Oral Food Challenge #2 - Almond
This is a writing sample from Scripted writer Jennifer Brady
By the time the almond oral food challenge was offered, Penny had been following a modified AIP diet and taking herbal and vitamin supplements for about 3 months. Her skin, once covered in eczema and seborrhea, was clear and non-compromised. Her cheeks would rarely, if ever, randomly flush and become bright red. She went from taking Benadryl or Zyrtec every single night to not requiring any antihistamine in months.
After requesting IGE blood work from Dr. M and receiving the results one nerve-wracking week later (more on this in another post...,) we learned that her IGE level for almond was essentially negative. This realization, coupled with historically small skin wheals for almonds, prompted Dr. M to agree to allow Penny to undergo an almond oral challenge.
OFC Appointment
This time, there was no at-home preparation to be done. I did take special care in explaining to Penny that she was going to Dr. M's office with her dad to eat almond butter. I told her it was like peanut butter but different. She said "yum" and that was that.
H and I have agreed that it is better for him to take Penny to the appointments for OFCs. I don't want her to experience my anxiety and have her feel that food should elicit a fear-based response. That is my own problem and I do not want it to become hers. H is much more laid back than I am and Penny benefits from his calm attitude and demeanor (we all do.)
The oral challenge began precisely at 8 AM. Penny first ate a small smear of almond butter off a spoon. She said it tasted weird, but that was the only complaint. Every 20 minutes or so, the LPN would come back and offer her greater quantities of the nut butter. Eventually, she was eating 30 mL of almond butter laced with chocolate syrup. The food elicited no reaction at all. She passed.
At the conclusion of the appointment, Penny and H met with Dr. M and she was given the green light to eat almonds every day.
Just as with the baked-in egg challenge, we feel an immense amount of relief and hope that Penny's allergies can be healed naturally.
Final Thoughts
I suppose it would be premature to credit Dr. B and his protocol for Penny's ability to eat almonds and baked-in egg.
But it clearly has not hurt.
And I do believe it is helping, so we will continue doing what we are doing to heal her allergies.
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