The big 5-0

Nope, this isn't a post about how old I feel because I've been going to Dallas almost weekly for a over a year.  5-0 will be the number of our next allergist visit in Dallas.  50 appointments in about 18 months.  Wow.

Visit number 48-- eight peanuts and hazelnuts, plus a little math homework!

Visit number 49.  10 peanuts and hazelnuts, and you guessed it,
more math homework!

I joked with the staff last week that there should be a punch card-- every 50th visit should definitely be FREE!!! Alas, there is no punch card, but there is something better coming.  Our 50th visit will be our FINAL updose.  Brendan will eat 12 peanut and 12 hazelnuts, and the very next week, he will challenge both nuts by eating 24 of each.  If he passes, we are DONE with OIT!!!  I can't even believe we are almost there.  Brendan has come such a long way in the past 18 months.  18 months ago, his body hated egg, peanut, and hazelnut-- plus we were avoiding almost all other tree nuts for good measure.  Today, we ate at a random donut shop for breakfast.

They tasted as good as they looked.

There was also this ridiculousness a few weeks ago.  Livin' the life.

Just wow.  He had a mint from Sonic last night.  No label, just a little wrapped peppermint.  Most of you wouldn't think twice about it, but Brendan could never have those before.  Without a label to read, we were unsure whether it was processed in a facility with nuts, so those little mints were always off limits.

It was teacher car hop night at Sonic last night.
Did we ask a single question about the food?!  Nope.  Not one.

There are a thousand little ways that Brendan's life has already changed because of OIT.  Did I mention that he's buying his lunch at school today?

In two weeks, he will have completed OIT, and he will have complete FREEDOM to eat whatever he wants!  He can walk into a restaurant and order ANYTHING off the menu, no questions asked.  He can head into a convenience store and buy whatever snack his little heart desires.  No more questions at church potlucks.

Yep, that's random food from a church swim party last week.
Oh, and two sweet boys, also!

No more bringing his own cupcake to birthday parties.  No more freaking out when a teacher uses food for a science experiment or class project.  We are so close.  Two more trips to Dallas to clinch Brendan's freedom.  We may be travel weary, but we are not worn down.  Bring. It. On.