A Non-Peanut Related Post

The Frontiersmen

I know that this blog has been recently focused on the peanut desensitization treatment that my son is undergoing, but I would like to interrupt this regularly scheduled blogcast to announce a rather momentous occasion in my life. During one of our outings to Texas this summer, I came across an interesting book by Allan W. Eckert, called The Frontiersmen.

While I have mentioned before that I am generally a slow reader, this book absolutely wrapped my attention and in the period of less than five weeks I have zipped through this amazing 600 page historical narrative about the frontiersmen Simon Kenton and his Shawnee counterpart Tecumseh.

I recommend this book and it's five subsequent volumes (which I have yet to read). They offer an enthralling and personal yet brutal portrait of life on the early American frontier.

On a slightly unrelated note, notice the new fall colors in the background. Boy I wish it would snow.

It's The Real Stuff Maynard.

Well, we are back from the seventh appointment. Each visit has seen a doubling of the amount of peanut protein Nathan has to take each day. We returned from this trip with actual, bone-fide peanut powder. Yikes!

We don't have much of the stuff, maybe one tablespoon full, but it will last us a while because we are using a half of a drop dose this week.

For a little perspective, Nathan's dose is currently one half of a drop of the protein. A drop is about the size of a roley poley bug or a half or a frozen pea. We have a ridiculously tiny little itty bitty scoop and have to cut the amount in half with a knife.

The amazing thing is not how little it is, but how much Nathan is taking without a reaction.

Consider that there are around 20 drops in a CC or a ML. Currently we are at 1/40th of a CC. Each week they have doubled that dose for the last seven weeks. Do the math and last week we were at 1/80 of a CC and 1/160th the week before. The dose gets smaller and smaller and smaller until we are absolutely blown away by the minuscule amount that it took to set off a reaction just seven weeks ago.

We really do appreciate your prayers and will continue to keep you updated.

Half a Cubic Centimeter

Just a quick update on the peanut desensitization front. Nathan has so far handled the increased doses amazingly well. This week, he was bumped up to 0.5 cc of stock solution. I am not really sure what stock means as far as the diluted amount goes, but the liquid looks much more peanut colored and Nathan says that it tastes weird.

Next week is the big break. No more prepared syringes for this family. We will be returning home with a large bag of peanut powder next week. Talk about frightening, for the rest of this year, we will have a huge bag of this stuff in the very house that we live! 

Those of you who are gnawing on a Snickers bar as you read this will just have to take our word for it, It is disconcerting.

Next week Nathan will be taking two daily doses of a half a drop of straight peanut powder.

Things are going amazingly well. We have to rise early in order to have the recommended two hours of rest after the dose, but other than that, life is good.

The third time's a charm

You may notice that each post for the next few months will begin with words like "afraid", "scared", "worried", "yikes" and "Oh my sweet potato pie".

Please don't come away with the impression that we are a family of 'fraidy cats. Its just that the process of giving our son daily doses of a deadly poison, tends to make our knees weak.

This last trip saw our son's twice daily dose increase to an undiluted one tenth of of a cc of peanut protein in a liquid suspension. In terms that might be easier to understand, the amount of liquid that he is taking, is less than the size of a quarter inch of the length of a number two pencil. It is smaller that one of those little round lego pieces with one knob on top. In volume, if you were to cut a penny in thirds, this is about the same amount as one of those thirds. Compared to a can of soda, it would take 3550 of these doses to equal one can. In short, there is not a lot of stuff in these doses.

To combat the natural response of his body, he is on a 24 Antihistamine, a twice daily inhaler and is required to rest for at least two hours after each dose.

Nathan is doing great, despite a rash that the doctor is not positive is related and slight swelling around his eyes, he is a trooper and is taking it all in stride.

As a parent, I would take a bullet for my son and I have to tell you that the feelings of helplessness here are tremendous. This semester will be a great lesson in trusting God's grace.

There and Back Again

Well, we returned last evening from the second appointment for our son's peanut allergy. We were a bit more than nervous due to his reaction after the last visit. Last week they sent us home with 0.5 cc of 1/10 dilution doses, but after a night of vomiting and stomach cramps they moved him back to 0.25 cc of the same dilution.

This week they bumped the dose back up, observed him and sent us home. So far there has ben no adverse reaction, which points towards and increasing tolerance to the legume.

We shall see.

The Fourth Ice Age?

I don't know your opinion on global warming or climate change or whatever the recent term we are supposed to use is, but the undeniable fact is that the fourth Ice Age has arrived. While I think the first Ice Age was a better movie, this one was a pretty good movie.

This week we have friends staying with us and so we went in a herd of eight to the theater. The noteworthy thing about this outing was not the number of our party, but rather that this was the first real outing since we began the peanut protocol that Nathan showed no signs that the activity adversely affected him.

I know that we are going to face difficulties over the next twenty weeks, but this afternoon was not one of them. Woo Hoo!

Home Again, Home Again... Jiggity Jig

Anyone interested in living in the big city should take an hour or two and drive around the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport area and then take a stroll through the GrapeVine Mills Mall. I can think of no better cure.

People, people, people.

Our original plan included spending Saturday at the Forth Worth Stockyard and Sunday at the Grapevine Mills Mall visiting the Legoland Discovery Center and the Aquarium there. It became apparent very quickly that this new peanut protocol would not allow for either. And so, rather than spend the weekend stuffed into our hotel room, we woke up Saturday morning an began the slow trudge home. I may chronicle the directionally challenged misadventures of the journey in a later post, but suffice to say that Texas would do well to invest in a few sign makers to help out with the construction confusion in and around the Dallas/ForthWorth area (Fort Worth/ Dallas area for Allison).

We arrived home safely and even gave Nathan a dose of peanut protein on the way. He seems to be handling the 0.25 cc dose much better than the 0.5 cc dose and though it will mean that his treatment will be extended, we feel good that Dr. Foster is being cautious with our son.