Epi Pens and "allergies"????

[mum4jenn]

WOW!!! What a day this has been. Where do I begin??? For those of you that don't know, I am a cafeteria manager in an elem. school. This year we have lots of kids with allergies and have done what is necessary to make sure they have the proper DR. notes and we abide by the no milk...no peanuts...no fish or what ever the problem is but today a situation has come up that has most of the adults in the school ....flabbergasted(don't even know if this is the best word to use!!)

Well a mom started the school registration process just before the Christmas break and I guess she must have finished up today and her two sons will begin tomorrow. The mom says they are both allergic to milk, fish, and peanuts among lots of other things but I think that is all the food items(at this point). She says that the two boys have to be isolated because of the peanut allergies and they have to have epi-pens. Ok fine but you know what???? The boys have been re-tested and the results show that neither child is allergic anymore BUT she does not believe the allergy results and wants everyone to abide by HER rules!!!!!

It gets worse.......

She REFUSES to let her sons carry an epi-pen (4th grade and 5th grade) and now is demanding that EVERY adult that comes into contact with her children to have an epi-pen !!! I (and the food service director) feel that I should not be required to be responsible for this especially since the tests show the allergies are gone. All the adults are very upset about this and when I left(at 3pm) the adm. asst had a call into the school system attorney to find out legally what we need to do.The Principal is not happy about this Mom at all but he had a dental emergency this afternoon so I still don't know all the details. I know he has said he would personally buy fanny packs for each boy so they could carry their own epi-pen.

Wouldn't it make more sense for the boys to have the epi-pen in a fanny pack on their body than for it to be all the way in my office and I have to get to it and back to the child and waste all sorts of time??

Also....the plot thickens!!! The mom said the lunchroom manager at the former school did this as well as several key adults in the school. Guess what??? The kids came from a charter school that does not even have a lunchroom and my boss knows the principal there and called her and was told that only ONE person at the school had the epipen!!!

I certainly would not want ANYTHING to happen to either of these kids and I always do whatever I can to accomodate allergies ,etc. but if they have NO documentation from a Doctor then legally my hands are tied and I do not have to accomodate the mother's wishes. I can't wait to see what the attorney has to say about this!!! I think the mom is a whack job but we will see. The school nurse told her that we would have to have Dr's notes about the allergies and when the Mom heard her say that then she refused to even look at the nurse and turned her back to her.


so....how was YOUR day?????

Any suggestions???????

 

[SandiH]

Wow - without a Dr's note and prescription, can you even have an EPI PEN on campus for the children? Aren't those prescribed items???

What a pushy mom and I wouldn't give into her unless the lawyer told me I had too then I would be talking to the Union (and I'm not a big - go to the union type of person)

Keep us posted.

 

[wdwmom2]

"Whack Job" !!!!!! We use that up here too. And the mom sure does sound like one. I would love to know what the school attorney has to say. I would certainly think that she would have to show some kind of medical documentation that states what the boy's are allergic to now, not what they were allergic to in the past. Allergies can be outgrown.

Sit back, put your feet up, and have a nice, cold drink .

 

[wdwmom2]

Wow - without a Dr's note and prescription, can you even have an EPI PEN on campus for the children? Aren't those prescribed items???

What a pushy mom and I wouldn't give into her unless the lawyer told me I had too then I would be talking to the Union (and I'm not a big - go to the union type of person)

Keep us posted.

Around here, to have an Epi-pen in school, you need a PMO (Physician's Medication Order) from the child's doctor for the child to take it to school. And yes, an Epi-pen is a prescription med.

 

[golfgal]

You know, some people just think they know more then the rest of the world combined. Those poor boys, can you imagine what their life is like at home???? Whack job sums it up pretty well.

My sisters kids are all allergic to wood. How in the heck can you be allergic to wood???? They don't live in a plastic house, they can stand by trees just fine, but they are all, all 7 of them, allergic to wood. Whack job is the family name for her, too.

You aren't in Wisconsin are you????

 

[teacherforhi]

I would almost guess that those students came from my school....one of mine has certainly been absent enough....

According to his mother, he is supposedly allergic to both milk and orange juice...but not oranges... I don't understand that....

He also is supposedly asthmatic, but doesn't know how to properly use an inhaler. He doesn't actually inhale when he uses one.

If yours are anything like mine, may hardly be there. Mine misses upwards of 60 days of school a year due to his numerous 'allergies'.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

If everyone carries an epi-pen, then they would all need to be trained in its proper use. Using an epipen without cause could be harmful. At their ages, it would be best for the boys to carry their own, and know how to give it to themselves if the need arises. Additionally, the school nurse should have one on hand. I understand where it's coming from, but this mother's anxiety is extreme, I feel kind of badly for the kids.

Epipen: http://www.drugs.com/mtm/E/Epipen_Auto_Injector.html

 

[rascalmom]

As a person with food allergies - this mom is really doing these kids a disservice. She should be abiding by the doctor's recommendation - no more, no less. Does she really want these kids to go through life with fear that their "allergies" will return? Does she want every adult around her kid to be resentful & think that she is just too over-zealous if her kid really does have a relapse?

Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? This sounds like the mom is crying wolf.

Poor kids - I know as an allergic person, I don't like my issue made into a big deal. I just am aware of what I eat. I recently went to a party hosted by my neighbor - bless her, her heart was in the right place, but I was mortified by the attention she drew to me. She had actually made little flags & placed them in different food items - "Tonya Free Zone".

Geez, couldn't you have just told me not to eat the crab dip? Those boys are probably humiliated by their mom's "protective" actions too.

 

[SandiH]

Around here, to have an Epi-pen in school, you need a PMO (Physician's Medication Order) from the child's doctor for the child to take it to school. And yes, an Epi-pen is a prescription med.

That's what I thought. Unless she brings in Dr.'s orders, it should be a non issue. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean the mom won't continue to be a PITA!

 

[Lil_Tink]

If I remeber correctly, at my old school we had to have doctors notes and all medical stuff must be kept in the office. I had asthma and had to keep my inhaler in there, go there to use it, ext. The only excuse was a girl with diabetis (sp?) and she was dismissed to the hall to go and check her self.

 

[pumba]

my neice had peanut allergies for the first three years of her life.....her last test was in august and the allergies are not visable on the tests....but he did say to carry the pen anyways....because when allergies go that fast they sometimes come back that fast.....but at least my niece (the mom) is not a paranoid freak about it.....she knows that the world is not free from all the smells and allergans in every place ....malls or hall ways or anything...she was kissed on her cheek and that person had a peanut butter cup an hour before and her little face swelled up.....
The person being referred to here is doing more harm to her children by doing this......let them be free of allergies for a while .....heck my little niece had a peanut butter sandwich...not very thick one but she thought it was the best thing......she doesnt get them very often....but she sure enjoyed it

 

[Tanuki]

If they actually aren't allergic you won't ever have to use the Epi Pen. Instead of having every adult be personally responsible for carrying one - just have the mom supply an Epi Pen for every room in the school and put it in a red box marked Epi Pen and tape it to the wall with duct tape. Case closed. Then forget about it.

 

[cardaway]

If they actually aren't allergic you won't ever have to use the Epi Pen. Instead of having every adult be personally responsible for carrying one - just have the mom supply an Epi Pen for every room in the school and put it in a red box marked Epi Pen and tape it to the wall with duct tape. Case closed. Then forget about it.

Sounds good. And to stress the point, the parents of the child supply the pens.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

If they actually aren't allergic you won't ever have to use the Epi Pen. Instead of having every adult be personally responsible for carrying one - just have the mom supply an Epi Pen for every room in the school and put it in a red box marked Epi Pen and tape it to the wall with duct tape. Case closed. Then forget about it.

Tanuki, it's not that simple. Who will give it? Have they been trained how? Who is going to check all these epipens for expiration and replace them when they outdate (every 6 months)? Who is going to pay for all these epipens (epipen pricing http://www.drugstore.com/qxn49502050002_333181_sespider/epipen/epipen.htm )? What if a another child gets ahold of it and sticks himself or another child accidentally (or deliberately)? Etc. Epinephrine is not something you can risk being non-chalant about; it needs to be controlled for safety and used properly under the right circumstances ONLY.

Epipens and School: http://www.todaysparent.com/schoolage/healthsafety/article.jsp?content=20041001_123110_6120&page=1

 

[mum4jenn]

This woman has to be insane or something. I forget that for tomorrow she has given the entire school ONE epi-pen for both boys!!


They are also supposed to be allergic to all kinds of grass, trees,etc etc etc. They moved a 16 miles from their old school and now the mom says their allergies are better already because of different trees...... Excuse me but we are in south west GA...pecan trees, cotton fields, pine trees. All the same!!

I have not seen their folders but I think the latest allergy report is from OCTOBER 05 and that is what says they are no longer allergic to these things and the old school said all they had was something from 2003 and they were constanty asking for updated info and she kept avoiding them and making excuses.

All this info was presented to me from between 2:30 and 3:30 so I can only imagine what tomorrow holds.

I think there is supposed to be a training on the epi-pen in the morning and I hope I do not have to be there....I hope they have some more answers by then!! I don't really have a problem with knowing HOW to administer the epi-pen but I do have a problem with me having to have one in the lunchroom and then not being able to get to it in time. I keep thinking that if something were to happen and they needed an epipen and I could not get to it in time then the mom would try to hold me responsible. AND the whole fact that they only have documentation that they are NOT allergic to these things is just beyond explanation.



Here at our school the office, classroom teacher, school nurse all have access to their files. I have copies of doctor notes for allergies that I keep on a clip board along with a master list that I have colorcoded according to the allergies. The cashier also has an alert screen that pops up when the children enter their account numbers which warns the cashier to watch for food items that they are not supposed to have just in case the ladies on the serving line miss it ( they also get to know the allergy kids). We try to be very thorough in taking care of the needs of those kids.

 

[ElizaB39]

As a person with food allergies - this mom is really doing these kids a disservice. She should be abiding by the doctor's recommendation - no more, no less. Does she really want these kids to go through life with fear that their "allergies" will return? Does she want every adult around her kid to be resentful & think that she is just too over-zealous if her kid really does have a relapse?

Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? This sounds like the mom is crying wolf.

Poor kids - I know as an allergic person, I don't like my issue made into a big deal. I just am aware of what I eat. I recently went to a party hosted by my neighbor - bless her, her heart was in the right place, but I was mortified by the attention she drew to me. She had actually made little flags & placed them in different food items - "Tonya Free Zone".

Geez, couldn't you have just told me not to eat the crab dip? Those boys are probably humiliated by their mom's "protective" actions too.

OMG! I actually laughed (sorry) at your neighbor's antics what a whack job (bless her heart)! You could have embarassed her back and asked, "is it real crab or just the fake stuff?" tee hee

 

[DawnCt1]

Munchausens by Proxie???

 

[NCDisneyMom]

As the mother of a tree-nut/peanut allergic child (confirmed with reaction to peanut butter, and high positives on tests), I'm going to play devil's advocate here for just one moment. Humor me. IF the day ever comes where my ds outgrows his nut allergies. I would still be very hesitant to let him out without an epi-pen. As a Mom, I'd always be thinking "but what if it comes back when he least expects it?". We become so accustomed to going nowhere without it, that I can only imagine it would be very hard to change that in your head. In fact, when my dd started preschool this year (she is NOT allergic), it was very weird to not have to send the epi-pen, talk with the teachers, etc.

Now...that said...I do think that Mother is still going overboard. Your cafeteria sounds wonderful, and it sounds like the entire school is very allergy-aware, and willing to do what they need to do to keep these kids safe. In fact, most schools will not let kids keep their epi-pens on them, so I think it's wonderful that the principal will allow that. IMO, that should be enough. Let each kid carry one, and maybe keep a spare in the nurse's office. This is what my son does (his school is wonderful, also). I got him a special epi-belt (designed for the purpose of carrying an epi-pen) which he wears every single day to school. Now, it is just an extension of his body. All of his teachers (classroom, music, gym, etc.) have been trained on what to look for, and how to use it if needed. But, it is always on him, so there is no worry about not getting to it in time. Ds is only 5, but as he gets older, he will be taught how to use it, himself.

So..in a nutshell, if it was JUST the fact that she wants her kids to carry the epi-pens even after testing negative, I could understand it. However, I do think she is going overboard. Thanks for listening to my 2 cents.