Scratch testing for walnut, peanut, almond, cashew,
pinenut, and a control.
Peanuts beginning to react... one of the most uncomfortable
things ever, and so itchy.
Trying to distract myself with Tumblr, as usual.
Transferring the ink outlines (drawn around each reaction)
on my back to paper as proof of what I reacted to.
Blood draw! So fun.
0.1 milligrams of mystery nut flour, mixed into applesauce
My first double blind challenge began after the staff compared which allergens I was most topically sensitive to previous blood work results. As we could predict from my life thus far, peanuts were the most reactive. Though I had never had a real problem with other tree nuts, because cashews are close in their genetic makeup to peanuts, Dr. Nadeau and her team decided to add cashews to my therapy as well.
The term "double blind" means that neither the doctors, nurses or the patients know exactly which nut flour I'll be eating on that particular day. The lab technician prepares a concoction consisting of rice flour and whichever nut flour I'll be tested for mixed into either chocolate pudding or apple sauce. Rumor had it the apple sauce masked the taste better, so I opted for that.
Before I can actually start the desensitization therapy, I have to go through three of these double blind challenges. One for peanuts, one for cashews, and one placebo (in which I'll just be ingesting rice flour). This is to eliminate any possible psychological reaction to knowing what I'm eating. The double blinds will help set my initial threshold level, or the minimum amount of nut flour I can eat before I have a reaction. Later when the desensitization therapy begins, this is the dose on which I will start to build my tolerance. Doctors started with 0.1 milligram, increased to 1.6 milligrams after 15 minutes when they were sure I was not reacting, and then moved to 6 milligrams after another 30 minutes.
Shortly after my third dose however, I started feeling not so great. It wasn't exactly sharp pains in my stomach, but I was just uncomfortable. The doctors noticed a change in my complexion as well, and that was when they halted the challenge. I was given Zyrtec and Pepcid, both antihistamines to make sure the reaction didn't escalate. After being kept for observation for another couple of hours, I finally went home after a 6 hour day at Stanford Hospital.
If I had to guess, I would say that this challenge was probably peanuts. Everybody will be "unblinded" after the third challenge, so we'll see if I'm right.
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