My journey with OIT started in the fall of 2019, right before COVID hit. For as long as I can remember, I have known about my allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and dairy. I got blood tests often, tracking my immunity to my allergens. However, one day my parents were able to set up a meeting with a local allergist over video call. My allergist explained that my blood work revealed that I could start taking OIT, along with answering any questions I had about the treatment.

After the meeting, my family discussed what we thought about this process and what she had said. The allergist mentioned that this would have to be a long-term commitment, but also the benefits this could have. Ultimately, I decided that this was something that I was interested in.

A few weeks later, my parents had scheduled an appointment at a local allergy clinic, where I would receive my first dose of OIT treatment. There, I was given a tiny bit of powder containing the proteins that I am allergic to. After I ate the powder, I was instructed to wait in the clinic for 2 hours, waiting in case I had a reaction. During the waiting period, I was told to relax and to not raise my heart rate or body temperature. When I didn’t have any reaction, the clinic allowed me to go home. The clinic also sent me home with the powder containing my allergens.

The following day, my parents and I measured out the instructed dosage of the powder, and I ate it after dinner. For the next few weeks, this became the norm, with 2 hours after dinner in which I would rest. After a couple of weeks, we visited the clinic again, during which I was given a slightly larger dose of the powder, and now that was my new regular dose. As the doses increased over time, I was eating more and more of the powder, and we switched to small pieces of actual peanuts, walnuts, and then small teaspoons of milk.

This became normal for me for several years. As I progressed, the updosing became less common and infrequent. I was able to reach a maintenance level at my peak of around 1 whole peanut, 1 butterfly of a walnut, and 2 tablespoons of milk.

What I believe was my biggest accomplishment was how I had gained the ability to eat any amount of butter whenever and even eat a slice of cheese pizza (under supervision). This opened up a whole new list of options for me any time I would eat. Eating out became way easier, not having to change my options as often.

Now I’m currently off of OIT, taking Xolair allergy shots instead. I started taking Xolair as an alternative to OIT around spring of 2026. I prefer Xolair because of the ease of use: only 2 shots every 3 weeks. However, the only reason I was given the opportunity to try Xolair was because of OIT and the effect it had on my allergen immunity. To this day, I’m thankful for the opportunities that taking OIT has allowed me to find.