Some of you are probably hoping to avoid the whole back to school mindset for a little while longer but I have to say that it’s been on my mind for a while. That’s because Megan is heading off to high school next year for grade 10. What compounds the normal food allergy issues is that it is a self-directed school where students work through modules and may have different schedules from each other.

This means that Megan is not attending her regular feeder high school but a magnet school where children come from all over the school district. For the first time, she will be without her regular posse of friends who have been very protective of Megan and her allergies. Further, as a self-directed school, there are not set lunch hours so we’ve already been told that kids eat everywhere and that food allergens may be difficult to monitor. The school itself is in a rural setting, about half an hour from our home by highway.

Statistically speaking, teenagers are at a higher risk of anaphylaxis than younger children. Throw in the regular teenage desire to not be different (which is often amplified for food allergic teens) and an assumption by adults that food allergic teens need to start becoming more responsible for their own safety and you can get a recipe for disaster. This is what worries me despite the fact that we know we’ve trained our child well. It’s still no guarantee, as many parents who have lost their teen allergic children can attest.

I’m not trying to be a scare monger but I’m finding this change really difficult. Even more so than when we moved to our new home here on Vancouver Island or when Megan went to junior high. Perhaps it’s a lack of control that I’m feeling, especially since it won’t be easy to just drop into the school and be as involved as I have been in the past.

On the bright side, we had to fill out a new food allergy form this summer to send into the school so I see that our school district’s food allergy policies are being followed. Megan’s epi pens are up to date and her alert bracelet is in good order. We informed the school as to her food allergies in the spring and we have another meeting at the end of August before school starts in September so we’re certainly doing all of the right things.

I’m not sure what the alternative is: home schooling, move to Antarctica or the biosphere, buy a teen size plastic bubble? We’d all be driven nuts in short order but maybe I’d sleep a little better at night.

FAAMA, The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act was passed into law in the United States after being signed by President Obama on Tuesday, January 4, 2011. So what does this Act mean to you as a food allergic parent?

Here is the official summary of the ACT which was introduced in February 2009:
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and make available to local educational agencies, schools, early childhood education programs, and other interested entities voluntary guidelines to develop plans for individuals to manage the risk of food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools and early childhood education programs. Directs that such guidelines address:
(1) parental obligation to provide the documentation of their child’s allergies;
(2) the creation of an individual food allergy management plan for each such child;
(3) communication between schools or programs and emergency medical services;
(4) reduction of exposure to anaphylactic causative agents;
(5) food allergy management training; and
(6) administration of epinephrine.
Allows the Secretary to award matching grants to assist local educational agencies in implementing such food allergy and anaphylaxis management guidelines.

What the law will actually do in its practical application remains to be seen. At the very least, this law should give parents a legal means to fall back on in EVERY state should their school/school district administration not accomodate for their child’s anaphylaxis. Further, it allows for the legal means to give epinephrine, which seems to have been a cause for confusion or inaction in schools.

While there are many teachers and administration who have been wholly supportive of anaphylaxis plans, many parents report to me that they have been treated as second-class citizens in the school system and even have had it suggested that they home school their child. While many allergic parents do pursue this option, it should be by choice, not fear or intimidation. As a former teacher, I can’t imagine that any teacher or school would be apathetic about anaphylaxis but it has been a very real issue for many around the world.

It will take some time for the voluntary guidelines and educational materials to be developed and funding to be provided for training. But in the meantime, a very important first step has been taken for those with anaphylaxis in a school setting.

My husband absolutely loves Halloween and we have more decorations at our house for this event than Christmas and the rest of the holidays combined.  We have flying bats, tombstones, skeletons, giant spiders, special lights, candy bowls, chains, cobwebs, sound effects and more.  We even looked at an enormous skull for the front porch on the weekend (no, it never made it into the cart).  But here’s a secret:  I dread Halloween as the parent of an allergic child.

It starts in August with the Halloween candy down every store aisle.  This has been handy for nabbing the safe treats that my allergic child will keep at school for unexpected events.  But navigating past all of the peanut butter cups and nut filled candy bars is frustrating when they put them anywhere they think they have room.  They even put piles in the produce department! Read more »

Why does it always feel like the new school season sneaks up on me, even when I’m thinking that I’d welcome the return to routine?  Some of you have already gone back to school (either yourself or your kids), and some are heading back shortly.  Even if you don’t have children and school is the furthest thing from your mind, it’s still a great opportunity to review the systems you have in place to control your special dietary and medication needs. 

1.  I know it is stressful to put your child’s life in someone else’s hands.  But remember that this may be an educational journey for the staff you’re speaking to.  It is imperative to work through the issues positively but firmly and recognize that it may take several meetings and contact on your part to implement an appropriate plan.  Having all staff who will deal with your child present at the same meeting is helpful but also ensure that part-time staff or teacher substitutes are included in the staff plan.  If you are in a workplace environment, take the time to educate your boss and co-workers.  Don’t assume that because someone has dealt with your same medical concern before, they know everything about the condition and treatment.

2.  As a former elementary teacher, I really appreciated having the parent of the child with medical concerns (food or otherwise) provide me with some helpful information and tips that I should be aware of.  This could include suggestions for healthy lunch ideas for the class that don’t include the allergen, facts about the food allergy he or she will deal with, providing safe treats to keep in the classroom and perhaps offering to come in and speak to the class about your child’s allergy.  Back to school is an incredibly busy time for teachers so taking away the burden of doing their own research about the allergy is appreciated and gives them something to refer to throughout the year.

3.  If the school does not already do so, create a bright, colorful poster with a picture of your child on it, what they are allergic to and the steps to take if a suspected reaction occurs.  Consider making several posters for the office, the staff room and any classroom your child will be in.  This is one situation where it is okay for your child to stand out; it may save their life.  Dorm rooms and offices where allergic adults are should be considered for this as well.

4.  Now is the perfect time to ensure that your epi pens are up to date, any antihistamines required are stored with the epi pen and instructions have not worn off the side of your epi-pen. 

5.  If you do not yet have an alert bracelet or necklace for yourself or your child, now is the time to get one.  If you don’t want to get a medic alert brand bracelet, you can find what you need at your local jewellery store and have it engraved as to your medical condition.  If you already have a bracelet, check that any engraving has not worn down and is still readable by emergency personnel.

6.  Do you have any old epi-pens or an epi-pen trainer?  If not, get one.  This is the time to refresh yourself on the use of the epi pen at the same time as teaching any new people in your or your child’s life from teachers to daycare providers and bosses to friends.

7.  Make sure your child is well prepared.  For us, this meant a lot of instruction on hand washing and setting ground rules for not sharing food, etc.  Include them in their choices of safe treats that will be kept at the school so they always know they’ve got something yummy should an unexpected food event occur, like another child’s birthday.

8.  Speaking of hand washing, make sure that your school has appropriate soap and towels (we had to get the school board to put up liquid soap dispensers) and that your child always has ready access to running water with ample supplies.  Hand washing before eating is much easier to control then having all surfaces washing consistently.

9.  Be prepared to be involved at school with everything from baking/bringing safe treats for parties to field trips and participating on the Parent Council.  It’s time consuming but worth every second.

10.  Finally… be good to yourself.  Worry and sleepless nights take their toll on not only you but your allergic child.  Take the time to spend extra time with your allergic child doing something fun just for the two of you; you’ll be glad you did.

Do you have some of your own tips?  Be sure to add your comments.

I find Valentine’s Day stressful with food allergies.  In the past, when our allergic child was in elementary school, I found it to be the most stressful day of all.  It all came to a head when Megan was in grade 4 and Valentine’s Day became a food buffet of everything she couldn’t eat laid out in front of her.  Score in her head?  Other kids:  30 treats,  Me:  2 Read more »

I mentioned in an earlier post that we were finally hitting the time when our allergic  child was scheduled to begin the Foods portion of her grade seven rotation and we had not yet decided whether that was going to be a viable option for our child.

These  new situations as allergic children grow up bring back all of that anxiety of just how much we can trust someone else with the life of our child and, now that she’s 12, the emotional and social aspects of dealing with a life threatening food allergy in school.

Thankfully, we’ve always had great support at school from school administration, staff, and other families and students with very little controversy.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop me from having sleepless nights imagining what might happen.  These are anxieties my husband and I try very hard not to pass along to our child but even hiding those often unfounded fears from her can be stressful itself.

Our meeting went very well and included the principal, the home ec teacher and our child.  A great bonus was that the home ec. teacher has a grown up daughter who has severe lactose intolerance which does not respond to lactaid pills so she’s known a lifetime of avoidance of dairy.  Life is always so much easier as an allergic parent when who you’re talking to has walked in your shoes, even slightly.

So we’re going ahead!  A stove will be set aside for my child, I’ll be sending in utensils and baking equipment which will be kept in a sealed bin we provide and washed only by my child and her baking partner.  In addition,  my child’s baking partner has a brother with peanut allergy so this will allow that child to bring home safe class projects to share with her family.  The teacher will be providing me with all of the term’s recipes and I’ve offered to purchase the items we’ve deemed as unsafe due to bulk purchase and/or possible cross-contamination.

I’m thrilled and my child feels comfortable. Whatever extras we may need to do to make this work is nothing compared to the freedom of being (generally) like the other kids.  As Mastercard says, that’s priceless.

At the beginning of the year, I met with my allergic daughter’s principal and the home ec. teacher to discuss how my daughter could take part in the Foods portion of home ec.  We ended up putting off the final details since her rotation for foods wasn’t happening until spring.

Now we’re scrambling because she is scheduled to start home ec. classes shortly so principal, teacher, parents and child are meeting next week.  I am torn with what to do.  My liberal side wants to have my child be able to partake in the classes and feels that special needs can and should be accommodated.  My conservative side says not to.  My child wants to participate but isn’t sure that she’ll feel safe enough to eat the food that she creates due to the potential of cross contamination from other classes in there.  I don’t know if we’ll be able to overcome the cross contamination or comfort issues.

I know that if she participates but then doesn’t feel comfortable eating the food, she’ll hold it together at school but will completely fall apart at home due to the unfairness of watching everybody else eat their delicious creations; and rightly so.  Her art teacher said he’d love to have her back in art during the food portion (she’d then do sewing with the rest of the class) and she is happy to know that she’s got an alternative she loves.

So… do we  work hard to make the entire room allergy friendly and she feels safe OR do we work hard to make the entire room allergy friendly and she’s still not comfortable?  Does she eat the food or doesn’t she?  Does she do the food portion at all?

A friend once told me that parenting doesn’t get easier as children grow up, it’s just different and she was right.  I no longer have to worry about my daughter putting something in her mouth like I did when she was an allergic toddler but now the emotional and social ramifications of segregating are a much bigger part of the picture.