BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – A story we first brought you earlier this month is generating a lot of questions.
We told you about a local teen whose severe peanut allergies are currently being treated through a new process called oral immunotherapy.
Next week marks a day the Newman family never expected it would see: the day 14-year-old Abigail eats her first whole peanut.
"I thought, 'We have been avoiding this for 12 years and I can't even imagine her eating this,'" says her mom, Shannon.
But it's a day that's now almost here, as the teen reaches the midway point in her oral immunotherapy treatment.
We checked in with her doctor in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the closest of about 100 allergists in the entire nation that offer OIT.
One of the biggest questions we got after the original story on Abigail aired is whether the treatment is covered by insurance. It is. Dr. David Fitzhugh, with Allergy Partners of Chapel Hill, says because so much of the treatment takes place at home, the appointments every other week are typically covered. However, he says they are subject to the standard deductibles and copays.
We also found OIT is not just for people who are allergic to peanuts. It can also be used to treat wheat, egg, tree nut and milk allergies. It tends to work best for children and young adults.
"We start out at a low dose of these food allergens and just very gradually build up," says Fitzhugh. "In the case of peanuts, it takes the better part of a year to get to the state of what we call desensitization."
Once that year is up, patients are put to the test. When her therapy is complete, Abigail will eat 27 peanuts in one sitting to make sure she's been desensitized to her allergy. After that, she'll continue eating either eight peanuts or about 1.5 teaspoons of peanut butter a day to make sure she stays desensitized.
Fitzhugh says he typically sees two kinds of patients: those who have been having frequent reactions and patients like Abigail, whose entire life-- from play dates to vacations and even eating out-- has revolved around the potentially deadly allergy.
"One of my friends, anytime she has peanuts she eats them at another table or in another room," says Abigail. "Then she goes and washes her hands, washes her mouth and all of that. Then she comes back and sits with me."
"Helping to reduce the psychosocial anxiety that surrounds this food allergy is probably almost as important as the medical benefit," says Fitzhugh.
It's a social anxiety that's one step closer to becoming a worry of the past for Abigail and her family.