When do you let your child carry their own epiphany?

[Furby2000]

My son has a peanut allergy as well as asthma and eczema, he was prescribed an epipen about 3 years ago. We keep one at school, one with childminder and one at home/grandparents, it's a bit of a logistical nightmare especially as he needs inhalers in all these places too. Also, he is an unorganised child who loses everything. He is in year 5 and I was wondering how older children manage this issue when at secondary school/ out on their own?

[Furby2000]

Epipen not epiphany! Sorry

[shelsco]

I don't really know but will be watching with interest. My ds2 is in y6 and was diagnosed with peanut allergy a couple of months ago. He also has asthma and so needs inhalers everywhere too! At the moment we have an epipen at school and he carries a medipack with 2 epipens in everywhere outside of school. Because he needs the inhalers, he carries the medipack (might be medibag?) inside another small bag with his inhaler, spacer and a tiny bottle of antihistamine which I got from the chemist.
I managed to get a really small spacer (able spacer) which fits the inhaler inside it when it is being carried around so now the bag he needs is much smaller. I must admit I'm concerned about secondary school too. However, all his stuff would fit easily inside his school bag and, because the medipack is bright orange and has a clip should be easy to secure and find inside the school bag.
I must admit I'm still panicking every time he goes out to any club or even gets taken out by a friend in case he forgets to bring his bag back and he is then left without his epipens. I'm hoping that I might calm down about it, but the bottom line is that if he doesn't bring it back we've got a big problem so I can't afford to relax too much!!
Sorry I'm not much help really but I am in the same boat if that's any comfort!!

[littleducks]

I'm guessing you meant epipen? No idea, but I found the thread title very amusing!

[trixymalixy]

Where did you get the able spacer from shelsco? DS has a huge one which is a pain to carry around. I'd love something smaller.

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Love the title!

Most excellent.

[jojo43]

my daughter started secondary school in sept, so year 7. She has epipen for nut allergy. As school is so big I decided I wanted her to carry the epipen with her as worried about how long it would take to get it to her if it was in a cupboard somewhere-large 1500 pupil school. Both she-and school-have been fine with it. Fingers crossed we have never used it, but I feel a lot happier it is in her bag with her.

[ukey]

should always have 2 epi pens available x so should really have 2 in school x

[PureQuintessence]

I wish my children could carry Epiphanys around. I want some too!

Sorry. Could not resist. No advice though.

[sydlexic]

DS year7 had epipen since late year 6. He has a box with care plan piriton and two epipens in his school back pack, we remove school things at the weekend and use for trips out. Duplicate pack in school office and another in the car.

[madwomanintheattic]

I had a 9 (almost ten) yo cub who carried his own epipen. The leaders had one as well, but essentially, he understood it was his own responsibility to have it with him. He had a small canvas bag with a belt loop. It also had first response antihistamines in it. We always had spares for camp, and school had spares too.

[Furby2000]

Thanks for sharing everyone, I'm please my typo is entertaining you, Regarding the two epipen situation, we have had real trouble getting the GP to prescribe more than three, in fact she refused. So that's one for school, childminder, home. However think I will now get a medibag and get him to carry two with him. Has any one had any experience of teaching 9/10 year olds to use the epipen themselves?

[MamaMumra]

Regarding your GP, DS's management plan calls for 1 epipen followed by another if no response, so GP prescribes 4 (2 for home and 2 for school). Insist and write to GP / practice manager explaining why you need x amount of epipens.

[ggirl]

ds's allergy consultant only advises one epipen is needed now , he states there is not enough evidence to justify two.

ds's school nurse trains the teachers to expect 2 pens for each allergic child so I have had the school insist ds has 2 ,but i have spoken to nurse and she knows that this consultant only advises one so they now allow ds to have just the one at school

[trixymalixy]

My GP would only prescribe one for home and one for school. Loving the typo!!

[kissmyheathenass]

Ds has his in school staffroom.he is year8 and I would like him to carry them with him but school policy dictates staffroom. They are always accessible. Despite being incredibly disorganised, ds always remembers epipens when we go out.

[freefrommum]

We have 8 epi-pens on prescription due to childcare arrangements: 2 for school, 2 for childminder, 2 for dad and 2 for me/home. Our consultant insisted that he had to carry 2 wherever he went even though he said he often only prescribes 1 these days but in DS's case he said he must have 2 due to the severity of his allergies and the possibility that one might not be enough or could fail.

[shelsco]

Sorry trixy, been a bit mad here, haven't been online for a while. The able spacer was from the asthma nurse at our practice. we were initially told that there weren't any smaller ones available but a friend told me that she had one. I looked on amazon and found it then went to asthma nurse and asked for one. She looked it up and did find it once she had the name. I think they must be more expensive than the usual ones.

[shelsco]

Only about £9 on amazon so not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things but probably quite expensive compared to those usually prescribed.

[trixymalixy]

Thanks Shelsco. DS had his asthma review on Friday and the nurse prescribed one. She'd never heard of it. I'll get it on Friday, I'm quite excited as I hate the volumatic one he has just now. It's so bulky.

[shelsco]

I know. We've found it much easier to carry everything around now we don't have to find room for the huge volumatic!
I don't know if you'll already know this but the same person who recommended the spacer to me also told me that if ever you are without a spacer for any reason and you need one, a paper cup can double up as one.

Her DD is in her late teens and has forgotten her spacer a couple of times then had a severe attack. Her mum has run into a shop for a paper cup, cut a hole in the bottom and used that very effectively as a spacer. It's something I didn't know but I'm quite glad I do now. Hopefully I won't need it but it's always handy to know these things, just in case!

[trixymalixy]

Thanks for that tip!

[zipzap]

shelsco - great tip

quick question though -
Does it matter what size cup - will one of the little old fashioned ones do that they used to use for weak lemon squash at brownies or does it need to be bigger - sort of thing you'd get starbucks coffee in (not an expresso, a bigger one, am not a coffee drinker so not familiar with the names for the sizes!)

Cheers!