Hi everyone!

Hi sonja,
and welcome to a great place for information and support. my son also had his first reaction at 14 months, and the er sent me home with a perscription for an epi pen jr. i think you should deffinatly contact your family doctor and get one as soon as possible. hopefully you will never have to use it, but it is alwasy better to be safe than sorry right? also start reading labels, peanut and tree nut products are sneaky little devils, we find them in the strangest of places. good luck and stay safe.
shannon

Thanks sharon! I'll phone on Monday for a Doctor's appointment.

jess--good for you! it sounds like you have a great handle on this allergy--keep up the positive attitude!!!!

Jess,
I'm so glad you found us. Can I ask you a couple of questions? First, how many reactions have you had in your lifetime? What caused these reactions? What were your symptoms? Did you carry epi as a child? And, have your reactions gotten worse over time or stayed the same? Sorry for giving you so many questions to answer. I appreciate any information and advice you could share.
Tina

Hi Jess!
i moved to Dc a year ago and am living in Pentagon City. I am a graduate student and working at Gallaudet. I too have the allergy, and I admire your independence!! Where will you be going to college? Close by or far away. College was time for me where more reactions occurred, I advise ALL at that point to add on 10 times more the caution and to TRY and keep up a normal healthy life. (meaning get to bed before midnight at least 3 times a week!)
Welcome, and I hope you benefit and can share with others as we all have enjoyed the suport network.
Jennifer

That is horrible, I am SO sorry you are having so much trouble with the schools. What bothers me the most is these people are responsible for our children 40 hours a week - and this kind of thing represents their willingness to keep them safe. Non peanut allergy parents should be concerned as well. My son is still in preschool, so I don't have any advice, just empathy. Good luck!

It is a scary thought that people have a complete disregard for safety.
I hope your wee one has a better school experience!

Hi Chris
Wow! I would be furious if the school lost my sons epi pens.. They are expensive. How old is your son? My son is in grade school he is not allowed to keep his epi pend himself. The school nurse keeps his. Is the school superintendant involved? They do have an obligation to keep your son safe. Check the web site to get information on a 504 plan ( not sure if that is the correct #) But there is some language in there that will mandate the school to make some accomodations for your son.
Good luck

504 is the correct number A 504 plan refers to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which specifies that no one with a disability can be excluded from participating in federally funded programs or activities, including elementary, secondary or postsecondary schooling. "Disability" in this context refers to a "physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities." This can include chronic conditions like asthma, allergies and diabetes. A 504 plan spells out the modifications and accommodations that will be needed for these students to have an opportunity perform at the same level as their peers, and might include such things as blood sugar monitoring or a peanut-free lunch environment.

Hi,
My son is 8. We have quite a few epi pens for him. 2 on him, 2 in the classroom, 2 in the gym and 2 in the office (cha ching)
When the school year ended last year, I asked for his epi pens to be returned home so I could replace the ones that were soon to be expired and was simply told 'I don't know where they are."
My concern was not so much about the cost, although to be honest I was irritated about that. I was most concerned about what would have happened if he had a reaction and went into anaphalaxis! He could have died and it would have been their fault.
We live in Ontario, Canada and here we have Sabrina's law. It is their duty to have a safety plan in place for him and to keep him in a safe environment.
On a happy note, My 2.5 year old was tested and he DOES NOT HAVE ANY ALLERGIES! yaaaay
I wanted to sing! :)