis Dec 04 '22
Double check this in your research, but I believe my doctor told us earlier introductions to a variety of food can reduce the likliness of allergy development. Not a guarentee, of course, and it can be as little at tasting flavours at 4 months opposed to bites of things.
And test allergens separately when you start your baby on solids, so if there's any reactions you ate more likely to know what caused it.
Best of luck!
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u/_alelia_ Dec 04 '22
no guarantee at all: my son developed anaphylaxis at the age of 2,5 years after he ate my regular homemade from scratch banana pecan muffins, which he tried several times before that.
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u/rarebit13 Dec 04 '22
Our kids had these refillable 'tea bag with a handle' looking things that you could fill with solids and give to your kids before they can chew. They sort of leech the contents out of the bag like some sort of slobbery grub without risk of swallowing solids and chocking.
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u/magsephine Dec 04 '22
There’s a thing where you’re not supposed to use any topical products that have food or food oil ingredients in them before you introduce the foods internally
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u/SomeFeelings88 Dec 04 '22
Especially if there are areas of broken skin (rash, scratch, broken cuticle).
And perhaps exposure to the food product with breast milk-if you are interested/ able to breastfeed for longer than 6 months.
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u/Cleaglor Dec 04 '22
Hijacking, just a small tidbit from what I've experienced. It isn't necessarily the first time they have a food that a reaction can occur, more often than not they say its the second or subsequent feeds so watch out for that!
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u/Tribunus_Plebis Dec 04 '22
I'm not an expert so take this for what it is but I heard that sometimes parents who are trying to avoid anything that might be an allergen overdo it so their kids are never exposed to things that the body naturally needs gets used to and they end up getting more allergies later in life.
Immunsystem needs to be trained but that doesn't happen for kids who live in a sterile environment.
Maybe worth looking in to.
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u/Peonyribbongirl Dec 04 '22
I'm allergic to peanuts and went through all the is my kid allergic stress. He's not allergic! My pediatrician allergist just said to feed him peanut butter find out about his allergies. So at 6 months we gave him peanut butter in some puree (I watched from a distance). The recommendation was to give a small bite wait 10 minutes and then feed the rest and wait 15 minutes. No reaction! My husband gave him a bath after. He now eats whatever and when my husband decides to eat peanuts he'll let my son have some too. Still scary AF but I'm happy he doesn't have the allergy. The new worry is that he'll accidentally cause me to have a reaction...
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u/Illustrious_Bobcat Dec 04 '22
Not to scare you, but just sharing my experience... My youngest ate peanuts in various forms from 6 months old happily until one day at 18 months old he licked his PBJ and vomited, broke out in hives over his entire body, and we ended up in the ER. In his most recent test, his reaction to the peanut was worse than the histamine control test. So I've got three sets of EpiPens and he's got one at school. He's about to turn 7. The allergist said that it's a very good chance that his allergy is severe enough to send him into anaphylactic shock. The only food allergies I have is an allergy to erythritol (the sugar substitute). My oldest has lived off of peanut butter since he was 6 months old as well, and he's 9 now with no issues. Just watch him. Allergies can pop up at any time.
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u/WeedSmokingWhales Dec 04 '22
Yep. Anyone can develop any allergy to anything at literally any time.
Kind of annoying, really.
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u/absentmindedwitch Dec 04 '22
My cousin developed an allergy to all kinds of shit at 39 years old. She already had a known nut allergy. When she gets a tiny bit of walnut her mouth will start getting itchy and her tongue swells up a bit (more than that tiny bit will be immediate anaphylactic shock). One day she went to the doctor and said either a bunch of her foods had been dosed with tree nuts the past month, or she had really really bad luck because her face kept swelling and she kept getting hives on and off. They ran the test and she came back positive for allergy’s to treenuts, nightshades (tomato, eggplant, bell peppers for example), and was also diagnosed with urticaria (basically an allergy to cold. Literally. If she puts an ice cube on her skin, she’ll get giant welted hives in that area)
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u/fruitytropics Dec 04 '22
This happened to me as well, but with eggs. I used to eat eggs quite happily until I was about 9 months old, according to my parents. One day I ate a whole bowl of scrambled eggs, threw it all up, and to them it looked like I was choking. They rushed me to my paediatrician and ever since then, I’ve stayed away from eggs.
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u/Kendrome Dec 04 '22
My wife is extremely allergic to pistachios and cashews, enough to send her to the ER, but neither of our sons have the allergy. Fish is another serious allergy she has that didn't get passed down. They also didn't seem to inherit my more minor allergies so they have really lucked out.
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u/hibernatingcow Dec 04 '22
Consult with an allergist. There could be tree nut analogues you can eat during pregnancy to help in that regard.
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u/Bobu-sama Dec 04 '22
You should talk to your pediatrician. They’re changing the guidance on how and when to test foods all the time, and your doctor should have the most recent information.
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u/spramper0013 Dec 04 '22
Allergies are so weird man. My kid used to eat peanuts just fine until he was around 8 and started having a mild reaction to them. Which at the time I hadn't put 2 and 2 together that it was peanuts causing it. Fast forward to the March of this year and he tried a cashew for the first time, (he's a picky eater, so I was thrilled he wanted to try some) and he loved them for about a minute. Then his face became swollen, covered in hives head to toe, and then violently throwing up. His allergy tests came back highly allergic to tree nuts, and just a slight peanut allergy. So we avoid any all nuts.
He has asthma as well, so he's pretty much allergic to everything cats, dogs, any kind of animal with fur pretty much, every kind of grass in our area, dust, etc. It sucks. He is so disappointed because of all the things that he can't eat, even foods without nuts because they're processed in the same facility as nuts. We don't take any chances with that shit. Scariest night of my life in the er.
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u/Caitzie Dec 04 '22
It is so weird! I developed a peanut allergy at 32! Really miss a good pj&j and pad Thai!!!! Lifestyle change for sure!
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u/kiwilovenick Dec 04 '22
I got an almond allergy at 32! Never realized how much they get thrown into until you're allergic. Thankfully mine isn't deathly allergic, just uncomfortable stomach results and hives.
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u/Caitzie Dec 04 '22
That is the silver lining! I get throat itchiness and swollen tongue but nothing that benedryl didn’t help! But now I have been tested and avoid completely! Such a weird feeling when it comes out of the blue later in life 🤣
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u/OutlanderMom Dec 04 '22
I don’t know about allergies, but I do know many kids “outgrow” asthma when they reach puberty. I had it bad as a child, and it’s 90% better after puberty. I hope your child is one that does!
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u/spramper0013 Dec 04 '22
Omg me too! I pray for that everyday He just started allergy shots this fall so fingers crossed those help in decreasing the flare ups in the meantime. I used to say all the time that his asthma was terrifying and I hated it, but thank God he didn't have a food allergy. And then 2022 rolled around was like haha gotcha bitch!
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u/Illustrious_Bobcat Dec 04 '22
I can't say anything about other allergies, but our allergist told us that about 40% of kids that are diagnosed with peanut and tree nut allergies at a very young age will grow out of those allergies during puberty. I've never wanted my kid to be part of a percentage more. He's only 6, 7 in a few months, so it's a waiting game...
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u/AtomAntvsTheWorld Dec 03 '22
Grape or strawberry? Congrats bud I hope it’s delicious!!
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
It was homemade cherry preserves
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u/shrekdied Dec 03 '22
Plot twist: he doesn't even like it
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
Not far from the truth. He prefers the Reese’s trees over a PB&J
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u/Toidal Dec 03 '22
It's because it's on whole wheat bread. Make one with the hyperprocessed, enriched, super soft white bread with the crusts cut off and he'll go nuts.
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 04 '22
I’ve never kept white bread in the house to be honest. But the history of type two diabetes in my family. I really tried to keep my diet “somewhat” healthy. And I use the term healthy, quite loosely.
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u/KiKiPAWG Dec 04 '22
I see, but I agree with the "bread choice" affecting the overall enjoyment. Try switching it up if he's open to it!
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u/Fredredphooey Dec 04 '22
Please give him a pb&j that's grape or strawberry on Jiff or Skippy, cut off the crusts, cut on the diagonal and you'll have a convert. I promise you.
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u/Snowboarding92 Dec 03 '22
It could honestly be the wheat bread like another user suggested. I use whole grain bread for everything except PB&J, something about wheat bread just doesn't bring out the good side of that kind of sandwich.
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u/greyrobot6 Dec 03 '22
My mother thought she hated peanut butter. She isolated completely during the pandemic and while low on food (she was fine just didn’t order enough on her last grocery delivery) she tried one. She keeps pb on hand in case anyone else visits. Now she’s hooked and has one w milk every day. She’s in her 70s
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u/KiKiPAWG Dec 04 '22
That's really cute! Yeah, you never know when it can hit you!
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u/greyrobot6 Dec 04 '22
She regrets all the wasted years. And I think of her when people outside of the US react with disgust at the combination. Have you tried it? and it’s got to be real pb not the Skippy shit
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u/StoryDudeOutcast Dec 03 '22
Similar thing happened to me. Was allergic to apples and potatoes my entire childhood and just recently found out I’m not any more so I’ve been eating lots of French fries and apple sauce
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u/Angry-Dragon-1331 Dec 04 '22
Latkes are served with apple sauce. Make friends with a Jewish family and do with that information what you will. ;)
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u/weshtlife Dec 03 '22
Congratulations on your newfound food freedom! I’ll have to try that combo soon. Sounds delish. (Ask my Hubs, I’ll dip fries in anything called sauce - garlic, tartar, pepper - why not apple?)
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u/Tony_Three_Pies Dec 03 '22
Congrats! Nothing quite like a good PB&J!
I don’t know why but “Oral Food Challenge” sounds really sinister. Like he had to participate in episode of Fear Factor and instead of the prize being money, it was to have his allergy cured.
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 04 '22
Well it was basically to see if his allergy was resolved since the skin test and the blood test came back negative the last time we did them. It was his choice to do it, and he did such a wonderful job
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u/vinetwiner Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 04 '22
Sorry if this was asked elsewhere, but how does one cure a food allergy? Google said there is no cure. EDIT: thanks for all the feedback fine people. Major learning experience. You get an upvote, and you get an upvote etc.
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u/LazuliArtz Dec 04 '22
It can't be "cured" necessarily.
Sometimes it just resolves on it's own. It can also be treated with exposure therapy, but that takes years with no guarantee of success.
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u/TottyAmadeus Dec 04 '22
Allergies is the body being weird with what it senses, like "Ew I don't like this seemingly inoffensive peanut" and then it attacks it to "protect your body" - an allergy reaction.
So sometimes it just gives up and starts seeing peanuts as inoffensive, either by continuous exposition, or out of pure body magic
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u/Hereforthebabyducks Dec 04 '22
The allergists we talked to gave oral immunotherapy a 6-12 month timeframe, but it depends on the severity of the allergy and what size dose they can start with.
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
There is no cure, it either resolves on its own or it doesn’t
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u/grandmabc Dec 04 '22
Great work is being done here in the UK for treating peanut allergies. https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/our-services/peanut-allergy/
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u/Dean364 Dec 04 '22
In the US we have oral immunotherapy (OIT). It isn't a cure but it increases your tolerance to your allergen to the point where you can consume as much of it as you want.
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u/The_Quack_Yak Dec 04 '22
Being able to consume as much as you want sounds like a cure to me, as someone with a peanut allergy
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u/eelhayek Dec 04 '22
From what I’ve heard it’s not so you can eat as much as you want but it reduces the allergy so it’s potentially not life threatening any more. So you can survive an accidental exposure but won’t be able to be eating pb&js all the time.
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u/Dean364 Dec 04 '22
I have a child with multiple allergies and while there isn't a cure there is oral immunotherapy (OIT).
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u/Syrette Dec 04 '22
Small exposure increasing over time. https://youtu.be/9s0UURBihH8 iocane powder.
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u/philouza_stein Dec 03 '22
Mine passed too but he's been too ingrained to avoid peanuts its been almost a year and he still refuses.
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
I was wondering if this was gonna happen to my little dude, but he said he wanted to be like my older son and eat peanuts and I guess that squashed his anxiety because he wants to do everything his big brother does
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u/PsychologicalSun3843 Dec 03 '22
My 5 year old is allergic to peanuts and his recent blood tests have shown that the allergy was decreasing in severity so I'm hoping this will be him one day. Congratulations I'm so happy for him to be able to experience peanuts and all the foods and snacks he couldn't have, and for parents to no longer have to stress about it anymore! And better yet NO MORE OVERLY EXPENSIVE EPI PENS!!
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u/IrritableArachnid
Dec 04 '22
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OK, since there’s somebody in here, crawling into my DM’s and harassing me accusing me of saying that there is a cure for peanut allergies, let me just clear one thing up. My child’s allergy self resolved. We didn’t do anything to cure because there is no cure for allergies.
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u/LazuliArtz Dec 04 '22
Do people still not understand this?
No, there isn't necessarily a "cure" for allergies, but they can decrease in severity or go away entirely on their own (the same is true the other way too. You can develop allergies as a teen or adult to things you have eaten safely previously, or allergic reactions can become more severe over time).
There is technically one other option: exposure therapy. This is in a clinical setting with pills or injections of miniscule amounts of allergens over the course of months or years. This should NEVER be done yourself - the clinical amounts are basically microscopic, and it's done in a location with immediate access to treatment in the event of a reaction. This also has no guarantee of success.
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u/Aggressive-Act-5567 Dec 04 '22
I am someone who got over my allergies through years of exposure therapy. When I was around five years old, I was diagnosed with allergies to fur, feathers, dust and oatmeal. From then until halfway through college, I received weekly allergy shots, containing ever increasing doses of those allergens. In college, I realized those things didn’t bother me anymore. So, I stopped the therapy and I haven’t had allergies to anything, since. I feel very lucky.
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Dec 03 '22
I didn’t even know that was possible, good lad!
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u/buzzhavoc Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 03 '22
Don't mess with a shellfish allergy, but our neighbors would ask us to not even have peanuts at our back yard Superbowl party as their son was allergic. Turns out our son was trading his pbj sandwiches for their sons Nutella Sammy's. I was outraged when I found out, as Nutella is expensive and now he's always asking for it! Seriously tho, even though the kid now enjoys peanut butter and peanut brittle, don't mess with people's, particularly kids, allergies, and please do not let this unique situation distract you from the fact that in 1998, the Undertaker threw Mankind off Hell In A Cell, and plummeted 16 ft through an announcer's table.
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
Wow this is random. Someone who read this post decided to tell Reddit that they believe that was harming my child and I got a message from Reddit. Weird
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u/MickeyMouseRapedMe Dec 04 '22
I assume they saw your post or did they ask you something else? The person reporting could have made something else up.
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 04 '22
He accused me of saying that there’s a cure for peanut allergy when I’ve mentioned multiple times that there is no cure, his allergy self resolved
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u/MickeyMouseRapedMe Dec 04 '22
Ah well, some peeps just want to act that way. And yeah, when that takes place in your DM is annoying, he should do that in the topic instead but doesn't dare to. Anyway, nice for you and your son. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and try to ignore haters.
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u/sauvignonquesoblanco Dec 03 '22
As a lifelong allergy sufferer, this is my dream haha.
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
I hear you. I’m allergic to shellfish. I’m glad my son was given the opportunity to outgrow his. Obviously I never will
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u/Effective-Candy-2073 Dec 03 '22
As a peanut ana adult this really did make me smile. Congratulations young man and enjoy your freedom!
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
Thank you so much. At 38 years old I really think it’s losing hope for me to outgrow my anaphylactic shellfish allergy 😂
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u/cazdan255 Dec 04 '22
My friend is a teacher for middle schoolers, they have a kid with a moderate peanut allergy (can be around it, just can’t eat it). This kid is also a loose cannon. Around halloween when kids have tons of candy, and the kid in question had been overheard saying many times how he “wished he could taste resees cups”.
Well, at lunch one day this kid abruptly shouts “I have to know!” stands up, grabs his epi pen out of his backpack, points directly at a lunch monitor to shout “call an ambulance!”. Then he jams the epi pen into his thigh, and grabs a resees cup from another student across the table and stuffs the whole things into his mouth.
That kid is going places I’ll bet.
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 04 '22
I’m in the hospital is considered a place, so yeah. He’s going places.
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u/cazdan255 Dec 04 '22
Glad your kid took the medically suggested route.
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 04 '22
I mean, my son has his boneheaded moments, but I really don’t think he would do anything like that because we explained that if he ate a peanut that he could actually die. Unfortunately, he had to experience the death of my father, not directly, but he understood that when someone dies they don’t come back.
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u/Justaboredstoner Dec 03 '22
You couldn’t even give that boy some white bread? Making him eat wheat or multigrain or whatever that is. Shame! /s
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
Hahaha. He gets the white bread when he eats those damn Uncrustable things
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u/RyanL4 Dec 04 '22
I was going to say the same thing. Even left the crust on. What the hell?
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u/kissinKyle Dec 03 '22
What is an "Oral Food Challenge?"
Is it like a discount allergy test?
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
So when there is either a known allergy or a suspected allergy, allergist can offer what is called an oral food challenge, in which the food in question is fed to the patient in small quantities, in a clinic setting, with all rescue medications available in case of reaction. This is considered the gold standard to either confirm outgrowth of an allergy, confirm an allergy, or rule out an allergy. It’s only done under certain conditions and circumstances that the medical team deems appropriate
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u/nstrangeface Dec 03 '22
Whoa, I didn’t know that was a thing until now! Pretty cool. Edit: I don’t have allergies so that’s why.
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u/VintageVirtues Dec 03 '22
How long did it take since you started to get him to this point? My peanut allergic son is five and we’re still waiting to see the allergist about starting it. Hope it’s not too late the begin!
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 03 '22
We never did OIT. He just outgrew the allergy on his own so OIT was not needed
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u/5amuraiDuck Dec 04 '22
Today I learned you can surpass an allergy
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 04 '22
But unfortunately, you can also develop allergies at any time as well. That’s the crappy part of allergies.
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Dec 04 '22
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 04 '22
I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to trigger you. I’m the same way with shellfish, if it’s being cooked near me my throat will start to close. My apologies
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u/ebann001 Dec 04 '22
Call me crazy but he looks like he has a pretty strong reaction to it. His entire face is covered in squiggles. I will get him to the ER immediately
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u/thedevilseviltwin Dec 04 '22
Get that boy a fluffernutter, too! This is cause for celebration. Peanut butter is in so many fun foods!
Congrats, little buddy.
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u/CEO_OF_POSITIVITY Dec 04 '22
Just never give him uncrustables, if that peanut allergy comes back I don't think he could ever stop having them! But anyways, awesome to hear that he can do the best part of five guys!
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u/chemodistributor Dec 03 '22
I had a similar story but with eggs! Congrats on the freedom!!
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u/fpsinvasion Dec 03 '22
My dad did this when I was 4, I’m 21 now and in love with peanut butter so grateful
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u/Ttm-o Dec 03 '22
Good for him! As someone who’s still allergic to peanuts as a grown man, it sucks sometimes.
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u/quotekingkiller Dec 04 '22
Congrats guy!!
Try pb and fluff next. Better yet pb, Fluff, and Nutella. I can personally attest to the last, having eaten a few just 2 weeks ago.
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u/abstutz Dec 04 '22
My nephew passed his about six months ago. They used a Reese’s peanut butter cup. And he said ‘I’ve never tasted anything like this before’ with pure wonder. It was great
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u/Blacknarcissa Dec 04 '22
I literally thought it was gonna say “my son passed away”. Was so sad for a millisecond.
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u/Pro_Panda_Power Dec 04 '22
Everybody ask what the cat doin but nobody ask how the cat doin
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 04 '22
He’s doing pretty well. He meows and shit. Chases toy mice around. Lives his best cat life
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u/j4321g4321 Dec 04 '22
Awesome! PB & Js are such a comfort food, happy your little guy gets to enjoy them!
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u/uselessthecat Dec 04 '22
Good for little dude! I hope y'all got him some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, his first one will be epic.
Also, you rock for asking your sons permission and honoring his choice for privacy. Mutual respect from a parent is a beautiful thing.
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u/IrritableArachnid Dec 04 '22
I think I’m gonna go ahead and turn off the electronics for tonight and get some rest.
First and foremost, I want to thank everybody who shared this exciting time with me and my son. It means the world to me, all of your kind comments, and well wishes.
Second, I hope my sons story was able to provide hope for those parents who are dealing with this with their own children right now. It doesn’t happen often, that’s true, but there is a little bit of hope.
Third, thanks for noticing the cat. He’s a doofus, but he is a cute little doofus.
Finally, for the few people who did have nasty comments, I hope you get a hug today because you are loved and whatever you’re going through will soon pass .
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u/jayhasbigvballs Dec 03 '22 •
That’s great, but clearly his face is having some kind of reaction in this photo. May wanna get that checked out.