To test or not to test

That has been the question for months regarding Zander and the slim possibility that he too is allergic to peanuts. During Nick’s last appointment (for seasonal allergies) I talked to the doctor about testing Zander for a peanut allergy before preschool started. He basically said that there is no real evidence that siblings have higher incidences of an allergy, but the decision was up to me. There was also no guarantee that the test would even be accurate because Zander has never been introduced to any peanut based foods. But, I knew in my heart that there was no way I could send him off to preschool not knowing if the first snack he had would send him into anaphylactic shock. I know, it seems a bit dramatic, but these are the things nightmares are made of. So, we decided to have him tested (well, I decided, Mike just went along with me).

Zander did great during the actual test (though he tested my patience every second the doctor was asking about his medical history). He got a sucker …

… five Cars 2 stickers (best doctor stickers ever)

… and a lot of hugs from me!

And here is why … the whole time he was playing I saw this on his back.

According to this test he does not have a peanut allergy. There is still a slim possibility the test produced a false negative (a very slim chance) or that he will develop one in the future, but for now, it looks like  he is in the clear. Our doctor said that at this point our best bet would be to continue to treat him like a PA child or to start giving him regular servings of peanuts or peanut butter products. We are going with option B, in part because he will likely be exposed at school/daycare/a friend’s house and the chances of him developing an allergy are greater if his exposure is sporadic. Looks like we are going to have to have regular clandestine peanut butter cup rendezvous in the bedroom at least once a week. I won’t complain.

Oh, and of course Ben was along for the ride. Thankfully he stayed sleeping and tucked into his chair for the whole visit.