Talking Allergies

Sorry if this post has been done before.

My almost 4 year old will be attending school (full days) in September.

Principal, whom I have already met with regarding his allergies, in June, has been awesome in so many ways..

Unfortunately, it's a small school and my son is the ONLY child with an epipen. The principal has NO experience with food allergies- although he's extremely receptive and proactive regarding my son already. School is nut free, although we are ok with nuts.

What's next?

I've already convinced him (easily) to have 1 epipen in classroom, 1 epipen in unlocked door in school kitchen - and this one will be taken outside at every recess to be worn by teacher outside, on hip, under clothes. Benedryl will be kept in both locations.

Allergist appt on Friday to confirm new food allergies.

Principal wants an allergy plan from doctor, so I will ask him about this.

Principal is working on the bus issues (previous post that I had made) regarding how he has to carry his own epi in his bag and self admin if he needs it (hand over hand if needed)- pricipal doesn't agree with giving a 3 year old (almost 4) that kind of responsibility- he's already advocating for my son.

He's already said that there will be posters up (one in classroom, one in kitchen, one in hallways, one in teacher's lounge) with my son's pic, allergies, instructions etc. He said that my son's health will be the first topic in the first teachers meeting this month (I am going to request to be there and participate, I sure he'll be happy to let me do that).

Teachers are trained, they will be retrained this year with epipens.

What's next? Am I missing anything for his safety?

And, what does an allergy plan look like? Does the allergist write it? thanks!

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4yo ds: Finally!! Milk and Latex allergy. Preservative sensitivity. Asthma. Hay fever.
6yo ds: Hay fever, ADHD, asthma, penicillin, azithromycin, cephalosporin.

Don't appologise for raising this important issue! It needs to be raised every year as, each year there is a group of parents and students who are new to this.

Why don't you check out this article:
It’s off (gulp!) to kindergarten
For those with food-allergic kids starting school, Laurie Harada remembers what it was to stand in your shoes. She offers the benefit of her journey: anxiety, mistakes, lessons and all.By Laurie Harada
Executive Director of Anaphylaxis Canada
http://www.allergicliving.com/columns.asp?copy_id=184

Be Smart About How You
Talk to School Officials
By Laurie Harada
Executive Director of Anaphylaxis Canada
http://www.allergicliving.com/columns.asp?copy_id=339

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Fourfallbabies,



I'm not sure what you mean here, could you please explain?



and also, why is the school nut free?


Michele

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Myself - Seasonal, cats
dd-asthma (trigger - flu) anaphylactic to eggs, severe allergies to bugspray and penicilin,pulmicort
ds-Seasonal, cats and OAS
dh-allergy cats, bugspray and guava, outgrew egg allergy

Alberta Advocate - I think 'hand over hand' means the bus driver would hold the child's hand in his/her own, and administer, so it's like he/she is helping the child self-administer instead of the bus driver just doing it his/herself.

Before this past year, we used an anaphylaxis plan like this one: http://education.alberta.ca/media/74554 ... lerten.pdf Either the school board or our local health authority came up with their own similar one this past year, but I can't seem to find an example of it. In the past, I filled it out, and got our GP or allergist to sign it.

Have you thought about your child wearing the epipen on his body? The arrangement you have sounds fine, because you have the classroom and recess covered. Does the class ever go to the gym, music room, or another part of the school?

When my kids were in preschool, I didn't feel it was necessary for them to wear an epi belt because there was always at least one teacher with them, and the teachers would bring the epipens with the first aid kit whenever leaving the class, including outside, the gym, etc.

However, I got my DD to wear one in the Spring before K as it would be different in the main school, where they frequently left their classroom. I didn't want to rely on the 1 teacher (teaching 20 children) to remember to bring it whenever they left the class - also, if there was a substitute, I didn't want that to be overlooked. So she wears two in her epibelt, and there is one spare in the 'medical emergency binder' in the office in case her belt falls off while outside, or whatever.

When my DS started preschool last fall at age 3yr 1 month, I got him an epibelt, and he has been fine wearing it whenever he's at preschool. I thought I'd start early so he got used to it by the he really 'needed' to be wearing it, and so far so good. Kozy Epi has some great designs, so my DD has the princess one and DS has a race car one.

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DD 2004 Allergy to peanuts, egg, sesame, and new: lentils and chick peas
DS 2006 Allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, kiwi fruit, eczema

Someone else in this thread answered your hand over hand question, it has something to do with reliability. Stupid, I think.

Why is the school nut free? I thought for SURE there was another child that had allergies, when I inquired, it was more of a strategy to reduce the risk, I guess. It's like a trend here, most of the schools/children's programs are nut and peanut free.

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4yo ds: Finally!! Milk and Latex allergy. Preservative sensitivity. Asthma. Hay fever.
6yo ds: Hay fever, ADHD, asthma, penicillin, azithromycin, cephalosporin.

I have considered it.

I am just not comfortable with this solution, I just can't have him carry it himself. I worry about him/someone else (especially his impulsive brother- severe ADHD) playing/injecting someone else with it etc. The class only leaves for gym and library. It will be taken on school trips (2 of them). And likely I will be accompanying the class on trips.

The gym is attached to the kitchen and the library is across the hallway. I know, I know, the epipens are not in the same room, but considering how actually close it is, I'm comfortable with that. Tiny school, 104 kids.

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4yo ds: Finally!! Milk and Latex allergy. Preservative sensitivity. Asthma. Hay fever.
6yo ds: Hay fever, ADHD, asthma, penicillin, azithromycin, cephalosporin.

Do they eat snacks? Where do they eat? Is there supervision? By whom?
Will the children wash their hands before and after eating? Will the eating area be cleaned imediately? (my daughters class ate in their classroom)
Will you be given notice (minimum 24 hours) if food in the classroom? Ei celebrations, crafts, lesson plans (seasons etc)-you'd be surprised!
What is the policy regarding snowdays?
Are children allowed to eat in the schoolyard during recess?
Are the 'helper' parents also trained?

It's the little things like a helper parent using craft scissors to open yoghurt tubes for those of us avoiding dairy...

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

I have considered it.

I am just not comfortable with this solution, I just can't have him carry it himself. I worry about him/someone else (especially his impulsive brother- severe ADHD) playing/injecting someone else with it etc. The class only leaves for gym and library. It will be taken on school trips (2 of them). And likely I will be accompanying the class on trips.

The gym is attached to the kitchen and the library is across the hallway. I know, I know, the epipens are not in the same room, but considering how actually close it is, I'm comfortable with that. Tiny school, 104 kids.[/quote]

Yes, I think considering the close proximity to everything, I would be OK with that, as long as everyone (including subs, etc) know exactly where the epipens are kept.

Regarding Susan's post, I worry about the schoolyard snack eating, too, during recess, but I'm not sure how to tackle that one. The school is already asking people not to send nuts/peanuts to school, although I know there will be people occasionally forgetting. I guess one way is to get DD to wolf down her snack quickly before she touches any playground equipment? I can't really ask her to wipe her hands each time she touches something before she touches her food. Or get something where she doesn't touch the food - like a granola bar that she can keep inside the wrapper except for the part she's biting off?

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DD 2004 Allergy to peanuts, egg, sesame, and new: lentils and chick peas
DS 2006 Allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, kiwi fruit, eczema

Our school has the children eat first and then go out into the schoolyard. Most schools will say they encourage student to wash their hands but they don't enforce it.

Our daughter would tell us that if she had to wait to use the washroom (single toilet) in the SK/JK area, she wouldn't have time to eat. Our solution was to send wipes (cut in half for small hands) in ziplock baggies. These were packed in the lunch bag and if you saw how filthy they were (she brought them home)-you'd insist that all children should wash their hands!

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Thanks. I think we will be using lots of wipes at school!

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DD 2004 Allergy to peanuts, egg, sesame, and new: lentils and chick peas
DS 2006 Allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, kiwi fruit, eczema

This is the anaphylaxis / allergy plan that I use. It's NOT the one that the school gives out, which is appallingly basic, but they never seem to mind that I send in my own. The office puts 1 copy up in the staff room, and the teacher keeps 1 either in her binder for all the subs to see, or taped to her desk.

http://www.safe4kids.ca/content/schools ... cyPlan.pdf

It's from the consensus document "Anaphylaxis in Schools and Other Settings. There's a spot at the bottom for the allergist to sign. I've never bothered ... but our appointments have never seemed to jive with the start of the school year.

Yes, we fill out one of these. There is an interactive form on allergysafe communities. https://allergysafecommunities.ca/pages ... y-form.asp
I send one to any program I sign dd up for whether they ask for one or not.

_________________
Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

They actually wash their hands before they eat and after (and it's enforced, they all line up!), they eat in their class with teacher supervision. And tables and chairs are cleaned immediately after.


They don't eat outside, and helper parents are never left alone with kids, unless school trip, adn I'll have him go in teacher's group. Or I'll be there.


Totally forgot about lesson plan food, or crafts. Thanks for that.

We dont' have a clear understanding what he's allergic to right now, however, it looks like it's certain preservatives. And it's not as easy to transfer preservatives with a pair a scissors like milk (been there and done the milk ana, so I get it totally!)

Thanks again.

_________________
4yo ds: Finally!! Milk and Latex allergy. Preservative sensitivity. Asthma. Hay fever.
6yo ds: Hay fever, ADHD, asthma, penicillin, azithromycin, cephalosporin.

TY both for the allergy plan, exactly what I needed and was looking for!!! Thank yoU!!

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4yo ds: Finally!! Milk and Latex allergy. Preservative sensitivity. Asthma. Hay fever.
6yo ds: Hay fever, ADHD, asthma, penicillin, azithromycin, cephalosporin.

How a Child Might Describe a Reaction http://www.foodallergy.org/page/how-a-c ... -reaction1
You're doing great! Keep the lines of communication open.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb