The Post Grad Scaries

With Halloween on the horizon, I thought I’d talk about something truly spooky: eating your (former) allergen.

Once you graduate from OIT, you’re allowed (in most cases) to eat full servings of your allergen. And yeah, your maintenance dose can feel safe, more like a medication than a food.

But wandering into foreign territory and having a pb&j for lunch or some cheese for a snack, that can feel different.

When I graduated from OIT, just randomly choosing to eat the foods was something I hesitated to do. Even though I trusted the science and trusted my allergist (heck, it’s my DAD!), I still had thoughts like “what if it didn’t work?” and “what if OIT doesn't desensitize against chocolate cream pie?”

So if you feel the same, please accept my virtual hug and assurance that you’ll be ok. Try keeping friends and family who are aware of the situation around while you try “outside of dose” foods, remember to buffer before and rest after, and even let your allergist know about your anxieties. I promise the fear will fade overtime and soon you’ll be heading out to eat with friends without a second thought.