My Little Friend had allergy testing done today. It's been five years since he started allergy shots so it was time to re-test and see how his situation has improved.Well.
It's worse rather than better. He's overcome his immune responses to two molds (epicoccum and aspergillus) but everything else is the same. Plus 17 new antigens tested positive that were negative 5 years ago - grasses, trees, molds, and weeds. Doc Schreiber said that 90 % of his pediatric patients have no new positives and usually only a few that remain positive after 5 years of immunotherapy. My Little Friend is a special case. But this time it's special in the bad way.
Peanuts, which they don't include in the serum, remains at a level 4+ which is the highest. Doc Schreiber said Jake will have to stay away from peanuts his whole life.
We're discussing our options and making a decision about further treatment.
I'm going to go cry now.
poor jakey stew :(
ReplyDeleteprecious boy!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry it wasn't better news! I'm also glad that testing like this exists, so that at least you know. But it sucks.
ReplyDeleteDo his doctors know why more and more people are now allergic to peanuts? I can't think of one person who couldn't eat peanuts when I was a kid, but now it seems like it's almost epidemic. (Or don't we use that word any more? I guess it now has to be called a pandemic.)
ReplyDeleteNobody really knows for sure, Bob. There are lots of theories. The way we roast our peanuts instead of boiling them like the Chinese do is one theory. Maybe the proteins don't denature as fully during roasting? I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteIt's not quite an epidemic - probably only 1% of Americans have a peanut or tree nut allergy, about 3 million Americans. That's still a lot, though, and the rate has doubled in the last 10 years.
And now you know more than you ever wanted to about peanut allergies. : )
I'm sorry to hear that the allergies are still there and even worse. :(
ReplyDelete