Talking Allergies

The little one (6 yr old) - anaphylactic to mosquito bites (potential to other bites/stings) went to school today wearing her medic alert bracelette and wearing her epipouch. She had a field trip to a gymnastics club today. Well, someone at the club took off her medic alert braclette and DID NOT return it to her. I have no idea wher it is at this point. So, I have to phone the school tomorrow morning, ask to talk to her teacher, and find out if her teacher has it. If not, then I guess I have to phone they gymnastics club and find out where the HELL they put her bracelette.

How bloody DARE they take it off of her and not put it back on!! It's not a fricken peice of costume jewelry. Needless to say the gymnastics club will be getting a piece of my mind. The child wears a medic alert for a reason, she carries 2 epipens for a reason!! We are entering the HEIGHT of her allergy season. We've finally got her trained to keep her medic alert bracelette on her, and she is darned proud to wear it, and she KNOWS why it is important to wear it - so PLEASE don't take it off!! Find a way to keep it on her! If you need to take it off - put it in her epi pouch - at least that way, it will COME HOME WITH HER!

Erg. I will also be having some words with her teacher about how this MUST NOT happen again. There is NO EXCUSE for it!

Thanks for letting me vent!

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Dawne - Ana to all pitted fruits, POTATOES, strawberries, kiwis, pumpkin, apple, pear; + asthma, hayfever, migraines, fragrance sensitive
dh -nil
DD (1999) - asthma, hayfever, latex/red dye sensitive
DD (2003)- ana to mosquitos (risk all stinigng insects)

Just so you know, my DD is a competitive gymnast and she doesn't take her bracelet off when she trains!
Her coach will take it when she needs to put on the gloves for the bar, but give it back when she's done. And for a school visit to a gymnasium, they wouldn't need gloves!

There's really no valid reason to remove the bracelet at all.

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11yo boy - peanuts nuts chickpeas
8yo daughter - peanuts, nuts, mustard, eggs, sunflowers (new! ), oral allergy syndrome
husband - pollen of all kinds
me - seafood,, oral allergy syndrome

Doitalldawnee, you have every right to feel angry. I'd be livid if someone took off my son's bracelet. Hopefully your daughter's school learns their lesson from this. They should be very thankful nothing happened to your daughter as she didn't have her bracelet. '
Once again, it seems like as allergy parents our lives revolve around the difficulties in not educating our own children but the adults around us.

Good luck and hugs from another allergy mama.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

Dawne, that's pretty crazy.

Good luck with the follow-up with the school.

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Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

Wow, I'd be hopping mad, too. I hope you end up finding the bracelet.

Thank you for sharing your story, though. I have a meeting with the principal on Friday and we'll be creating the school's first anaphylaxis management plan together. I'll definitely be putting in a point about never taking a child's bracelet 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

How scary and confusing for a 6 yearold to know why she is to always wear it but made to take it off by those in authority. She must have become panicked when she realized she no longer had it on. So, did she have her afternoon snack with no Epi-Pen present? Who supervises these things?

I have heard of children advised to remove their bracelette when playing certain sports but usually they can get around this by covering it with a terry cloth sweat band.

Make sure they realize that it is not only the cost of a replacement but that your daughter is at greater risk in the interim until either the bracelette or it's replacement arrives. If it is not found today initiate the order for a new one and advise them that you will be submitting the bill. Send it to the school as they were responsible and they can fight it out with the club. (the school can get them free through the No Child Without Program).

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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

How awful!! I'd be livid too. I hope they realize their mistake and are open to learning from it. It is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE to demand (or even ask) that a child remove a medical id. I hope your conversations go well, and that you are able to find the bracelet.

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DSs 7,7,9 all PA

I hope your meeting with the school went well. Out of curiosity, if they removed her epi pouch was your daughter and all staff present informed of who had the pouch in case she needed it. Was the adult with the pouch always within an arms reach?
Hopefully her bracelet was found today and your meeting with the school went well.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

it was NOT the gymnastics club that removed her medic alert. I had called the school first thing (before the kids arrived) to try to talk to the teacher, but no go, and was waiting for the teacher to call me back. When the teacher didn't call me back by 9:10 am, I decided to call the gymnastics club and find out from them if they knew anything.

Anyhow, they gymmastic's club policy is "no jewelry", but medic alert is not considered jewelry and they do NOT remove medic alerts. They will "tape them down", and not put tape over the emblem, but NOT remove them from the children. The club manager took this VERY seriously and talked to all of her staff that was there this morning and had called me back within 45 min of my first call. It was from her that I found out that my dd's TEACHER had removed her medic alert and that she had it.

I did not hear from my dd's teacher until noontime. Yes, I understand that teachers are busy, but, ummm, hello, she could have taken a moment during the first recess to call me! Anyhow, her teacher DID NOT EVEN REALIZE THAT IT WAS A MEDIC ALERT BRACELETTE THAT SHE WAS REMOVING!!! This has me soo hopping mad!! DD wears this particular medic alert bracelette all the time: How the teacher managed to take it off without noticing the 1.19" medic alert symbol right next to the clasp is beyond me!!

Of course, this means I will be phoning the school tomorrow, to see if I can arrange a quick meeting with the principal tomorrow to discuss this and to make sure that they realize how serious an error it was. ALL of the teachers and staff need to know how to recognize ALL forms of medic alert ID"s and to know how important it is to NOT remove them from the children!!

As for dd's epipouch, she had taken it off and hung it up with her jacket. Since her allergies are to stinging/biting insects, I'm not to worried that she didn't have it on her person in the gym, but I will be making sure that her teacher knows to be aware of where it is at all times. Yesterday was actually her first time this spring bringing it to school because she was out all last week with the chicken pox. I had intended to inform the teacher that dd was now bringing her epipens to school again as her allergy season was once again upon us, but her teacher wasn't in when I dropped her off at school in the morning (they had a substitute).

I am NOT looking forward to tomorrows dialog with the principal, but I know it needs to be done. I'm just trying to make sure I'm at my calmest when I iniitiate it, cause lord knows, this has got the mama bear in me roaring!!

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Dawne - Ana to all pitted fruits, POTATOES, strawberries, kiwis, pumpkin, apple, pear; + asthma, hayfever, migraines, fragrance sensitive
dh -nil
DD (1999) - asthma, hayfever, latex/red dye sensitive
DD (2003)- ana to mosquitos (risk all stinigng insects)

Hi Doitalldawnee,

I think you need to calm down before you talk to the principal. Perhaps she didn't call you back at first recess because she had yard duty, something teachers do each day. I'm sure the teacher feels bad, and I think this could be a learning opportunity for her and for the school and for your daughter

I have found the only way to deal with schools is to call in to your job that you will be late, go to the school first thing (I drop dd at her pre-school program and head over to the school). Advise the principal that you need to speak to her and that you will wait until she has a moment.

I find they can "make a moment" pretty darn fast. Speak to the principal. Request the No Child Without form from her. Advise that you are seeking your original bracelette back or a replacement but mean while you are submitting for a plain bracelete because this is one of the tools your daughter needs to manage her condition.

Policy and training, yes, all very important but meanwhile you want her safe now.

The bracelette speaks for her when she can't. Reactions can be swift and minutes count. If your daughter had reaction while away from her parents (school, playdates etc) you can not assume that in a medical emergency, the adults will panic. You need all pertinent information available ASAP.

Remind the principal that his/her school, through their actions, has effectively placed your child at risk during every recess, lunch, and outdoor gym time until the bracelette is found or replaced.

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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

Good advice from Susan and B.M.

My 2 cents:

- We always have more to say than can be said in these situations. Focus on the key points.
- Sum up what was agreed to at the end so they remember; so everybody's clear. Could the principal issue a written reminder to all teachers that MA bracelets are NOT jewelry, not to be removed?

Be firm but calm in tone.

Best with it.

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Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

DD has her bracelette back. Her big sis brought it home from school yesterday. In the meantime we had conversations at home about her not allowing ANYONE to remove her medic alert and to make sure that if they attempt to do so that they are aware that it is her medic alert. It's a fine balancing act with the little ones- we teach them to listen to and obey their teachers, but they need to know when and how to assert themselves and to not let anyone remove things like the medic alert bracelettes.

I went and talked to the VP at the school this morning right after I dropped the kids off at the school. I was very calm and cool about it, but I did say that the whole situation that happened was upsetting and unacceptable. No child should have their medic alert bracelette/necklace removed. And more importantly, ALL STAFF should know how to recognize ALL FORMS of medic alerts/ID's. This one was more concerning to me, and was frightening. I said that I didn't want to be "that mom", but I did not want someone/anyone "overlooking" a medic alert on ANY child/person at the school. The VP agreed and now has it on her agenda that there will be some updated training on recognizing ALL FORMS of medic alerts, because they are not the plain bracelettes anymore.....

I know a mosquito anaphylaxis is a WEIRD one, and it's been an uphill battle to get folks to accept that it exists and that my dd has it and requires the medic alert and epipens, and I am sooo thankful that this forum exists!!

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Dawne - Ana to all pitted fruits, POTATOES, strawberries, kiwis, pumpkin, apple, pear; + asthma, hayfever, migraines, fragrance sensitive
dh -nil
DD (1999) - asthma, hayfever, latex/red dye sensitive
DD (2003)- ana to mosquitos (risk all stinigng insects)

Dawne,

Congratulations to you for such a good meeting. Hoping the VP follows through on:


And way to go big sister on finding the bracelet.

Btw, I first heard of mosquito allergy from a leading allergist based in Winnipeg. Apparently not as uncommon as it once was. That must be pretty challenging in summer since, unlike bees and wasps - mosquitos are after us not flowers or food.

Immunotherapy is possible for stingers - see the end of this: http://www.allergicliving.com/features.asp?copy_id=177
Wonder if they have it for mosquitos? Might be worth asking when she's a little older.

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Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

It was painful to read your posts about the missing bracelet and comforting yet worrisome to see that it was the teacher that removed it. Comforting because she would get it back but worrisome that the teacher did not realize it.

In a teacher's defense (although not justifiable) a field trip can be chaotic and medic-alert are no longer always utilitarian so I am very grateful for your daughter and the school that the teachers will learn a very important lesson in a relatively safe environment. Thankfully it was not outdoors.

It is such a daunting challenge to educate people without creating undue anxiety in our own children...

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me: allergic to crustaceans plus environmental
teenager: allergic to hazelnuts, some other foods and environmental