[1638] To "encourage others who may be new to FAILSAFE" (June 2022)

Just thought I'd encourage others who may be new to FAILSAFE or are finding the process challenging.

We began this journey for my son almost 4 years ago. While it has helped him beyond measure and I will be forever grateful that we discovered the cause of his challenges, it hasn't been without its battles and has certainly be an emotional roller coaster.

Over the years we have tried to begin the process of liberating and building his intolerance but each time we were unsuccessful. Particularly once he started school (despite them being incredibly supportive) and spent more time visiting others, it became difficult to determine what he was being exposed to that was causing reactions. So many "mystery" sources meant there was never room in his bucket to try extra things.

BUT...finally we have begun to have success. After recognising that a major source of reaction seemed to be coming from bark in the playground and/or climbing trees at school, we trialled wearing gloves. Since then we have seen him overcome what, last term, had become an almost constant cycle of reaction.

Better still, last Friday he was able to have half an apple unpeeled without any symptoms.  He also had a sausage (containing sals and 223) and a marshmallow (without my knowledge) on Sunday and has also succeeded in tolerating that.

With the help of the gloves, we are now thrilled to be able to begin the process of liberating and trialling new foods.

I am also excited to see him feeling so much better in himself, to be able to better navigate challenges AND have also noticed that his reading has improved. He is also making great progress with his music thanks to his increased level of focus and concentration.

I definitely encourage anyone who is having doubts or feeling disheartened by setbacks they encounter to keep trying. It really is worth it - Becky