Food Allergy ID Card and Back-To-School Info Sheet

By Kelley Lindberg


I dropped my baby off at his first day of school today.

He’s in ninth grade.

He didn’t want the traditional picture in front of the school. He didn’t want the kiss goodbye. He didn’t want me anywhere near the school, him, his friends, or the planet.

The first day of school isn’t quite the big deal it was for him on his first day of kindergarten, somehow.

But he’s still my baby, and I got him to sit still for a photo in the front seat of the car, at least.

I also had to go into the school (although I used a different entrance, so he didn’t have to be seen with me, so that was marginally acceptable), because I had to drop off his medicine kit and medical action plan at the front office.

In his medicine kit, I include two epinephrine auto-injectors (EpiPens or Auvi-Qs), some antihistamine tablets, and a laminated card I made that has his photo, emergency instructions, and emergency contact information.

If you’d like to add a similar card to your child’s epinephrine kit, I’ve uploaded a template here: FoodAllergyFeast’s Food Allergy ID Card. You should be able to click on the photo, and it will load as a Word document. Then you can insert your own information. It’s two pages – if you print them back-to-back, the generic info about anaphylaxis should line up to print on the reverse side of the card. If not, just print both pages, use double-stick tape to line them up back-to-back, then have them laminated together at your local copy shop. If it doesn’t all line up right, feel free to use my template as an example, and create your own. (Many thanks to Michelle Fogg of UFAN for designing the original ID card.)

And here’s a sheet I create every year and give to my son’s teachers, the lunchroom manager to hang in the kitchen, and the front office (and if we had a school nurse, I’d give one to him/her, too): FoodAllergyFeast’sFood Allergy School Emergency Sheet.

If these links don't work, email me and I'll send them directly to you: kjplindberg (at) earthlink.net.

I hope your child’s back-to-school experience is full of hugs and laughter. (I plan to get my hugs later this evening, when no one is watching. He might not need them anymore, but I sure do!)

 

ID Tags for Allergies

by Kelley Lindberg


As my son has gotten older and has started attending school and participating in sports, I realized that there were times when I wouldn’t be with him, and that means other adults will have to know how to help him if he has a food allergy reaction.

I dutifully talked to all of his teachers and his coaches, taught them how to use the EpiPens and what to watch for. Then one day I was looking at all 25 backpacks hanging on hooks in his classroom, and wondered to myself, “How will the teacher know which of these 25 backpacks has his medicine in it?”

My solution? I went online and found a site that makes luggage tags with photos on one side, and contact info on the other.

A couple of weeks ago, Dr. Douglas Jones of Rocky Mountain Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology in Layton, showed me a similar type of tag he’s created for all of his food allergy patients (and an asthma version for his asthma patients), because the same worry had occurred to him.

So I wanted to share these ideas with you. I put a tag on my son’s lunch box, his backpack, and his soccer bag, so that the teacher or coach can find it immediately in the pile of other bags.

Dr. Jones’ tags have a pocket that contains a card with complete information about the type of medicine to administer, instructions for administering it, and contact information. A neon sticker on the outside of the tag grabs your attention.

The luggage tags I ordered didn’t have room for such complete information, so I list my son’s name, allergies, type of medicine, and contact phone numbers. Then, inside the pouch that contains his medicine, I have a laminated card with more complete emergency information on one side, and general information about how to recognize and respond to a food allergy emergency on the other.

 

If your kids are in school or in sports, you might want to consider creating an ID tag for their bags for the same reason. The easier we can make it for someone else to find our kids’ medicine and emergency information, the faster the response will be.

If you have a similar idea for ID tags, will you share it with us? Thanks!

Back-to-School Shopping List for Food Allergies

by Kelley Lindberg


It’s official – it’s back-to-school shopping time! My son cringes every time we walk past a back-to-school display or see a back-to-school ad. He nearly went into hysterics when the Land’s End Back-To-School catalog showed up in our mailbox a couple of weeks ago. He’s watching the days on the calendar count down like a condemned man choosing his last dinner from a menu.

Despite his protests and heartfelt denials, school is still coming, and we still have to stock up on those supplies. Of course his back-to-school list includes a few extra items because of his food allergies. So if you are preparing a shopping list for a food-allergic student, don’t forget these essentials:

• Epinephrine Injectors – I get a pair to leave at the school’s office, and a pair for him to carry in his lunch box. (EpiPens, Twinject, and Adrenaclick are the three brands used in the U.S.) Be sure you check the expiration dates to make sure they’ll last through the school year.
• Benadryl – Like with the EpiPens, I put some in the office, and some in his lunch box. Again, check the expiration dates.
• Lunch Box – He always takes a home lunch and sits with his food-allergic buddy.
• Thermos for hot foods – he lives on noodles, but these are great for safe soups, chili, and casseroles, too.
• Beverage Thermos or water bottle
• Handi-Wipes – I always put a couple of individually wrapped Handi-Wipes in his lunch box so he can clean off the table if he needs to.
• Food Allergy Action Plan – Make an appointment with your child’s allergist or pediatrician now, and have them fill out a Food Allergy Action Plan to give to your school. I attach a current photo of my son, and then I make a few color copies of it. I give one to the school office, one to each of his teachers for them to hang in their classroom, and one to the school cafeteria manager for her to hang in the kitchen, so that the lunch workers will know him and recognize him if he has a reaction. If your doctor doesn’t have their own form, use this Food Allergy Action Plan from FAAN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network). It’s probably the most widely used form in the U.S., and most doctors recognize and use it.
• Medical ID Bracelet or Necklace – if your child will wear one of these, it’s a great idea. It is a visual reminder for teachers of your child’s allergies, and it’s an instant help for EMTs who might be summoned if your child has a reaction. Try American Medical ID (my son likes their sports band bracelets) or Sticky J Jewelry (some amazingly cute childrens' bracelets, including leather and hemp, beaded, etc.), but there are several online vendors who make these types of medical ID bracelets.

Do you have any other great suggestions for allergy-aware back-to-school supplies? Be sure to share them with us!

Happy shopping!