Just A Little Peanut

Major Breakthrough in EoE Research

2014-07-14T23:53:00.000-05:00

Researchers report a that a major breakthrough has been made as to the cause of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). According to Nature Genetics, eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder associated with allergic hypersensitivity to food.

According to aaaai.org , "the symptoms of EoE vary with age. In infants and toddlers, you may notice that they refuse their food or are not growing properly. School-age children often have recurring abdominal pain, trouble swallowing or vomiting.

Teenagers and adults most often have difficulty swallowing. The esophagus can narrow to the point that food gets stuck. "

What are Eosinophilic Disorders? Click here (link updated 2016)

I received an email today (2014) from FARE News reporting on the EoE research. Read it below:

"Researchers report that they have discovered the cause of eosinophilic eophagitis (EoE), a hard-to-treat food allergy. In EoE, large numbers of white blood cells, known as eosinophils, accumulate in the lining of the esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach), causing chronic inflammation.

Led by a team at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, investigators have found a new genetic and molecular pathway in the esophagus. This discovery, reported online today in Nature Genetics, opens the door to new therapies for EoE, which has been diagnosed in a growing number of children and adults over the past decade.

The study found that EoE is triggered by the interplay between epithelial cells, which help form the lining of the esophagus, and a gene called CAPN14.

“In a nutshell, we have used cutting-edge genomic analysis of patient DNA, as well as gene and protein analysis, to explain why people develop EoE,” says Marc E. Rothenberg, MD, senior investigator on the study. “This is a major breakthrough for this condition .... Our results are immediately applicable to EoE and have broad implications for understanding eosinophilic disorders as well as allergies in general.”

The study was funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with additional support from other organizations, including FARE."

For an explanation of EoE, click here.

For the research report published in Nature Genetics click here.

Sources:

FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education)

Nature Genetics

AAAAI

Peanut Allergy Treatment Continues To Be Success

2013-10-08T16:13:00.000-05:00

Life with a peanut allergy can be scary; however,I have good news. Our son Alexander has been desensitized to his peanut allergy. It is true! Through the use of Food Oral Immunotherapy,
Alexander was treated in 2011 by Dr. Richard Wasserman.
Five years after its inception, this program continues to be successful with over 190 patients desensitized to various food allergies including milk allergy, egg allergy and tree nut allergy.
I welcome you to my blog, Just A Little Peanut for more information.
Click here to read a progress report on Alexander.

Alexander on the day of his 24 Peanut challenge and graduation -2011

Here is an excerpt from the October 7, 2013 issue of the Dallas Allergy Immunology Newsletter

"Have You Heard?

Food Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) is an emerging treatment for food allergy that is offered
at Dallas Food Allergy Center (DFAC)/Dallas Allergy Immunology.

This treatment desensitizes patients to their allergenic food and at the end of treatment
most patients eat the food on a daily basis. We have offered this treatment for over 5 years now
and 190 DFAC patients are now eating their previously allergenic food!

Food OIT is offered for the treatment of peanut, tree nut, milk, egg, soy, and sesame allergy."

In prior posts we have detailed Alexanders treatment and many other topics. We hope our blog is helpful to you.

Peanut desensitization has been a great blessing for our son and our family.

To God be the Glory!

-Julie

Bronchial Thermoplasty VIDEO of NEW Treatment for Severe Asthma

2012-07-29T19:02:00.002-05:00

Bronchial Thermoplasty is a new treatment for severe asthma offered in the U.S and Europe. My mother-in-law Judy Kassees was successfully treated last summer. It has vastly improved the quality of her life! Prior to this treatment she could not breathe.
She was depressed, miserable, scared and became "kind of a hermit".
She thought it was easier to die than try to breathe.
Judy says "It was a miserable way of life"

Living with asthma can be scary. Grandmother Judy had been diabled by her severe asthma.
I am writing about this treatment to help others with severe asthma like Judy and because I have two sons with asthma.
My oldest son Alexander is also allergic to peanuts and the reason I write this blog about a new treatment for people with food allergies to peanuts, milk, egg, wheat, tree nuts or soy.

Although my sons' asthma is not as severe Judy's we are well acquainted with its effects. The asthma was worse when the boys were small yet sadly Alexander and his brother Dylan have diminished lung capacity.

This treatment was very successful in my mother-in-law.
Now Judy only occasionally has a little bit of asthma. She has no more asthma attacks.
Her airways don't close up anymore. She says it is a miracle.

This is my understanding of this innovative treatment from Boston Scientific: "The Alair^® Bronchial Thermoplasty System developed by Asthmatx was approved by the FDA on April 27, 2010 for the treatment of severe persistent asthma in patients 18 years and older whose asthma is not well controlled with inhaled corticosteroids and long acting beta agonists", according to their website.*

Bronchial Thermoplasty uses radiofrequency energy that delivers heat through a small catheter placed in a bronchoscope. The bronchoscope is placed down into the airways.

"In the lungs "controlled thermal energy is delivered to the airway wall to reduce the amount of airway smooth muscle and lessen these muscles’ ability to narrow the airway,

thereby reducing symptoms in patients with severe asthma." *

Thinner walls/ less muscles = reduced airway constriction which results in better airflow.

The video below states "treatment helps adult patients with severe asthma achieve better control of their asthma symptoms for years rather than hours which was all that could be expected with medications alone."

Gary Weinstein, MD a pulmonologist at Southwest Pulmonary Associates of Dallas describes the treatment on the video below.

The outpatient treatment is done in 3 sessions. The sessions are scheduled 3 weeks apart.

Session 1- Right Lower Lobe treated

Session 2 - Left Lower Lobe

Session 3 - Both Upper Lobes

Watch this video which includes my mother in law describing her situation

and how she feels today.

This unique and innovative treatment was life changing for Judy.

Please share this blog post to anyone you know with asthma or severe asthma. You may be saving their life.

Judy thanks Dr. Suneel Kumar, MD of Southwest Pulmonary Asso. and Boston Scientific for the Bronchial Thermoplasty. She was the first patient in Texas to undergo this treatment. At that time the procedure was only performed in 2 places in Texas. This procedure was performed in Europe for 5 years prior to FDA approval.

According to the Center for Disease Control 22 million people in the U.S. have asthma. Of those people 10-15% have severe asthma. Approximately 3500 deaths occur each year in the U.S. due to asthma.

Please know I am not a doctor. Don't rely on the information in this post. I have zero medical training. I am just sharing this information to tell Judy's story. Talk to your doctor to learn more about it.

I hope this post helps you or someone you love.

To God be the Glory!- Julie

RESOURCES

For further information from Boston Scientific see their website Bronchial Thermoplasty

Treatment Locations for Bronchial Thermoplasty:

United States

Since last summer many doctors have received training the this procedure.
My research indicates that it is now available in 42 states.

Insurance- note- not all insurance companies will pay for this treatment, perhaps because it is new.

Dallas-
Gary Weinstein,MD and Suneel Kumar, MD at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital
Victor M. Gomez, MD or Allan Shulkin, MD at Medical City Dallas

Houston
Joseph Varon, MD at University General Hospital

Timothy A. Connolly, MD and Lisa M. Kopas, MD and Clinton Doerr, MD
J. Fernando Santacruz, MD - all at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital

San Antonio
Michael Wooley, MD at Methodist Hospital
Jairo Mello, MD

New York City

Arthur Sung, MD at Beth Israel

William Bulman, MD at New York Presbyterian- Columbia

Denver at National Jewish

California
U.C Davis Medical Center
St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach
Palo Alto Medical Foundation - Ganesh Krishna, MD

Florida

South Miami Hospital, Rodney Benjamin, MD and Jacky Blank, MD

Orlando Regional Medical, Mark A. Vollenweider, MD
Baptist Hospital of Miami, Raul R. Valor, MD
Memorial Hospital of Tampa, Adam Katz, MD and Imran Khan, MD
Shands Hospital at University of Florida in Gainesville, Michael Jantz, MD

Illinois
D. Kyle Hogarth, MD at University of Chicago Medical Center
Kevin Kovitz, MD at Central DuPage Hostpial

Indiana
David Wilson, MD at Columbus Regional Hospital Lung Institute

Ohio

Physician Locator- Bronchial Thermoplasty in the U.S

International Locations:

Canada- Gerard Cox, MB and John D. Miller, MD at St. Joseph's
Michel Laviolette, MD in Quebec

UK - United Kingdom
Robert Niven, MD in Manchester
Bernard Higgins, MD in High Heaton, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Germany Prof. Felix Herth, MD in Heidelberg

Italy
Stefano Gasparini, MD in Ancona
Dardes Nicola, MD in Rome at Rome American Hospital

Czech Republic - Jiri Votruba,MD

Denmark
Hans Christian Siersted, MD in Odense at Odense University Hospital

sources:
1- the Video above
2- * Brochial Thermoplasty website -link shown above

Peanut Allergy Treatment plus Milk, Egg, Wheat, Cashew Allergies: All Successfully Treated

2012-07-18T23:53:00.000-05:00

Peanut allergy, milk allergy and other food allergies can now be successfully treated!
Dr. Richard Wasserman at Dallas Allergy Immunology (DAI) has been providing Food Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) since 2008 for people allergic to peanuts, milk and eggs.
Over time the OIT program has expanded to treat wheat, tree nut and soy allergies.

My son Alexander has been successfully desensitized to peanuts. This blog documents every phase of his treatment.
Alexander "graduated" in 2011 and eats a maintenance dose of 8 peanuts per day.

According to the DAI Quarterly Newsletter published July 2012:
"DAI has a number of children who have graduated from our Food OIT program and are now eating eggs, peanuts, cashews, pecans and wheat or drinking milk without reactions"

"This program is designed for a child of school age or older who will be old enough to understand the reasons for participating and be actively engaged in the process."

Below are the current Oral Immunotherapy treatment statistics from DAI's June newsletter.
Patients who have graduated or "completed" the program are considered desensitized to their particular food allergy.

"From 2008 to present:
Egg
27 complete, 3 active

Milk
39 complete, 16 active

Peanut
81 complete, 26 active

Cashew
1 complete, 1 active

Wheat
3 complete 0 active

Pecan
0 complete, 1 active"

This program has provided Alexander both physical and mental relief. Allergies to peanuts, tree nuts and a few other foods can be deadly. Food allergies in general can be very debilitating.

For more information see:
Peanut Allergic Teenager Eats a Peanut

Milk Allergy Treatment

Peanut and Food Allergy Testing Results for Alexander Over the Years

Precise Dose for Peanut Oral Immunotherapy Treatment

Peanut Allergic Teen Officially Desensitized to Peanuts

Peanut Allergy ALERT on Odawalla product -Tree Nut Allergy Alert for Odawalla product

2012-04-06T10:18:00.000-05:00

Odwalla, Inc. is recalling Odwalla Chocolate Protein Monster beverage in 12-oz and 32-oz bottles, with “enjoy by” dates prior to and including 23 MAY 2012,

The recall is due to reports from Consumers allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts experiencing severe allergic reactions after consuming this beverage.
People with an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts and/or tree nuts may run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product according to the alert issue by FAAN.

I have never posted an Alert before,however; this product is widely consumed in the United States! Please tweet, share on FACEBOOK or otherwise forward to your peanut and tree nut allergic friends, support groups or organizations.

I pray this post helps someone from consuming this beverage.

Here is a link to the Alert that was just issued by FAAN.
http://www.foodallergy.org/page/peanut-and-tree-nut-allergy-alert-odwalla-chocolate-protein-monster-beverage.

-Julie

Peanut Allergy Patch

2012-03-12T12:40:00.001-05:00

Is there a Skin Patch for Peanut Allergies? Wouldn't that be grand. Something like a medicine skin patch for sea sickness. It is not so far fetched as you might think.

The good news is that two French pediatricians have developed a skin patch for peanut allergy.

Dr. Pierre-Henri Benhamou told the Daily Mail: "We envisage that the patch would be worn daily for several years and would slowly reduce the severity of accidental exposure to peanuts. " 'The beauty of the patch is that it is absorbed just under the skin and is taken up by the immune system."

"But because it doesn't go directly into the bloodstream there is no risk of a severe reaction.”

The doctor also stated he and his colleague have already conducted a few safety trials. Their next steps will be to conduct trials to establish the size of the dose needed and the amount of time the patch would need to be worn. Read more at Mail Online

In June 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an application that allowed DBV Technologies, a private French company that specializes in food allergies, to begin conducting clinical trials on a new “Peanut patch” called Viaskin.
Researchers at National Jewish Health are also testing the peanut patch with hopes that clinical trials will commence.

The peanut patch would work in a similar way to the Oral Immunotherapy treatment (OIT) used to desensitize my son Alexander to his peanut allergy.
Yes my son is desensitized and doing well.
His entire treatment journey is explained in detail on my blog Just A Little Peanut.
See my posts "Peanut,Milk, Egg Allergy Treatment Explained" and Peanut Allergic Teen Desensitized to Peanuts:Progress Report. You can follow us on TWITTER http://twitter.com/PeanutBlog

For updates and the latest information can subscribe by Email to this blog- top right section

How does a medicine skin patch work?
A patch is placed on your skin like a bandaid. The patch contains medicine which is slowly absorbed through the skin. How convenient!

The peanut patch slowly releases minute doses of peanut oil under the skin. The amounts are increased over time to hopefully desensitize the patient the allergy.

Alexander my peanut allergy teen recently used a medicine patch on his knee, prescribed by his phyical therapist.

An increasing number of medicines are now available in the convenient form of a patch. Medicine patches are currently being used to treat the following ailments:
Anti-inflammatories. Pain, Nicotine, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Anti-depressants, Sea Sickness, Alzheimers, Parkinsons (and many more).

If the peanut patch clinical trials prove safe and viable, it is unknown how long it will take before the patch is available for patients. I suspect this type of immunotherapy might be the wave of the future.

Sources:
Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1392034/Doctors-invent-patch-cure-deadly-peanut-allergy.html
Physorg.com http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-peanut-allergy-patch.html

AFRICA Kony Atrocities and Links to Ways You Can HELP THE VICTIMS

2012-03-11T00:12:00.003-06:00

This post is a departure from my usual Peanut Treatment topic but I thought it important to allow my readers across the globe (in over 83 countries) to read this post from my other blog- "Salt and Light". Let us all help those in need.
I share this with you with the hope that something good may result from this post.

Atrocity for 25 years -You Can HELP the Victims of suffering and injustice.
Africa has experienced years of atrocity and tragedy in countries such as Biafra, Congo, Sudan and Rwanda to name but a few. Acts of genocide,tribal warfare, kidnapping, slavery, political violence and injustice have been common in Africa for decades. This is not new information.

Now is your chance to help. Africa has not been the only place to suffer such horrors but it is the focus of this article.
HELPING the victims is the purpose of this post.

Children and families in Uganda and Central Africa have been terrorized for years by Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). (See the Video below).
The group is responsible for murder,mutilations, massacres, kidnapping of children to serve as soldiers or sex slaves and the displacement of up to 2 million people in Uganda in neighboring areas. Unimaginable crimes. His tactics brutal,using machetes and clubs regularly and forcing children to kill their own families.

A new video documentary,"Kony 2012",made by Invisible Children,Inc. is part of a campaign raise awareness of Kony and his LRA. It highlights his crimes in an effort to create a public outcry and increase the chances Kony is finally brought to justice. The International Criminal Court has already indicted Kony and LRA leaders for crimes against humanity.
Kony has not operated in Uganda since 2006 (see below-"Uganda Today"). His LRA has dwindled in size to around 200 according to various reports yet he continues to conduct raids in Congo,Central African Republic and Southern Sudan in order to survive.

The pain and suffering Kony has wrought is real and ongoing. People physically and psycologically devastated. He needs to be brought to justice.

The capture of Kony is another issue. This is a complicated subject.(See "Capture" below)

YouTube, Twitter and other social media, perfect tools for such a campaign, have already been used to spread the message a wide audience. (Please share this post).

WAYS YOU CAN HELP the Victims

Please open your heart and help bring healing,love and hope to victims still suffering and those trying to recover from great pain and loss.
Genesis 1:27 We are all made in the image of God and deserve to be treated with love.

We sponsor two orphans from Uganda.
One is a young boy in Gulu,Uganda who was a victim of the LRA. He was abducted to serve as a child soldier. By the grace of God he escaped.Consider Orphan Sponsorship below.

The stories from Uganda are not new to me
and although my family has supported many of the charities working in Uganda and Central Africa listed below I have not done enough to spread the word.
Please share this blog post on Facebook and Twitter so your friends may have the opportunity to make a difference.

"and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" Hebrews 10:24. "keep on loving each other as brothers" Hebrews 13:1

If you would like to read more posts like this one click here for my Salt and Light blog. You can "subscribe by Email" box in the upper right corner.

Links to Organizations that HELP
ALARM,Inc -Donate , What We Do African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministry -
I highly recommend them. I have met the founder. Their work is life changing.

Empower African Children - Donate I know the founder personally. Their work in Uganda is life changing. We sponsor an Orphan from Uganda that is now studying in the U.S.
They have several initiatives such as Holistic Care for Children

Every Child Ministries In Africa- offering hope for child slaves, street children and forgotten children. Take time to explore their website. Learn more about their work and numerous projects.
Click here to Donate to their Uganda project and read more about the child tragedy in Uganda.

Samaritan's Purse - Worldwide. Donate to Uganda PROJECTS scroll on the left to UGANDA
Samaritan's Purse UK
Samaritan's Purse CANADA

Hope International- Micro-finance - Donate Rwanda,Burundi,Congo,DRC and 12 other countries

Hope for Kids International- UK
World Hope CANADA
Hope International Development Agency- CANADA

Invisible Children - donate

Orphan Sponsorship
Compassion International- Sponsor a Child
Every Child Ministries- sponsor an orphan in Uganda - Sponsor an orphan in Uganda or other vulnerable child

World Vision -sponsor a child in Uganda. We sponsor 2 orphans (Zambia & Uganda). Fantastic organization!
World Vision UK-
World Vision CANADA
World Vision AUSTRALIA
World Vision GERMANY

I applaud the tireless work of the 3 American videographers of Invisible Children.
Visit the website. They have a passion for this cause.
Compassion and love is evident
CAPTURE

Four LRA-affected countries are involved in the "hunt" to capture Kony and his men. The effort includes the Ugandan army which does have a record of human rights abuses. In October of 2011 the U.S. sent 100 soldiers to help in the effort.

If you are considering a donation to Invisible Children you may want to do your own internet research on this entire topic. Click here for their financial statements. There will be opinions on all sides.

Where is Kony now? He is operating mainly in DRC,Central African Republic and Southern Sudan. According the LRA Crisis tracker in the past month the LRA has abducted 42 people and killed 2 people. Kony and his men may operate in small groups but their effect is still devastating.

What if one of those kidnapped was your child.

UGANDA TODAY

Joseph Kony no longer operates in Uganda. His long running and brutal attempt to overthrow the Ugandan government failed. Northern Uganda has been free of Kony's violence since 2006. Gulu, once the center of the LRA activities, has not seen the rebels since that time.

It is now a peaceful area. The region and its people are getting back to a more normal way of life and healing is slowly happening. Many Christian and humanitarian groups work in all the areas affected including surrounding countries.

Uganda has suffered so much. Remember their former dictator Idi Amin? (read here)

Isaiah 1:17

"Seek justice, encourage the oppressed; defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow"

Proverbs 24:11-12

"Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?"

(note- Southern Sudan,a new country in July 2011, has a refugee crisis and ongoing violence unrelated to Kony and is facing possible food shortages according the U.N -Feb 2012)

Peanut Allergic Teen Desensitized to Peanuts: Progress Report 9 Months Later

2012-01-12T22:31:00.006-06:00

My son Alexander was desensitized to peanuts on April 12,2011. Today marks 9 months since this momentous occasion. What has happened during the last 9 months??
First let me provide a little background.
Alexander was diagnosed at 22 months old with an allergy to peanuts. He is now 16 years old.

When he tested positive for a peanut allergy I was aware that this allergy could be dangerous.
I was very surprised to be told there was no cure or allergy shot or any protocol to eliminate or reduce his allergy to peanut.
We were told to strictly avoid peanuts.
The doctor said that was "all we could do." This was hard to believe in this age of modern medicine.

So.... we avoided peanuts, peanut dust, peanut contaminate snacks, certain types of restaurants etc.

I read every food label and asked every restaurant if they had peanuts in "x" dish.
In those days, restaurants and fast food places did not care. There we no allergen statements on menus. They did not pay attention to cross-contamination. Schools were unconcerned and unprepared.
Perhaps someday I will write a post about it.

In order to protect my son, I prepared and sent "special snacks" to school and provided non-peanut snacks to the class on our snack days or birthdays. In addition Alexander was not allowed to eat any cookies or desserts served on a tray which meant parties, school events etc.

Not to mention the series of precautions and steps necessary for Alexander to fly on commercial airlines especially SW Airlines. For these of you with a peanut allergy, you know the drill!

All these efforts were successful. Alexander never had an allergic reaction or scare, even though he tested off the blood chart for his peanut allergy.
You may want to check out my post "Peanut and Food Allergy TESTING Results for Alexander Over the Years"
We never had to use an EpiPen!

By God's grace we learned of a program to desensitize my son to peanuts.

Thankfully this new and revolutionary treatment was offered in our hometown (and only 10 minutes from our house).

Click here to read my blog for all the details. You will find posts describing every aspect of Alexander's treatment by Dr. Wasserman and his fantastic staff.
Be sure to check out the "Helpful Links" on the right side of my blog.

Now 9 months after completing the treatment program and becoming officially desensitized to peanuts, I am happy to report Alexander has never had an allergic reaction to peanuts.
In fact he never had a reaction during the treatment program.
Alexander eats a "maintenance dose" of 8 peanuts every day, which I hope he continues as he gets older and makes his own decisions.

Alexander loathes eating the peanuts but for the most part sticks to the rules thus far.
The taste of peanuts makes him want to choke.
He recently asked me "Mom what food do you truly hate and cannot choke down ever?"
My answer was asparagus.
Then he said "Imagine having to eat asparagus every night. Now you know what I have to go through"

I still remind him to takes his peanuts and then I rely on him to eat his maintenance dose.
He has missed doses.
Sometimes Alexander just does not want to choke them down!

Peanut Sniffing DOGS Detects DANGER for the Peanut Allergic

2011-12-03T23:50:00.001-06:00

Peanut sniffing dogs help people with peanut allergies. Yes it is true.
What is a "peanut sniffing dog"? How does a dog help someone with a peanut allergy?
Specially trained dogs are now being used to detect trace amounts of peanuts and other life-threatening allergens.

Sherry Mers whose daughter has a severe peanut allergy started a non-profit foundation, Angel Service Dogs Inc, as a ministry so children with
"hidden disabilities" such as severe allergies and seizures can afford specially trained dogs or animals to help them. These dogs are expensive.

According to their Website, "Angel Service Dogs, Inc., a 501-C-3, is devoted to placing Allergy Alert Dogs, specially trained
for peanut, tree nut, and allergen detection, with individuals and families who are inhibited by life-threatening allergies."

Training a peanut allergy dog to detect peanuts is similar to the training a drug sniffing dog receives.
In reviewing their website- here is what I found out.
Allergy Alert Service Dogs are trained to detect a specific set of allergens and to alert their handler of the presence of those allergens.
Angel Service Dogs states that their dogs can protect against contact or ingestion of these life-threatening allergens.

Their dogs are trained by Master Scent trainers. These trainers have decades of experience working with scent dogs and working specifically with Allergy Alert dogs.

Dogs are carefully selected for the Allergy Alert dog program.

I found it interesting to learn which breed of dogs are used in the program. They include Australian Labradoodles, Portuguese Water Dogs and other allergy friendly breeds.

Click here to visit their website. For information on another breeder of Peanut Detector Dogs click Peanut Dogs

What a wonderful idea!

In my research I also found a story about a black Labrador Retriever trained to sniff out the most miniscule traces of peanut -- she can even tell whether a chicken nugget has been fried in peanut oil.
I find that truly amazing! As a fairly experienced cook I don't think I could detect exactly what type of oil was used to fry chicken. Seriously!

The dog sniffs down everything and everyone that his owner may come into contact with letting he and his Mom know where it's safe to go or alerting them when peanut traces have been found.
Watch this video.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Last but not least take a look at the video below for an MSNBC story on Peanut sniffing dogs.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thanks to these specially trained dogs (trained by Angel Service Dogs and other breeders)

and their unique ability to detect traces of food allergens such as peanuts and tree nuts, the allergic children and adults they service can be safe to live a more normal life.

Angel Service Dog's company slogan sums it up- "life is better with someone watching over you".

Of course in this case that "someone" is a specially trained 4-legged friend.

I hope this story is helpful to you. Please share this story on Facebook or directly with friends you know who have the hidden disability of an Anaphylactic peanut or food allergy.

PEANUT ALLERGY TREATMENT - INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM with WORLDWIDE INTEREST

2011-10-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

Peanut allergies and food allergies are an International concern. They know no borders.
It's one world where the effects of living with food allergies cross all boundaries.
Food allergic individuals and parents of food allergic kids worldwide are desperately seeking help for their children or themselves.
For more information read my post "Peanut and Food Allergies".

Since launching my blog last year I have been surprised by the International composition of my audience and their ability to find to my rather obscure blog.
As of today this blog has received visitors from over 67 countries which are listed at the end of this post.
The international scope of interest in peanut allergy and food allergy problems is evidenced by the diverse audience that has read this blog.

Although I have not fully kept track of every visitor's country,the geographic dispersion of the audience is fascinating.

The audience is from 6 Continents and such diverse cultures as Greenland, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Nepal, Nigeria, New Zealand and Qatar. It is an intriguing list.

Thus far the majority of my posts have been about the dreaded peanut allergy.
Why? The answer is simple.
My son Alexander is undergoing treatment for his life-threatening allergy to peanuts.
The new treatment is cutting-edge and very successful thus far.
Currently Alexander is in the "maintenance phase" of treatment. He is officially "desensitized" to peanuts.
Alexander ingests 8 peanuts per day (unless he forgets- scary but true). Thus far there are been no reactions or complications.
Explore my blog to read the entire story.
It is truly an amazing experience to see my son eat peanuts. Due to the life-threatening nature of his allergy we are used to altering our lives to strictly avoid peanuts.
Stories abound about the lifestyle changes that must occur in order to survive life with a dangerous food allergy.

So I write this blog to help others with peanut and food allergies and to spread the good news that real treatment is finally available for Peanut, Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies. Click here for more information.

Yes, access to treatment is currently limited unless people have the determination, time and resources to travel to the few places offering a treatment program or clinical trial.

Research is ongoing and there are new treatments on the horizon for peanut allergies. Subscribe my email to be notified of future posts.

67 Countries - as of 10/24/11
United States
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Greenland (57,564 pop.)
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Japan
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania (newest country on the list)
Malaysia
Mexico
Moldova
Mozambique
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Quatar
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Ukraine
Uruguay
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Vietnam

TOP 10 COUNTRIES- (in order of highest number of page views) are:
United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Romania, India, Phillippines, Germany, New Zealand and France

Wisdom - Part 1

2011-09-22T09:02:00.013-05:00

Wisdom is precious and not easily obtained. I have found true wisdom to be a rare commodity. For me, the source of wisdom that is worth pursuing comes from God.

In the Bible, the purpose of the book of Proverbs is for "gaining wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight; receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair."
That is the kind of wisdom I desire.

Below I have shared a passage worth reflecting upon. It is worth your your time.

Moral Benefits of Wisdom - Proverbs 2:1-22

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
[2] turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,

[3] and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,

[4] and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,

[5] then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

[6] For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

[7] He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
[8] for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. [9] Then you will understand what is right and just and fair---every good path.

[10] For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

[11] Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

[12] Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are commodity

[13] who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways,

[14] who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
[15] whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
[16] It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words,
[17] who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God.
[18] For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

[19] None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

[20] Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous.

[21] For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it;
[22] but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Do you seek God's wisdom? or the wisdom of the world from your friends, family,
colleagues and acquaintances.
Or perhaps from the internet or from sound bites and snippets from various sources?

I used to and if I am not careful, I will seek wisdom from other sources before I seek what God has to say and reveal to me.

What source is totally reliable and best for you? The wisdom of the world or the wisdom of God.

You get to choose which path you will take.

You can find God's wisdom and truth in the Bible. Have you read it?

Resources: How To Recieve Eternal Salvation

Click here to look at an Online Parallel BIBLE

Peanut Allergic Teen Officially DESENSITIZED to PEANUTS

2011-08-05T14:47:00.000-05:00

On April 12,2011 my son Alexander, who is deathly allergic to peanuts, was officially declared "DESENSITIZED".

The term sounds like a condition out of a science fiction movie void of feeling and sterile.
It actually befits our situation as Alexander experienced No Reaction to the ingestion of peanuts during the entire OIT process.

So you may ask "how did we achieve this?" Dr. Wasserman and his staff, especially Angela Galucci,P.A. are the medical heroes making history with their Oral Immunotherapy program.
Our part was being a willing and dedicated participant in the Dallas Allergy Immunology oral immunotherapy program (OIT) for peanuts.

It is important to note that Dr.Wasserman also offers OIT for milk, wheat and egg allergies.
It is surprising the talk to other patients and discover that many peanut allergic people are also allergic to one or more of these other food allergies.

Alexander was not only brave to agree to ingest peanuts to which he is deathly allergic
(you should read his testing results in a previous post)
but he followed all the rules and requirements with little complaint other than cringing at the mere thought of having to take his distasteful dose.
Yes he also mastered the art of delay when it came to taking his dose. I've heard many funny stories from other patients whose children have taken the slow-playing of dose taking to a new creative high.

As for our journey since April 12th with Alexander's " maintenance dose" of peanuts, I will write a future post on his progress.

I want to thank Dr.Wasserman and his staff for all of their encouragement, candor and support.

This program is a real breakthrough for everyone who suffers from the dreaded peanut allergy.
I implore you to investigate this program for yourself.
Read past posts and comments and do your own research.
Helpful links are on the right side of my blog.

As an expression of our joy and excitement for becoming "desensitized to peanuts" we want to express our prayerful thanks to God our Father for his many blessings
and
as we say in Texas "yeehaw".

Peanut Allergic TEEN to EAT 24 PEANUTS all at once - Big Day!

2011-04-12T13:53:00.000-05:00

Today is the "BIG DAY" in our peanut allergy oral desensitization treatment.
There have been many such "vital days" and milestones along the ways.

Click on the names of the following posts to read them. There are many more.....
Peanut Allergy Treatment Day 1
Shucking Peanuts for Alexander's Big Day
Peanut Allergic Teenager Eat First Peanut

Yesterday I dutifully drove to Sprouts Grocery store to pick up a bag of "In-Shell RAW Peanuts" as our peanut supply was dwindling. I arrived home and began my shelling regimen. These peanut smelled pretty good.
The brown paper skins were easy to remove from the peanuts. This had not been the case before. Hmmmm? I checked the package. UGH!
To my unhappy surprise I had purchased "Roasted" in-shell peanuts.

The last bag of peanuts was "Raw" in-shell peanut but these had been the bane of Alexander's existence the past few weeks because the skins really stuck to these peanuts.
The time it took Alexander to "ingest each dose",which was already painfully slow, doubled.
I did not know why until I saw him laboring to remove the skins.
He asked for more peanuts so I was happy to oblige. I had purchased the raw peanuts at another store so I decided I'd just return to the first place I purchased them. I thought "perhaps there is a difference in brands".

When I discovered I had purchased the wrong peanuts I sent an email Angela Galucci
at Dr. Wasserman's office. It has been my understanding that roasting changes the peanut protein content slightly. Somehow I was wrong.
Here was her response- "Roasted peanuts are fine. They taste much better and are absolutely fine to dose with. In fact, we usually recommend the roasted peanuts. Maybe Alexander will like the taste a little better!"
Okie dokie! Problem solved.

Today Alexander will go to Dr. Wasserman's office for a "peanut challenge".
He will eat 24 Peanuts all at once.
That is pretty amazing.
A peanut allergic kid eating 24 peanuts at one sitting.

This is the end of what I call Phase 1 of our peanut de-sensitization treatment.
The peanut oral desensitization treatment has been a HUGE SUCCESS for my son.
He has experienced NO allergic reactions.
Please pray for today to be another success.

More later....
If this blog has helped you in any way I would love for you to post a Comment below.
It would be encouraging to us and to others. We have an international audience.
People from 48 countries are reading this blog. And the list is growing.

Thank you for following Alexander's journey thus far.

Peanut Allergy Treatment WORKS -Now 24 PEANUTS Per DAY for Alexander

2011-04-06T23:30:00.001-05:00

My son's deadly Peanut Allergy is being successfully treated. This is an update on the treatment progress for my peanut allergic son.
Click here to read "Peanut,Milk,Egg Allergy Treatment Explained."

My teenage son Alexander is being successfully treated for his life-threatening Peanut allergy.
This past Tuesday he received DOSE #18 of his oral immunotherapy treatment.
Since my last post on February 23 regarding this treatment my son's dose has increased
to 24 PEANUTS PER DAY.
Click here to read "Precise Dose for Peanut Allergy Treatment- Oral Immunotherapy" and click here for "Two Peanuts and Super Bowl"
It is almost impossible to fathom but Alexander is now eating 24 Whole PEANUTS Per DAY.
The dose is divided into a morning dose of 12 peanuts and an evening dose of 12.
The dosing rules state that there must be a 9-15 hour time span between each dose.

When we began the peanut allergy treatment our does was 1/1000th of a whole peanut.
A few weeks ago he reached the milestone dose of 8 Peanuts which is is 2000 mg of peanut protein.

The oral immunotherapy treatment has progressed very smoothly. Alexander's dose has increased each week barring one incident.
Alexander has experienced NO ALLERGIC REACTIONS to his treatment!

The chart below outlines his recent progress.
Date Dose Amount Frequency Total Peanuts per 24 Hours
Jan 27 1 Peanut Twice per day 2
Feb 3 2 Peanuts Twice per day 4
Feb 10 3 Peanuts Twice per day 6
Feb 17 4 Peanuts Twice per day 8

MILESTONE 1
Feb 24 5 Peanuts Twice per day 10
At this point he was given the option to eat Peanut Butter.
5 whole peanuts were equivalent to 1 teaspoon of Jif brand Peanut Butter or Santa Cruz brand Organic Peanut Butter. Different brands contain different protein amounts. Dr. Wasserman's staff researched this fact and listed the above mentioned brands as acceptable.
Formula-
If the label reads: 2T - 8 grams protein, then 1 teaspoon of peanut butter = 5.33 peanuts
If the label reads: 2T - 7 grams protein, then 1 teaspoon of peanut butter = 4.67 peanuts

Mar 7   6 Peanuts Twice per day 12
Mar 14 7 Peanuts Twice per day 14

MILESTONE 2
Mar 21 8 Peanuts Twice per day 16
This is an important amount about which I will write another post
Next there is a jump in the number of peanuts

Mar 28   10 Peanuts Twice per day 20
Apr 5   12 Peanuts Twice per day 24

How much Peanut Butter would 12 peanuts be equivalent to?
12 peanuts = 1 T of Peanut Butter (give or take a little)

My son is being a very good sport although he does wish he could quit.
The taste of peanuts is truly repugnant to Alexander. He takes a very very long time to eat his peanut dose. In the mornings he "hems and haws" so longs that we often barely make it to school before the tardy bell rings. Yikes!

You'd think he would get used to the routine or the taste;however, you would be sadly mistaken. It takes ever ounce of willpower for him to choke down these peanuts.
Just think of it this way.
What food do you truly hate - cannot stand- loathe- choke when you eat?
Imagine eating that dreaded and hated food twice per day. Yep- now you get the idea of what it is like.
I am very proud of Alexander.
I am ever thankful to God for protecting Alexander all these years from a serious peanut allergy reaction and providing a way for healing.

Later this week I will write a post on the next phase of treatment. A big day is upon us.
More later....

Lupine Allergy. A Danger for the Peanut Allergic traveling To Europe

2011-03-19T14:16:00.027-05:00

Lupine allergy and peanut allergy- is there a link?
On my page "Where Is the Peanut Hiding?" I list items that pose a hidden danger to people allergic to peanuts. A rather obscure food called Lupin is quickly becoming a more commonly used ingredient and food, especially in Europe and the Mediterranean region.
(also Australia, USA, Canada, South America,)
WARNING- Unfortunately many peanut allergic individuals can have an allergic reaction to lupin.

What is Lupin?
Lupinus, commonly called lupine in the U.S. or lupin in Europe and Australia, is a common garden plant genus in the legume family, related to legumes such as peanuts,lentils,beans and peas. There are many different types of lupin. The majority of lupin is used for animal feed. "Sweet lupine" varieties are used in foods.

Some lupin varieties produce seeds which are used in foods.
Lupin seed are high in protein and have the full range of essential amino acids.

Lupin in Food
Lupin Flour
In many mainland European countries, particularly Italy and France, lupin flour and /or peanut flour may be mixed with Wheat flour in baked goods and pasta. Common uses include bread, pizza, pasta, cookies, cereals, gluten-free products, biscuits, onion rings, tomato sauce, chicken bouillon cubes

Soy Alternative

Lupin seeds are being recognized as a cheaper alternative to soy, becoming a more popular replacement for soy in recipes and other products.

Fat Replacement in Food

Lupine may be added to food as a fat replacement. (U.S. manufacturers will love this). Researchers in Europe have found new uses for Lupin in low-fat products.

Think low-fat sausage, low-fat ice cream, cream cheese and low-fat baked goods.

Lupini Beans

In the Mediterranean the yellow legume seed of lupins are called lupini beans.
Popular since Roman times, these beans are often soaked in brine and sold in jars like pickles. They are often eaten as a snack. Cento, an Italian manufacturer sells jars of Lupini Beans. You can find them right here in the United States. Lupini Beans are very popular in Italy
- of course that is where we will be traveling with our peanut allergic son this summer.
You can buy a paper cone of lupini beans from a street vendor in Rome.

Lupini Beans are popular as appetizers in many countries including Egypt, Syria. Called "altramuz" in Spain and Argentina and in Italy and Portugal called "tremoços"

Tremocos or Lupini Beans

Lebanon call "termos". Turkey and Egypt call "tirmis".

Tirmis sold by street vendor in Egypt

Restaurants
Lupini Beans are incorporated into foods served in restaurants in many countries.
They are used in Soups, Stews, Salads, and Entrees plus Hummus where lupine beans can replace chick peas.
Germany

Newly bred variants of "sweet lupins" are widely grown in Germany. The seeds are used in sausages, lupi-tofu and lupin flour.

Gluten-Free Products

Although mostly unknown by American consumers, lupin is used in the U.S. in many gluten-free and high-protein products. It is not widely used in the U.K.

Lupin Fiber used in South America
Extracted from the grain shell of lupin and used in South American for cereal bars,sausages,bakery products, food supplements and extruded products

Lupin may cause an allergic reaction if you have a peanut allergy ranging from Hives to anaphylactic reactions.

TRAVELING TO EUROPE-
We are traveling to Italy and France this summer. What should I do in order to protect my son?
We do not know if he is allergic to lupin. I feel I should have him tested, but "where o where" will I ever find the so far obscure lupini bean in the U.S. much less in Texas. Seriously!
I went into "protective parent" mode and did my research to find lupini beans locally. I felt in had seen them somewhere....I had the picture of a jar in my head.
YES- success! Central Market, to their surprise, carries them. I will hop in the car today to purchase them.
Food labeling rules in the EU require pre-packed food sold in the UK or the rest of the European Union (EU) to show clearly on the label if a product contains lupin (or if one of its ingredients contains it). Lupin has been approved for use in bread flour in Europe since 1997.
Thus I think we will be able to avoid the danger of "packaged food" by reading the labels.

If Alexander proves to be allergic to lupin, the big problem for us will probably be restaurant food and their use of lupini beans or lupin containing foods such a bread and pasta. Even tomato sauce can contain lupine flour. Ugh!

Plan of Action?
1) See if our allergist can test our son for an allergy to lupine.
2) See if the jarred of lupini beans will work or if I have to source the raw beans. I have read online about the difficulty in soaking and cooking these beans so I do hope I won't have to be "chef mom".
3) Order Select Wisely food allergy translation cards for use on our European holiday.

HELP -I have many Europeans who read this blog. I need your help. If you know of foods that contain lupine please tell me using the Comment box below.
Thank you so very much- Julie

Sources http://www.lupins.org/lupins/
Food Standards Agency http://www.food.gov.uk/ , http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2010-2011/13/low-fat-lupin-proteins.jsp, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.200900365/abstract
http://www.vilher.com.mx/en/productos.php?categoria_id=6&producto_id=53
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/lupine.html

Life Threatening Food Allergies-This video could save a life. Carry an EPIPEN

2011-03-14T13:48:00.000-05:00

So many people do not take food allergies seriously. Although food labeling laws in the U.S. have improved accidental exposure and ingestion of life-threatening foods is common.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers
to list the 8 most common ingredients that trigger food allergies. Most other developed countries have similar rules.
The 8 foods, listed below, account for 90% of allergic reactions.
Milk
Eggs
Peanuts
Tree Nuts such as almonds,cashews,pecans, walnuts)
Fish
Shellfish (especially crustaceans)
Soy
Wheat

The deadliest food allergy is to PEANUTS. It is the most common cause of anaphylaxis death in the United States.
(see my list Where is the Peanut Hiding)

What is anaphylaxis?

According to Web MD anaphylaxis refers to a rapidly developing and serious allergic reactions that affects a number of different areas of the body at one time.

It can occur after eating only a tiny amount of an allergic food.

The reaction could start with itchy gums or tingling lips, watery eyes, zoning out, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, hives or it can be delayed, slower with the person experience the feeling of "impending doom". (not sure how to describe this one).

In the future I will write a more extensive post on experiencing anaphylaxis.

Severe anaphylactic reactions can be fatal.

Those who have a severe peanut allergy are at risk of having a life-threatening reaction and should strictly avoid peanuts and carry an EpiPen epinephrine auto injector at all times according to multiple web sources as well as allergists.
My teenage son is allergic to peanuts. Our family policy is to carry 2 EpiPen's.
Those are the instructions for my son to adhere to although he loathes carrying an EpiPen and has forgotten to carry one more often than I can remember.
Why carry 2?
You may need a 2nd dose,often after 20 minutes or less. (Video link @ end of post)

Thank goodness there is hope for those with Peanut, Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies.

A new TREATMENT is now available.
My son, Alexander is currently being treated successfully.
As of the date of this post he is EATING 12 Peanut Per Day. This is his dosing amount as part of his peanut allergy Treatment Program.

So many precious children and adults have died from a severe allergic reaction to food. It breaks my heart. That is why I am writing this blog.
I want to get the word out about this new treatment program to everyone, along with all this other food allergy information I can post.

Please send a link to our blog Just A Little Peanut. Pass along to as many people as you can think of

because

you don't know who your friends may know with life-threatening food allergies. Think outside the box. The information is useful to people worldwide.
I know of one family planning to move from India to Dallas so their daughter can be treated for her peanut allergy.

Alexander's story and Treatment program is detailed in my blog.
Click here to go to my Home page where you can perform a search using the word Alexander or click on the titles below for a few of the posts.
Countdown to the BIg Day , Treatment Day 1, Peanut Allergy Treatment #3 and #4, Countdown to 1 Whole Peanut, Dose Delayed, Allergic Teen EATS a PEANUT

Remember you could save a life. Please pass this post via FB, Twitter
Too many people have died due to food allergy to peanuts, tree nuts and other life-threatening food allergies.

Click here to watch a VIDEO on HOW TO USE AN EPIPEN .

Sources- Mayo Clinic , EpiPen, AllergicChild

Food Allergies Can Be DEADLY- Make A DIFFERENCE During Food Allergy Awareness Week

2011-03-10T14:39:00.004-06:00

Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW) is coming May 8-14, 2011. There are many things each of us can do to promote awareness of food allergies. Click on the link above to read all about it.
You can also follow us on twitter http://www.twitter.com/PeanutBlog

You can have an impact. Request a proclamation from your state governor. Texas is the only state so far to formally recognize FAAW this year. You can "Like" FAAN on Facebook.
You could contact local media with this press release from FAAN.
There are lots of ideas on their website. Below is their cute new video for FAAW.
Why is this important to me?
My son has a severe peanut allergy. The good news is he is being TREATED with success using oral immunotherapy. We began treatment in December 2010 and as of this week he is eating 12 peanuts a day. Click here to read an explanation. Also treated are Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies.

MILK ALLERGY TREATMENT NOW AVAILABLE

2011-03-07T12:13:00.003-06:00

Milk Allergy Treatment is now Available. Read one mother's story.
On December 2,2010 Ann Pask and her son Eric began a new treatment, oral immunotherapy, for Eric's severe MILK Allergy. My son Alexander began treatment for his life threatening PEANUT Allergy at the same time. Click here to view my post regarding Treatment Day 1. You van follow us on twitter
www.twitter.com/PeanutBlog

Ann is my first guest contributor. Here is her story, thus far.

Julie:
Well, the sleet is pelting down on the skylight in our master bathroom, and I can’t sleep. So, thought I’d spend a few minutes thinking about milk allergies! So, here goes!
-Ann

MILK ALLERGIES

My 10-year-old son, Eric, has life-threatening food allergies to milk, eggs, fish and shellfish. Prior to his birth, I was blissfully unaware of the impact food allergies could have on a child and the family. My daughter Rachel, now 13, thankfully does not have any food allergies. I remember cautiously giving her peanut butter as a toddler, and asking her Mother’s Day Out teacher if any child had a peanut allergy before packing a PB&J. I also remember the joy of eating ice cream and pizza with her (now forbidden foods), and even the first time she ate mussels when she was about 18 months old. Then along came my son.

MILK DESENSITIZATION

According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, about 80 percent of children outgrow milk allergy by age 16. But my son’s blood test scores increased every year, and we feared he might be in the minority that didn’t outgrow the allergy. I would have dreams (nightmares really) that I had to bake his milk-free, egg-free wedding cake! That’s why we chose to try milk desensitization. Eric has been the only child in school who can’t eat pizza for so long, and I want him to at least be able to eat pizza in high school or college!

We began his milk desensitization on December 2, 2010. It started with an 8-hour day at the allergist’s office. There were 3 boys starting desensitization that day. Eric was starting milk, a 15-year-old boy was starting peanut, and a 17-year-old boy was starting egg. They had name tags that read “milk,” “egg,” and “peanut,” which I found humorous!
Over the course of the day, Eric ingested minute amounts of cow’s milk in a solution of 1 part milk and 29 parts water. They boys received their “dose” every 15 minutes, until 26 total doses were given. I’m not sure how much milk he actually got by the end of the day, but I know it wasn’t much. But thankfully, he did not have a reaction. At one point, he got nervous so we slowed down a little bit, but overall it went very smoothly.

Since that initial day, we have gone back to the allergist once a week to increase the dose. The first several weeks, he drank the water/milk solution. But by the 6th week, I was asked to purchase straight whole organic cow’s milk — something I thought I would never do for my son! He was given 1 milliliter of cow’s milk, and all went smoothly. The dose increases have gone as follows: 1 ml, 2 ml, 3 ml, 4 ml, 6 ml, and we just started 8 ml (about 1 1/2 teaspoon). We have had a couple of incidents, but not too serious. The first reaction occurred just a couple of weeks into the desensitization. I gave him the cow’s milk, and about 2 minutes later he started sneezing uncontrollably. I told the doctor he looked like I would in a room full of cats! He never had trouble breathing, but he was miserable with constant sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, etc. I watched him very closely, and after about 1 1/2 hours I could tell he was starting to get better. Thankfully, that has not happened again. And recently about 30 minutes after his morning milk dose, he felt nauseous. I had to take him to school, so I asked the nurse to check on him, and after an hour he was fine. Apparently, nausea is not uncommon.
We are thankful to be proceeding so smoothly. If all goes well, he will be up to 240 (about 8 ounces) of milk by June.
I have asked the school principal if we could have a pizza and ice cream party for his grade, and of course she said yes!
I’m saying a prayer it works, and keeping my fingers crossed too!
-Author, Ann Pask

Read more about this new Milk Allergy Treatment below.
Our son Alexander and Eric Pask continue to be successfully treated for their respective food allergies at Dallas Allergy Immunology (DAI).
Alexander is now eating 12 Peanuts per day as part of the treatment.
Eric Pask is ingesting 9 teaspoons of milk.

UPDATE-December 2012.
Both Alexander (for peanut Alletgy) and Eric (for Milk Allergy) have successfully completed treatment and are "desensitized" to their allergies. Check out
the rest of my Blog for more information.

Many more patients have now been successfully treated for their Milk Allergy since the original publishing if this post.
The treatment is WORKING!!

DAI also treats Egg,Wheat,Soy and other Nut allergies (2012).
The following except printed in green is from the original post of this story.
As per DAI website the DAI website.

DallasAllergyImmunology is pleased to announce a new oral immunotherapy program that provides a long-term solution for wheat, egg, peanut and milk allergic patients. At the end of this 5-6 month program patients with wheat, egg, peanut or milk allergy will be able to consume these foods with no allergic reactions. The program introduces minute doses of wheat, egg, peanut or milk in solution over a period of three to four months. The program then progresses to small doses of the whole food for an additional two to three months, resulting in tolerance to these foods allowing the children to consume wheat, eggs, peanuts and/or milk without any adverse reactions.
We have a number of children who have graduated from the program and are now eating eggs, and peanuts or drinking milk without reactions. This program is designed for a child of school age or older who will be old enough to understand the reasons for participating and be actively engaged in the process.

Food Allergies, Clinical Trials & Peanut Allergy Treatment. Video of Interview on NBC New York Nightly News with Dr. Scott Sicherer

2011-03-03T16:56:00.003-06:00

1 in 25 children in the United States have a food allergy according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Watch an interview below by Chuck Scarborough NBC news anchor, of Dr. Scott Sicherer and Judy Slotkin. Dr. Sicherer is the Chief of the Division on Allergy and Immunology in the Department of Pediatrics at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute which is part of Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He is also a clinician and clinical researcher in the Jaffe Institute. Judy Slotkin is amother of 2 food allergic children and wife of FAI Chairman, Todd Slotkin.

Dr. Sicherer talks about food allergies and clinical trials. The Jaffe Food Allergy Institute e was established in 1997. Their pioneering work in every area of food-allergic disorders is cutting-edge. The Institute is directed by Hugh A. Sampson,M.D., who is recognized internationally for his work in the field of food allergy.

Mrs. Slotkin discusses her experiences with food allergies and the work of FAI (The Food Allergy Initiative). Her twins are participating in a food allergy clinical trial at Mount Sinai.

Peanut Allergy- Life Threatening- My son,Alexander,is receiving full Treatment for his peanut allergy as opposed to a clinical trial. Clinical trials are vital and lead to the types of advances in care and treatment such as the new treatment my son is receiving.

As part of his treatment my son is currently EATING 10 peanuts a day with no adverse reaction.
His initial dose was 1/1000 of a peanut. Click here to read about the first day then click here to read Peanut Allergic Teen Easts A Whole Peanut.

FAI is a fantastic organization that raises funds for research into food allergies.
To learn about FAI's efforts to find a cure, visit Helpful LInks section on the right side of my blog Just A Little Peanut.
Look for Food Allergy Initiative.

I hope my post is helpful to you- Julie Brice Beiersdorf

Breakthrough Treatment for Peanut Allergies. Oral desensitization. Interview with Dr.Wasserman.

2011-03-03T16:30:00.005-06:00

My son is being treated by Dr. Wasserman for his severe peanut allergy. This is not a clinical trial or study. It is real treatment using oral immunotherapy (oral desensitization.)
The treatment began Dec 2,2010. To read about the full day treatment on Day 1 click here.
This breakthrough Treatment is also offered for Milk, Egg & Wheat allergies.

The treatment has been a great success thus far. After only 13 weeks my teenage son Alexander is eating 10 peanuts per day as his current dose under this program. He has had no adverse reactions.
Can you imagine. A peanut allergic child eating this many peanuts!
It is a miracle.

After Alexander completes the initial desensitizing phase and passes a "peanut challenge" he will be on a "maintenance" dose for 3 years (under the current protocol which may change).
My husband has asked me if our sons peanut allergy will be "cured" as a result of this treatment.
Dr.Wasserman does not yet know if the treatment will result in a total "cure".
Until science proves otherwise, I suspect Alexander will be on some form of a "peanut maintenance dose" beyond the required 3 years. This s OK with me. Our family is so thankful Alexander will have a high level of protection from a serious allergic reaction to peanuts.
Why don't we just avoid peanuts?
Peanuts allergies are often serious and accidental ingestion due to cross-contamination with others foods is a constant danger. Peanuts hide, undetected in all sorts of foods.
For a list click here.

Per Dr. Wasserman in a recent interview
"The goal of desensitization is a more normal life, markedly decreasing the risk of a reaction and enhancing normal social development and family life."

When asked if patients can be considered "cured" with the treatment offered by his practice Dallas Allergy Immunology he stated,
"No. I would consider desensitization an ongoing treatment. We don't yet know if this will result in a remission (i.e., that would be when we stop maintenance doses and allow occasional, random exposure to the food)."

Click here to read the full interview. http://www.allergymoms.com is a wonderful website to explore.
Gina Clowes performs a great service in this area.

I want to thank all the researchers,doctors,medical staff snd hospitals who have worked for a cure and treatment for food allergies. Above all I wanted to thank God Almighty.

Food Allergies Increasing Among Children

2011-03-02T00:53:00.000-06:00

How common are food allergies in U.S. children?

According to new data published by the National Center for Health Statistics division of the Center for Disease Control (CDC),

1 out of every 25 children has a food allergy in the U.S., representing about a 20% increase between 1997 to 2007.

The study also showed that hospitalizations of children due to food allergy reactions in the U.S. have significantly increased since 1998, with an average of 9,537 hospitalizations a year.

The CDC study also found that children with a food allergy are more likely to have asthma or other allergic conditions.

I always thought there was a link between my children's food allergies and their asthma. My mother's instinct is proven.

This is very disturbing data but there is hope.

Treatment for Peanut, Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies is now available.

Click here to read more posts about treatment.

My son is currently being successfully treated for his peanut allergy.

Click here to read an article on the CDC data published by the The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network ( FAAN)

Click here To view a complete copy of the CDC study.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Are FOOD ALLERGIES CONSIDERED DISABILITIES under the American's with Disabilities Act

2011-02-28T09:04:00.003-06:00

Are food allergies considered "disabilities" by law under the American's With Disabilities Act? (ADA).
YES.
The following is the current text of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), including changes made by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-325), which became effective on January 1, 2009.

Sec. 12102. Definition of disability

As used in this chapter:

(1) Disability

The term "disability" means, with respect to an individual;

(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual

(B) a record of such an impairment; or

(C) being regarded as having such an impairment (as described in paragraph (3)

To learn more about the ADA, click here to visit the ADA website. To read the current version of the ADA click here. Note- it is very long and detailed.

Here is an excerpt from an article published by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) that addresses this important question.
"a person with a disability is described as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, or is regarded as having such impairments.
Breathing, eating, working and going to school are "major life activities." Asthma and allergies are still considered disabilities under the ADA, even if symptoms are controlled by medication."

Click here to read the AAFA article which was updated in 1995.

To read more about Treatment for Peanut, Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies click here
for my posts on Just A Little Peanut- food allergy blog.

Precise Dose for Peanut Allergy Treatment- Oral Immunotherapy

2011-02-23T16:39:00.003-06:00

Now that Alexander's peanut allergy treatment has progressed he is having his peanut dose increased each week.

Date Dose Amount Frequency Total Peanuts per 24 Hours
Jan 27 1 Peanut Twice per day 2
Feb 3 2 Peanuts Twice per day 4
Feb 10 3 Peanuts Twice per day 6

Feb 17 4 Peanuts Twice per day 8
Feb 24 5 Peanuts Twice per day 10

I need to shell more peanuts
Why does Dr. Wasserman required to buy in-shell peanuts and shell them myself?
He is being cautious. Unfortunately, Alexander may be allergic to Almonds so we must avoid possible cross-contamination in processed peanuts.
Click here to see my post "Shucking Peanuts for Alexander's Big Day".
Alexander's dosing amount is very precise! Each peanut must an an average size peanut. Not too big and not too small.
To obtain an average sized peanut from an in-shell peanut is hard to accomplish. This morning my son requested I provide new peanuts because only large peanuts remain from the first batch I shelled.
We are so thankful that due to the peanut allergy immunotherapy treatment our son is able to actually Eat Peanuts safely!
I will happily shell the peanuts for him.
As I set about the task again, I experience the same issue that occurred the last time I shelled peanuts. The first few peanuts split in half. I shell a few more and their size is too large.

In an odd sort of way I now have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde relationship with peanuts.
They scare me but I need them. Shelling these peanuts is like panning for gold.
If a peanut pops out of the shell and falls into the sack of peanut shells then I have to sift through the shells and peanut debris to find the golden nugget, a whole peanut.

Once I dropped a perfect peanut specimen into the sink. Ugh! I thought about saving it.
I wiped it off carefully but I came to my senses thinking "what has been in that sink?"
Yes, I tossed it into the trash.
So what is my shelling "success rate"? Curious, I decided to calculate the yield from my harvesting of the in-shell peanuts. Here are the details-
1) I shelled in batches of 10 in-shell peanuts. Each peanut containing 2 shelled peanuts for a total possible yield of 20 peanuts per batch.
2) I shelled 7 batches for a total possible yield of 140 peanuts.
3) My harvest averaged 7.28 peanuts that were perfectly whole and average in size
out of 20.
4) Rate of success in obtaining "perfect peanuts" only 36%.
At this rate I will be doing a lot of shelling.

I thought perhaps the quality of the in-shell peanuts I purchased was inferior in some way.
The shells are hard to crack, the peanut dust flies everywhere and the peanuts break apart.
At Dr. Wasserman's today I shared my story with another Mom of a peanut allergic child. She tried shelling peanuts. Same issues. Then she bought peanuts from a different source, Albertson's Grocery store in Dallas and the shelling experience was better.
So I will be heading to Albertson's.

After 2 hours of work my "Total Harvest" was only 88 Average Size Whole Peanuts,
32 unusable Extra Large Peanuts and a Jar Full of Half Peanuts also not useable, or so I thought.

Alexander's dose was recently increased 4 Whole Peanuts per dose for a daily total of 8 Whole Peanuts. The next dose will be 5 peanuts per dose or 10 total per day.
My peanut supply will not last long.
I have a plan to solve the challenge. I will conduct a science experiment to determine the average weight in grams of an average size shelled peanut.
Watch for that post. The results will save you a lot of time if you need to shell peanuts as part of a peanut allergy treatment program.

I am so thankful that Alexander's peanut allergy treatment is proceeding so well.

Low-Allergy Peanut Being Developed in United States

2011-02-22T01:30:00.001-06:00

Here is a novel approach. A low-allergy peanut is being developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Researchers are working to develop a new breed of peanut. The properties 900 different peanut strains of peanuts have been examined as part of the process. Whew!
Good news. The new peanut is not genetically modified. It is produced through traditional cross-breeding.

Why develop this new low-allergy peanut?
Here is an excerpt from a Time Magazine article-

"Researchers are hopeful that a low allergy peanut could be incorporated into allergy treatment programs aimed at building patients' resistance, and could potentially help eliminate the cross-contamination issues on manufacturing production lines and during food preparation in restaurant kitchens."

Perhaps in a future generation growing up eating "low-allergy peanuts" we would see a reduced incidence of peanut allergy. Who knows?

For people already allergic to peanuts it seems logical that a low-allergy peanut might enable them to consume some low allergy peanut products without a reaction.
I am not a scientist but these possibilities make common sense to me.

According to the Time article the target for public availability of a low-allergy peanut is 2-5 years.
I think this is a great idea. I hope it is successful.

The peanut oral desensitization treatment our son Alexander is currently receiving for his peanut allergy is a real breakthrough for those allergic to peanuts.
Currently treatment is offered in only a handful places in the United States.
It is proceeding very well thus far.

Alexander started treatment on December 12, 2010. He is now consuming 8 peanuts per day as his "dose". His dose increases each week.
More details are available in other posts on my blog.

Click here to read my post "Peanut Allergy Treatment Day 1"

Click here to read Time Magazine article published in June 2010 "Designing a low-allergy peanut?"
Click here to read an article from BBC Health News on the low-allergy peanut

PEANUT,MILK, EGG ALLERGY TREATMENT EXPLAINED

2011-02-16T21:16:00.006-06:00

Our son Alexander is being treated for his peanut allergy as Dallas Allergy Immunology (DAI). The treatment is desensitization using oral immunotherapy. Click here to read "Peanut Allergic Teenager EATS a Peanut".

Treatment is also offered for Milk, Egg and Wheat allergies.
(UPDATE Feb 2012- Soy and Tree Nuts treatment now offered)

To learn more about treatment for these 4 food allergies read the following excerpt printed in green is from the DAI website

DallasAllergyImmunology is pleased to announce a new oral immunotherapy program that provides a long-term solution for wheat, egg, peanut and milk allergic patients. At the end of this 5-6 month program patients with wheat, egg, peanut or milk allergy will be able to consume these foods with no allergic reactions. The program introduces minute doses of wheat, egg, peanut or milk in solution over a period of three to four months. The program then progresses to small doses of the whole food for an additional two to three months, resulting in tolerance to these foods allowing the children to consume wheat, eggs, peanuts and/or milk without any adverse reactions.

We have a number of children who have graduated from the program and are now eating eggs, and peanuts or drinking milk without reactions. This program is designed for a child of school age or older who will be old enough to understand the reasons for participating and be actively engaged in the process.

Click here for detailed information on the Dallas Allergy website.

I will regularly post on this blog -

1) information on Alexander's progress as his continues his Peanut allergy treatment.

2) research on food allergies

3) information on Egg, Milk and Wheat allergies and their treatment

4) relevant news

5) helpful links

6) food allergy news out of Europe and other countries

7) whatever I can think of that may help or be relevant to the subjects mentioned above

Click here to go to our Homepage. Click the FOLLOW button at top of the right section of the blog to keep up with all the news.
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I pray this information is encouraging and helpful to you- Julie Brice Beiersdorf