My Allergy Journey, Part IX: Uptown, Updose

 It has been two weeks since my first Oral Immunotherapy Dosing. I’m being treated for Sunflower, Cashew, and Pistachios. A couple of months ago I successfully got “de-allergiesd” to all the other tree nuts, and it was life-changing.

(For those who are only here for the street photos, scroll down.)

But now, it’s time to settle into a new routine.

For the last two weeks I have been taking a minuscule dose of ground sunflower and cashews (cashews and pistachios are very similar; cure one, and you’re cured the other). The dose, which I take at home in the early evening, is around 1/300th of a cashew and 1/300th of a spoonful of sunflower seeds. Today, I had my first “updose.” Two mini spoonfuls of each allergen, a whopping 1/150th of each. 

After having a recommended hi-carb breakfast at Bagels & Co. (York Ave and 76th St) consisting an onion bagel and a schmeer of cream cheese, I arrived early and got my dose. Then, I sat for 90 minutes so the staff could observe me and swing into action if I had a reaction. Fortunately, nothing happened. 

This is the second of 13 steps, every two weeks, of gradually increasing doses of allergens until I can tolerate accidentally eating them. 26 weeks to go (assuming no interruptions due to illness) till “unstoppable”!

And now on to the street photos.