Home Dosing

Giving Tucker a dose of diluted dairy in the doctor's office, under the watchful eye of the doctor and nurse, is one thing.  Giving him a dose of diluted dairy in my kitchen at home, is quite another.  
The first home dose (the day after our Day 1 appointment) was scary.  We had to make sure we got up by a certain time so Tucker could have his two hour rest period and still be able to do the things we had planned to do that day.  The first challenge was getting him out of bed.  It's summer vacation.  We're off schedule.  We stay up later, sleep in later.  After some coaxing and prodding, he got up.  The next challenge was getting him to eat.  With OIT, it's important to have a meal or a good size snack before dosing.  I've heard many people suggest breads and apple sauce as good food ideas.  Tucker does not like to eat much in the morning.  That first day at home, I kept questioning myself if he was eating enough.  I finally settled on two pieces of bread and half an apple.  I carefully took the glass bottle out of the fridge.  I held the bottle like a bomb about to be detonated.  I took baby steps to the counter and gently set the bottle down.  I measured out the dose and checked it carefully.  Then I had my husband check it.  Then I rechecked it.  Finally, we were ready.  Tucker swallowed the dose down quickly and without any hesitation.  We wrote the time down in our daily log.  We didn't know what to do with ourselves.  Do we stay in the same room and keep our eyes glued to Tucker?  Is it ok for him to sit on the patio outside?  Is his playroom too hot right now?  We finally ended up sitting on the patio outside, talking about the plans for the day and what we want to do this summer.  The family who lives behind us had guests visiting and we were half watching the dad play with his daughter.  After a few minutes, the dad walked over to the hammock my neighbors have set up and quickly jumped on it.  The hammock rocked for a second and swiftly dumped the man out onto the ground.  It was hilarious.  Tucker and I tried to be discreet as we laughed our heads off.  We settled ourselves down and went back to chatting.  I started to relax.  Before long, the rest period was over and Tucker was ready to go out and play.  
 It took a few days but dosing at home began to feel more natural.  It's now a part of our daily routine and we have a system in place.  Tucker knows how important eating before his dose is and every day he asks for the same thing- two pieces of bread and half an apple.  My husband and I know that he doesn't need to be a statue for two hours.  Dr. Silver has assured me that Tucker playing with his toys or going to the library or sitting outside is fine.  Tucker has been surprisingly compliant with this rest period.  For a kid who likes to go, go, go, he keeps things low-key and patiently waits until the rest period is over.  When it's over, I usually catch a glimpse of his back as he runs out the door to hop on his bike or jump on the trampoline.  Because although he's a food allergic boy going through OIT, he's also an eight year old boy on summer vacation.