newbie here

Welcome Stephanie!
My name is Ann and I have a 17 month old son with a severe peanut allergy. He was diagnosed just a few weeks ago, so I am relatively new to this world too.

Thanks for the welcome Ann. I wish you the very best on this journey. From what I've gathered, when you find out at the younger ages there is a better chance of outgrowing the PA provided you can prevent further exposure. Godspeed to ya!
Stephanie

Is that true about there being some chance it can be outgrown?

our allergy dr says that there is a 20 % chance of out growing a pa. 60 % for dairy

our allergist and a recent study said that if your child is under 4 and has an IGE level <5, they have a 50% chance of outgrowing. I'll take 1 out of 2 over 1 out of 5!!! It's still not likely I guess, but I definitely have hope! My son is 20 months olds and when diagnosed at 16 months his level was .83. We are doing everything in our limited power to not expose him to nuts AT ALL in hopes that he'll outgrow it.

Welcome Stephanie I have a 8 yr old Pa/ta son and 2 other kids, one 5 who we do not tink is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts due to a negative rast and one who is only 3, no testing yet.

According to our allergist and the research I have read, statistically there is a 20% chance to outgrow a peanut allergy. I have also heard that if your RAST for peanut specific ige is less than 5 than you have a 50% chance. However, my son's RAST at 16 months was 42. I was told that miracles do happen, and technically he still has a 20% chance to outgrow, but not to count on it. Personally, I do believe in miracles :> ).

Hi and welcome to the boards. I have always found this site very informative and the people very willing to help. My dd was diagnosed at ten months with over .100+ on the rast. We have remained contact free for seven years, she will be eight in April. When we re-tested her a year ago she still remained over 100 so unfortunately I don't agree that you will outgrow the allergy with no exposure. I have read that under 10 there is a high chance to outgrow it but that over 10 it was highly unlikely. I'm sorry I don't mean to be the dark cloud but that is just what I have been told by our allergist and read in various articles.

Hi,
I'm in my 30s and have been tested 3 times in my life...the most recent about 10 years ago. No change. I am PA and TNA. My current and previous allergists both said that this is a lifelong thing.
I can imagine that it's difficult being a parent, but take heart that many of us have survived well into adulthood. It is definitely doable and there are great benefits like:
* A great excuse to not kiss a boy you don't really like that much -- "I don't know if what you ate today is safe for me."
* Specially-made dinners at functions like weddings, company dinners, etc. because the buffet or event meal is "risky" (I have had so many people tell me they were going to tell people they had a peanut and tree nut allergy next time so they'd get a good dinner and not rubbery chicken)
* A built-in "diet". When you are scared to eat out, you tend not to eat as unhealthily.
* An interesting story to tell. Really, there still are so many people who just can't believe that a fraction of a peanut can kill someone.
* An acceptable excuse not to eat something you don't really want to, like Aunt Betty's exotic casserole -- "No, thanks. It might have peanuts or nuts in it. I don't want to risk it." [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img]
My biggest life-saving tips:
* Never ever eat any food with your hands without washing your hands.
* Never ever eat any food unless you feel comfortable that it really is safe...even if it means saying no to Grandma, an aunt, or a best friend. Go with that "spidey-sense".
* Alway read labels before you eat something, even if you've eaten it before. Things might have changed.
* Get over being cool and embrace that you are different...and that's ok. Nothing is more important than living.
* Don't make a big deal about it. Take care of yourself as much as possible by eating and/or bringing your own food. People respect that, but they don't respect people who "demand" you change everything to keep them safe. It's not up to everyone else to keep you safe all the time; you have to keep yourself safe.
Kyla

Kyla,
As a parent of two girls with pa/tna (still waiting to find out about our baby boy...)I always appreciate hearing from adults who have lived this, a few more adults here have eased my mind on several occasions. I think I will print your post for a later time when my girls can get the benefits of your experience and your great sense of humor! Thanks.
Cheers, Gilli