By: chris m.

chris m. — Fri, 25 Mar 2005 17:09:55 +0000

As I read your posts my empathy goes to you and
those who respond relative to sending the
child to school for the first time. Do not
second guess yourself and your instincts. Bottom
line is the child is completely dependant on
you to keep them safe; so your hands on
approach and vigilance is necessary. Our child
is 16 and we have gone through those years;
now faced with even more challenges as our
child goes off on his own more and more and
within two years takes his anaphylaxis to
soy and peanut to college dorm life. How? I
really don’t know? One coping mechanism we
adapted by the time he was nine was to
always arrive at any event with treats and
food he could eat. Enough to share, but the
lesson we hoped to teach him was that when
he got older he should always carry something
he can eat. We also have him eat something
before going to these affairs, so he is
not painfully hungry at the party or in
the restuarant. We teach him these events
are not for the food, but the company; and
it is our responsibility to see he will
either have something to eat at these events;
and always eat before heading out to attend
them. This is not simple; and it does not
remove that horrible anxiety that all these
events bring on for the anaphylactic family.
I would urge the younger families to teach
their child right from the get go to not
walk out the door without their meds. by
making it their job to remember to do so.
You may have to ask and prompt, but let
their little hands pick up the meds and
carry it with them to the car. Like brushing
their teeth in the morning, they will learn
to feel something was not done if they
don’t carry their meds. when they are a teen.
Also, keep their ID necklace or bracelet on
them at all times. Insist they not take it
off. If this is impossible, then place
the jewelry on a hook next to their tooth
brush and make sure they slip it on after
brushing their teeth. Ideally, they will
as adults always have the medic alert jewelry
on them, but I report from experience that
this needs to be taught just like all the
other things you would insist they do;
example: buckle up in car seats, brush
their teeth; all the little routines.
Another thing we learned to do is keep
the expire epi pens (mark expired on the
box and the tube so they are not mistaken
and used in emergency)….we keep them
and every other month or so we sit around
the table with oranges and each family
member practices giving the shot to an
orange. Take care with fingers and
practice safely using the epi pen.
First: grasp pen with hand which keeps
fingers away from both ends; then with
other hand remove cap; place tip against
orange; keep hands on orange but make
sure the tip is pressed against orange
so that when needle comes out it will
go into orange not your hand; press
gently and hear the click; cound to
20 before releasing; bend the needle
down against a hard surface and put
the epi pen back in tube before disposing.
Hope this helps the younger set. Any
advice for our family heading off to
college? I cannot find much support for
this phase of my chld’s life.

Comments on: Reaction-free Term

By: chris m.