Talking Allergies

Hi everyone,

I wanted to hear what others do about field trips for their child. Do you attend all the time? If not, what are the precautions that you take?

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Brenda (asthma)
DH (asthma, environmental allergies, milk intolerance)
DS 6 YRS (allergies - sesame, poppyseed, tree nuts, shellfish, soy intolerance, asthma, eczema)
DD 4 YRS (asthma)

My kids are only in gr 1 and preschool, and so far I've attended all field trips. Hopefully someone with older kids will chime in about what they do. I'm hoping not to have to attend all field trips and camps for the next 10 years!

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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

My husband or I have attended all field trips so far (grade 4 now).
I expect this to continue through elementary school. I'm trying not to think about middle and secondary school...

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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

My oldest is only in Gr1, but so far we've attended all field trips, school parties or lunches and all bday parties. I just don't feel like people 'get it'. I don't know what I'll do when DS is older...

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DSs 7,7,9 all PA

My daughter is now on to university. I did attend all of the field trips through elementary and middle school. In high school she was denied the opportunity to travel to Europe for textiles due to her allergies even though I volunteered to go. The band trip in grade 11 was within Canada and with many calls to check for restaurants and food sources on the way she went without me. The grade 12 trip was into the States on an airline that served peanuts and peanut satays for their meals. They would not accomodate her allergies. We were told I could take her myself on another airline. It wouldn't have been the same as going with her friends. By that stage others do not go because of costs so she wasn't the only one missing. I found a deal and took both girls to Toronto for a weekend to see a Broadway production and the King Tut display to help compensate. Still not the same.

Good question. My oldest is in kindergarten and so far I have attended all fieldtrips and plan to for the next few years.

At our school epipens are kept in the office so on fieldtrip day I make sure he is wearing an extra on his person and notify the teacher of same. I shake my head here because if I didn't go on that fieldtrip then there wouldn't be any responsible adult that knows how to administer the epipen...but that's another story.

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DS 1: anaphylactic to peanuts, allergic to fish
DS 2: asthma

"At our school epipens are kept in the office"

I would challenge that policy. I'm in Alberta too, and I've insited from Day 1 that my son wear his Epi. No exceptions. I've never been challenged, and the staff feel much more comfortable knowing that it is on him. Many reactions can take time to develop, so a reaction might occur on the playground during recess! My son is in Grade 5 now, and while he takes it off for gym class, his teacher keeps it (and another allergic child's) with her.

That being said ... I did attend most field trips until he was in about Grade 3. Now I pick and choose - some are not at all food-related (a recent bowling trip, no snacks allowed). Some might interfere with his other allergies - like a trip to a ranch with LOTS of animals, which I enjoyed

I want him to get all the same experiences the other kids get, and teach him that it's possible to live in the world with milk and nuts all around him (more milk than nuts...) while still staying safe. At the teacher's request, I trained his classmates on Epipens and anaphylaxis last week!

I also challenged the policy, and now have an epipen in the classroom as well as the office. I think the importance (at DSs school) was to have one in the office as well, so that there was one in a known location.

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DSs 7,7,9 all PA

Thanks everyone for your replies! It's great to know that I'm not alone dealing with this & that others are doing the same things.

Momtobunches, I'm glad to hear that you were able to train your son's classmates to adminster the epi-pen in grade 5. I'll keep that in mind for future reference.

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Brenda (asthma)
DH (asthma, environmental allergies, milk intolerance)
DS 6 YRS (allergies - sesame, poppyseed, tree nuts, shellfish, soy intolerance, asthma, eczema)
DD 4 YRS (asthma)

Training the Grade 5/6's was really fun! I did it in his Grade 4 class too, the teacher decided to tie it into a health unit. I started out by pulling out 2 Kraft snack packs - one with PB & crackers and one with Cheese & crackers (fully sealed) and asked the kids which was more dangerous in this particular classroom. They all picked the PB. Trick question - both are allergens for kids in this class. So we focused the discussion on how to minimize the dairy exposure through hand washing, cleaning desks, looking out for spillled milk / smeared yogurt, etc. We then went over the priority allergens from Health Canada, and how those are usually singled out on labels.

I then started to discuss the what if ... even though they've minimized exposure, what if someone has a reaction?

I took in the FAST poster from Anaphylaxis Canada to teach them the symptoms to watch out for (teacher then kept it to put up in the class!). We discussed the steps - 1. Give Epi or get immediate help from an adult 2. Call 911 3. Call Mom.

I showed them how to administer with a trainer, then left it in the class for the rest of the day for those who wanted to try it.

I also importantly spoke about how symptoms may not appear immediately, and that anytime you see an allergic child develop these symptoms - ie in class after lunch or at recess, a reaction is possible.

Momtobunches for that excellent education for the students! And kudos to the teacher for letting you do that. I love the comparison of the two food packs to teach them about the dangers of other allergens. Well done!

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

EXCELLENT Momtobunches. Great advocating, very well presented to the kids.

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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

As every situation is different, that's what we went with. DD having a very scary reaction in grade 4 made us rethink everything...and then the bugspray thing was a challenge. I drove on occasion as it was not happening putting her on the bus. West nile virus made people use bug protection more even give it to their kids and hope they didn't get it where they shouldn't.
Good job, Momtobunches Can you come to every school? I think you must be used to speaking in public. For many moms that is not so easy. This also makes me think about how it is easier to get the teacher to let moms speak to the class, but not so easy to have someone speak to the staff and administration. When Ab. Ed. came to the Catholic school, the paper made a point of how the grade 5's learnt how to recognize and react. I think more emphasis should be made with getting the families into the schools with the people "in charge" of our kids. There seems to be a big gap as I don't see many policies changing here in Alberta. It's good to have moms like you out there.

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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, my son is allergic to insects, so bug spray was a MUST for him. I wanted the teacher to apply it, but some refused...until a kid got sprayed with it by accident.

As for field trips, at first I went on them and so I didn't worry about getting everything in order. Then, when they were going to the zoo, I ended up on crutches and couldn't go. DH was travelling, and my oldest son was unavailable.

shortly after the trip I was speaking to a friend...my ds had been in a group of kids with her dh. when they got off the bus, the teacher said to him " oh ya.....--- has an epi-pen". he said "what's an epi-pen?". But she had walked away. My son, in kindergarten, told him what it was, what it was for, and showed him how to use it. the zoo has a LOT of bugs. He was a nervous wreck, and refused to volunteer on any more field trips ever.

After that, I went to the principal to make sure nothing like that ever happened again. she not only agreed that my son would always be in a group with a parent or a teacher, but that became school protocol for all children with emergency meds.

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self: allergy to sesame seeds and peanuts
3 sons each with at least one of the following allergies: peniciilin, sulfa-based antibiotic, latex, insect bites/stings

I'm in the same boat. My youngest is anaphylactic to multiple mosquito bites (and possible bee stings), oldest has moderate to severe asthma. The youngest is now in grade 2. So far, for the youngest, I've been on ALL outdoor field trips that have occured during her allergy season - and her teachers haven't minded at all. The next one is this spring to the zoo. Right now, I'm having some "trust issues' with her gr 2 teacher so we will see if I am "picked" to go on the Zoo trip. If not, you bet your hiney she will be grilled as to what her plan is to keep Rachel safe for her allergens will be.

Honestly, I find food the easier anaphylactic allergy to handle (I am anaphylactic to multiple foods) compared to the stinging/biting bugs. I've found that folks look at me like I have 2 heads when I explain that Rachel is Anaphylactic to multiple mosquito bites. But, she is learning to advocate for herself (slowly), and she now knows that her "eau du parfume" shall always be "eau du bug juice" and not the wimpy stuff, but the GOOD stuff (heavy on the DEET). I REFUSE to keep her indoors in a bubble, and want her to have as normal a life as possible, and yes that includes camping and outdoors fun!

Good luck, and don't be afraid to challenge the teachers when it comes to your child's health and well being - YOU are the one who knows best!!

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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)