OIT PEER SUPPORT
OIT PEER SUPPORT
for Teens and Tweens
Your Source for Support Along Your Oral Immunotherapy Journey
ABOUT ME
My name is Idan Yedid. I have severe allergies to sesame, peanut, cashew, and pistachio. I have spent my life diligently trying to avoid my allergens, occasionally undergoing scary anaphylactic reactions. My family and I made the significant decision to begin OIT. I first started the process with SLIT (Sublingual Immunotherapy), when I was in 6th grade. I then transitioned to OIT throughout 7th and 8th grades. Now a high schooler, I'm in OIT maintenance for all of my allergens.
Throughout OIT, I was (and still am) engaged in competitive tennis. OIT is very arduous process, even without a sport. Doing OIT while also playing a sport makes OIT even more challenging -- but it can be done. I started this group to provide advice and support to middle and high schoolers who are thinking about starting OIT, and to those already in the process of OIT, especially athletes who manage a sport simultaneously.
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Services
Support is crucial to a successful OIT process. Even without other commitments, OIT is not easy. Playing a competitive sport while doing OIT, as I did, is extremely challenging. But I managed to do it. I no longer have fear of cross-contamination when eating at a restaurant. I now have the freedom to try new foods, enjoy different cuisines, like Chinese and Japanese, and even eat a pizza slice without having to examine it for stray sesame seeds. OIT was incredibly valuable to me, but I recognize the hardships that come with it. I want to help other students get through OIT, so they can enjoy a better and less allergy-oriented life, as I do now.
Support
OIT can be stressful and frightening - I have experienced these feelings first hand during OIT. Whether it is the anxiety before an updose or the fear of a setback, or simply the frustration of OIT's rules and limitations, OIT brings out many emotions. I can provide support and answer questions about any of these issues in order to help you along the way.
Managing Competitive Sport with OIT
The rules imposed by OIT can really get in the way of competitive sport. I managed to continue playing and devoting myself to tennis while still adhering to the rules of OIT. I can offer advice on how to follow OIT's rules while playing a competitive sport. These include handling the required rest period and the 24-hour dose rule in the face of an unpredictable sports schedule. There are also rules about when and what to eat when dosing, as well as when showering is permitted. I can share how I managed to handle all these rules, while never missing a tennis practice or tournament.
Recipe Ideas for OIT Maintenance
I have allergies to sesame, peanut, cashew and pistachio. Now that I am in maintenance, I have to dose with large amounts of my allergens every day. While I don't mind eating nuts straight up, having to eat sesame flour or tahini is very difficult due to the taste. I have experimented with many recipe ideas and would love to share my favorites with you.