Presenting Food Allergy Information to Teachers

By Kelley Lindberg

My son just entered high school this year. Talk about big changes for him – new responsibilities, new friends, new social events, new teachers, new principal… the list goes on and on.

There’s been a big change for me, too. My safety net of familiar teachers and administration has vanished. I have to start my “educating the educators” efforts all over again, with teachers who don’t already have an attachment to my son and who may not have had allergic kids in their classroom before (since he’s old enough that we always seem to be paving the way).

Fortunately, when I asked the vice principal if he thought I could present food allergy information to all the teachers at a staff meeting, he said it sounded like a good idea. He asked the principal, who also said it was a good idea. So last week, I found myself in front of about 25 teachers, trying to accomplish three things:

1. Educate them about food allergies and how to keep all allergic kids (not just my son) safe.
2. Keep from embarrassing my son.
3. Keep them from thinking I am going to be one of those “trouble-making mothers.”

I think it worked. Even though I’ve given this presentation nearly every year to my son’s school, other schools, and even other organizations, I was still incredibly nervous. It’s nerve-wracking knowing that you could, with a single slip-up, sour your son’s teachers on him. Or worse, upset his burgeoning social life. But I was able to keep a sense of humor, answer a lot of questions, hopefully reassure them that they can handle a reaction if it happens, and get them thinking about ways to prevent contamination in their classrooms. Not only will this help my son, but it will lay groundwork for the growing number of allergy kids that will be coming along in the next few years.

As scary as it is, I highly recommend asking your school’s principal if you can “educate the educators” about food allergies, too. To help you out, here is a link to the handout I give to all the teachers and staff: School Staff Presentation. I just go over what’s on this handout, then answer any questions (there are always a lot!). Good luck. Just channel your mama bear (or papa bear), know that you’re helping your child as well as many other children, and feel the love from all the rest of us mama/papa bears out here in allergy-land!

Food Allergies in the Food Handler’s Permit Course!

By Kelley Lindberg

In a few weeks, my son will be finishing ninth grade. For his class, it’s not just the end of the school year, but it’s also the end of junior high, and the end of being the “big guys/gals on campus.”

To end the year in style, the school has filled the next few weeks with activities, including an evening program during the last week, at which there will be food.

My son’s best bud since babyhood also has food allergies, and the two of them have been in the same school together since kindergarten. They’ve shared the food allergy table for ten years, they’ve watched out for each other, and they’ve weathered the same food-allergy issues in their classes. The friend’s mom, Kim, is also one of my best friends, and together Kim and I have chaperoned every field trip and party, bought treats for every dance, found safe substitutes for every food-based art project you can think of, and supported each other through thick and thin.

Now we have one more food-oriented school event to get through together.

So Kim and I find ourselves taking the state food handler’s permit test this week. It’s not the first time, either. Back when the boys were in third grade, there was a big school event where we had to cook paella and gazpacho for 300 people. So that year we dutifully volunteered to help make the food so that we could ensure it was safe for our food-allergic boys, which meant we had to get our food handler’s permits. But the permits only last for 3 years, so now we need to get a permit once more.

So I took the course and test online last night, and I was surprised to find that the course for a Utah food handler’s permit has a big change from the last time we took the test 6 years ago. Now there is an entire section of the course devoted to explaining the seriousness of food allergies!

I was thrilled to see that they spent so much time explaining the symptoms, describing how to avoid cross-contamination, explaining that contact with allergens can be fatal, and even warning servers and cooks that customers who have food allergy reactions in their restaurant may not even be aware they have allergies until that first reaction.

While including food allergy information in the food handler’s permit course doesn’t make every cook and server an expert on food allergies (face it, even those of us living with food allergies feel like we learn new things about them every day), it at least ensures that they’ve been exposed to the idea. That’s a significant jump from six years ago, when I don’t recall anything about food allergies in that course at all!

So I’m sending a big shout-out to the state of Utah for recognizing that food handlers are an important first line of defense for those of us in the community with food allergies. Thank you!

(And in case you’re waiting in suspense, wondering how it all turned out… Yes, I did pass the test. I’ll even show you the certificate sometime if you want to see it!)

UFAN Food Allergy Conference a Success!

Last Saturday, I attended the third annual Food Allergy Conference in Salt Lake City, put on by the Utah Food Allergy Network. The half-day conference was jam-packed full of information and ideas – after a dozen years of dealing with food allergies, I still found myself taking lots of notes and learning new things.

Dr. Robert Silge, from Salt Lake City and Taylorsville, gave a presentation that just about blew my socks off with the amount of information he crammed into a single hour. He started off by discussing skin and blood tests, how they work, and what they mean. He reminded us that those tests can tell you the chance that you’ll have a reaction, but not how severe the reaction will be. So just because your score is “low” doesn’t mean you won’t have a severe reaction to that food someday.



I lead a discussion on eating out and traveling with food allergies

Dr. Silge also talked about the role platelet activating factor (PAF) plays in reactions, and how epinephrine works. He summarized EGID and how those diseases differ from a regular food allergy. Then he moved on to talk about the various treatments that are currently being studied, and how many of them are promising, but there is no long-term evidence to show how effective any of them are long-term yet, and that the results so far show widely varying results that are highly individual for each patient. And that’s just a sample of the topics he covered. (And I was left wondering if any research is being done into how to boost the enzymes needed to break down PAFs in our bodies, so that we don’t experience anaphylaxis. I’ll have to look into that soon.)

In addition, there were other presentations on eosinophilic disorders (EGIDs), how to handle food allergy plans for school, feeding and swallowing therapy, creative cooking with food substitutions, tips for handling social situations, how to live well with a chronic health condition, and tips for adults living with food allergies and EGIDs.

I was even invited to lead a discussion called “Eating Out & Traveling with Dietary Restrictions,” which turned out to be a lot of fun, and I hope helpful for everyone who participated.



Teens like my son and his friend had their own sessions.

For the first time, the conference this year included a teen track, where teens spent their half-day entirely in their own rooms discussing topics related to their unique needs. My son and his friend were able to attend, and my son even gave a short PowerPoint introduction of himself and his allergies as an icebreaker. Although neither my son nor his friend were sure they needed to attend (“I know how to handle my allergies, Mom!”), they both seemed to have a good time and even thought of friends they should have invited afterwards. So I think the teen track was a success and will be an important part of next year’s conference.

Many thanks to UFAN board members and volunteers for putting together this amazing half-day conference. I’m already looking forward to next year!

Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis

by Kelley Lindberg


Here is a great new online food-allergy resource for teachers, parents, kids, and other community members, sponsored by the pharmaceutical manufacturer who produces EpiPens. They even have an interactive tour traveling to major cities in the U.S. (unfortunately, none in Utah, however).

 

Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis^TM Unveils Interactive Digital Resources to Educate School Communities about Potentially Life-Threatening Allergies

 

“Modern Family” Star Julie Bowen Encourages Americans to Visit Anaphylaxis101.com and Traveling Augmented Reality Exhibit

 

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 17, 2012 – Mylan Specialty L.P. today announced the launch of a comprehensive, community-inspired resource for families, school staff and students designed to raise awareness of and preparedness for life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) in the school setting: www.Anaphylaxis101.com.  The enhanced website, which is part of the Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis™ initiative, now includes a personalized, virtual tour to access resources provided by leading patient, professional and advocacy groups.  This fall, the educational tools will be brought directly into communities via an augmented reality exhibit that will travel the country to drive home the importance of raising awareness about anaphylaxis and being prepared when anaphylaxis occurs.

 

When logging on to www.Anaphylaxis101.com, visitors will have the option to enter a virtual experience or find useful resources and materials tailored to their role in the school community and where they live.  The goal is for students, parents, teachers, administrators, school nurses and other community members to be able to access information specific to their needs and to learn how they can contribute to raising anaphylaxis awareness and preparedness in their hometown.

 

“We each have a role to play in helping those at risk for life-threatening allergic reactions avoid their triggers, recognize the signs of a life-threatening allergic reaction and know what to do when anaphylaxis occurs,” said Emmy award-winning actress and “Modern Family” star Julie Bowen, who learned of her son’s life-threatening allergies only after he experienced an anaphylactic reaction as a toddler.  “I’m asking people to go to www.Anaphylaxis101.com to become better informed and prepared than I was when my son experienced anaphylaxis.”

 

To introduce the resources available at www.Anaphylaxis101.com, an interactive exhibit using animated videos and the latest “augmented reality” technology will tour the country.  At the Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis: An Interactive Experience exhibit, visitors will activate images on a 120-square-foot mural through use of the provided tablets or their personal smartphones after downloading the free Anaphylaxis101 mobile application.  They also will receive educational materials and giveaways, with a special offer for the first 100 people who visit the exhibit on each stop of the 10-city tour.

 

“Proper response to anaphylaxis can be a matter of life or death, so knowing what part we can each play in furthering awareness and preparedness, particularly in the school community, is critical,” said Hemant Sharma, M.D., Associate Chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.  “Having digital tools centralized and tailored to support those in the school-based setting is a tremendous asset that will help educate the public about this significant public health issue.”

 

About www.Anaphylaxis101.com

The expanded website includes an extensive library of downloadable tools and resources from leading patient, professional and advocacy organizations to support personal and school-based anaphylaxis education.  The site is designed to help meet the information needs of the extended community impacted by potentially life-threatening allergies.

 

Visitors can access the information through easy-to-use, online toolkits tailored to the specific needs of:

• Teachers: Posters, lesson plans, brochures, template forms, checklists, guidelines and an “Assembly in a Box” to address school safety in and out of the classroom.
• School Administrators: Template forms, letters, a poster, and links to resources that can be adapted to improve awareness and preparedness among school staff, parents and students.
• School Nurses: Family allergy and allergic reaction health history form, checklists and tip sheets to help ensure nurses know which students might be at risk for anaphylaxis.
• Parents: Medical forms, checklists, guidelines, at-home tools and family tips to help educate themselves, loved ones and school staff about how to be ready to respond if anaphylaxis occurs.
• Students: Worksheets, backgrounders and presentations designed to promote peer-to-peer education about anaphylaxis.
• Community Members: General anaphylaxis education materials to drive broad knowledge, including an overview of federal laws that protect students at increased risk for anaphylaxis.

About Get Schooled In Anaphylaxis: An Interactive Experience

The coast-to-coast tour will hit key cities across the nation including:

• Los Angeles, Calif. – Del Amo Fashion Center – Oct. 19-20
• Denver, Colo. – Park Meadows Mall – Oct. 22
• Baltimore, Md. – Arundel Mills Mall – Oct. 25
• Chicago, Ill. – Orland Square Mall – Oct. 27-28
• Dallas, Texas – Grapevine Mills Mall – Oct. 31
• Houston, Texas – The Houston Galleria – Nov. 2-3
• Orlando, Fla. – The Florida Mall – Nov. 8
• Atlanta, Ga. – Lenox Square Mall – Nov. 10
• Charlotte, N.C. – Concord Mills – Nov. 13
• Philadelphia, Pa. – King of Prussia Mall – Nov. 16-17

For more information on the tour schedule visit www.Anaphylaxis101.com.

 

About Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis^TM

The Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis™ initiative offers practical information to educate the school community to help those at risk for life-threatening allergic reactions avoid their triggers, recognize anaphylaxis signs and symptoms and understand how to quickly get appropriate treatment and immediate medical care when anaphylaxis occurs.  Visit www.Anaphylaxis101.com to explore how anaphylaxis can affect the entire school community and learn more about life-threatening allergic reactions.  You can also download practical tools, learn more about Julie Bowen’s family story and watch a public service announcement (PSA) featuring the actress and sign up to receive news about activities and events.  Follow the Twitter handle @Anaphylaxis101 to get the latest news about the initiative.

 

Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis brings together information from leading patient, professional and advocacy organizations, each with the common goal of improving anaphylaxis education, and makes them accessible through www.Anaphylaxis101.com.

 

About Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur when the body is exposed to an allergen.  Anaphylaxis causes an estimated 1,500 deaths each year.  The prevalence of food allergies among children is on the rise, now affecting one in 13 U.S. children.

 

Children and adolescents are among those most at-risk for anaphylaxis due to increased exposure to potential allergic triggers.  Symptoms may include trouble breathing, chest pain, skin hives or redness of the skin, tightness in the throat, swelling of the lips and/or tongue, nausea, dizziness, a decrease in blood pressure and/or fainting.

 

Anaphylaxis symptoms may progress rapidly and become life-threatening, requiring prompt recognition and treatment initiation.  While avoidance of allergic triggers is the critical first step in managing life-threatening allergies, allergens are not always obvious and accidental exposure may still happen.

 

Food allergy guidelines developed by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), recommend epinephrine as the only first-line treatment for anaphylaxis management and that it be available at all times to those at risk for anaphylaxis.  If experiencing anaphylaxis, a person should use an epinephrine auto-injector and seek immediate emergency medical attention.

 

About Mylan Specialty

Mylan Specialty, a subsidiary of Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq: MYL), is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development, manufacturing and marketing of prescription drug products for the treatment of respiratory diseases, life-threatening allergic reactions and psychiatric disorders.  For more information, please visit www.mylanspecialty.com.

 

About Mylan

Mylan is a global pharmaceutical company committed to setting new standards in health care.  Working together around the world to provide seven billion people access to high quality medicine, we innovate to satisfy unmet needs; make reliability and service a habit, do what’s right, not what’s easy and impact the future through passionate global leadership.  We offer a growing portfolio of more than 1,100 generic pharmaceuticals and several brand medications.  In addition, we offer a wide range of antiretroviral therapies, upon which approximately one-third of HIV/AIDS patients in developing countries depend.  We also operate one of the largest active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers and currently market products in approximately 150 countries and territories.  Our workforce of more than 18,000 people is dedicated to improving the customer experience and increasing pharmaceutical access to consumers around the world.  But don’t take our word for it.  See for yourself.  See inside. Mylan.com.

 

Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis™ is sponsored by and a trademark of Mylan Specialty L.P. © 2012. All rights reserved. MYS12-8088