When to oral challenge (almonds)

[brownie]

Ok great.  I have blue diamond in the freezer for my oldest who is just PA, but I noticed a tree nut warning.  I was hoping I could buy unshelled and that would make the risk miniscule, esp if walnut x-contam is not a risk.  Where do you find Barney Butter? I see it on Amazon.  Brownie

[CMdeux]

Zinke (?) is (reputedly) another supplier which processes ONLY almonds.

[GoingNuts]

Wonderful brand almonds are safe.

[CMdeux]

Here's what I did for our hazelnut challenge--

1.  obtained in-shell nuts-- from supplier that (mostly) handles only those tree nuts (but also some walnut/almond), but DEFINITELY no peanuts--

2. Washed them in copious amounts of hot water and a single drop of dishsoap  to act as a mild surfactant

3.  Rinsed them in even MORE copious amounts of water

4.  Dried on a cookie sheet in the oven, set at about 150F, for a couple of hours.

5.  Cracked inside a large freezer bag, outside

6.  Ground in a cheap electric coffee grinder.

Obviously, buying safe shelled nuts from a supplier that can assure you about processing is a better option if you have it.

[TwoDDs]

Dr. Wood did not explain this thinking.  He has been pretty tight lipped with me since I shared that I knew he felt ambivalent about the existence of an actual shellfish allergy and asked why he wasn't challenging.  I believe he thinks I am a risk for at home trials.  To be clear, I am NOT. 

I am, however, a risk for switching to an allergist with a shorter wait time for challenges if I can figure out what should be up, but I doubt he feels protective about that.

[brownie]

funny.  There are times I feel more comfortable with an at home challenge.  My complaint is that I don't always think shocking the system with vast amounts of a new food is the best way to go.  They told me to challenge my non-allergic 5 year old at home with peanuts because he had never had any...I sat in the ER parking lot.  They told me to challenge the child in question at home with black beans which initially baffled me because he had vomited, his RAST was never very high, and it was still just barely positive when they gave me the clear.  It took me 2 years to get up the guts to do it.  However, I am glad we have been able to do that one MY way.  1/4 of a bean baked into a brownie for many days, then 1/2 a bean, and finally now we've done 1 full bean.  We will try to keep going with this and so far zero symptoms.  But I am tempted to brush his lip with an almond before the challenge because if we can't get past that, there's no point with all this anxiety and planning and hope.
Brownie