Hello coaches! I have a 5yo with food allergies who’s currently on a peanut desensitization program. She gets daily doses of peanuts (and escalated weekly) that will train her body to not react to her allergens. She’s had 1 anaphylactic episode during the program where we used her Epi pen and went to the hospital. Last night after her dose, she had hives come and go for about 2 hours, and I used a lot of self-coaching to get myself through the experience because fear and worry don’t help me manage her care. Today, I’m going trying to decide if I want to continue the therapy. After her first Epi episode, we decided to continue with the therapy. But after last night, I can see my brain going back and forth on this decision.

UM
C OIT program participation
T I don’t want her to have another reaction and die
F Fear
A I sit in worry and catastrophize
R I don’t make a decision based on the best thing for her – I decide from a place of fear. I’m always going to have the same T with either decision because she could have a reaction from regular life or from OIT and I”m always going to think “I don’t want her to die”.

IM
C OIT program participation
T What’s the best thing for her: increase her exposure to peanuts and learn how to deal with an anaphylactic episode, or get out of the program and avoid all peanuts for the rest of her life?
F
A
R

This is where I get stuck in trying to answer my own question in the T line. It feels like there is a right answer and a wrong answer – and the wrong answer means I’m putting her life at risk. It feels so true that there’s a right answer here! I could use your help to get unstuck and make a decision. Thank you!