Epi carriers--pouch or strap?

[eggallergymom]

My DD is moving to the elementary school next year, and it's a much bigger building, with quite a bit more movement between rooms. The strategy we used this year in her 504 (to blanket the primary school with Epi pens) just won't work next year. I'm going to push again for her to self-carry her Epis (have lost that battle twice, but she's older and I think I can get her doc to sign off on the waiver). So the next question is--which method is best for carrying Epi? DD, who is 7, is adamant that she not wear one that's strapped on. She likes the pouch options. But my concern is that the pouches, while adorably camouflaged, are more easily left behind when moving from room to room. And while my 7 year old isn't especially forgetful, she has misplaced her lunchbox, pencilbox, etc, before. What has worked for your kids?

[GingerPye]

What we did is not real popular -- but at the elementary school I didn't feel like I wanted my kids carrying their epis in school.  I had epis in the nurse's office and in their classroom, under the teacher's supervision.  Even at the jr high, we have epis in the nurse's office and at each end of the building.
But --- my kids do not have inhalant allergies and if they did, I might have done differently.   Maybe.

If your child does not want something like a pouch to wear, then the chance of that bag getting left places is pretty high.
What I worry about is some other kid getting hold of the epi bag. 

[eggallergymom]

Thanks, Ginger. I do think there is a risk of her leaving the pouch behind. My DD does not have an inhalant allergy. There is some debate about whether she even has a contact allergy (ER doc said she did, I suspect it, but the allergist said it's unlikely.) But the reaction she had in first grade happened just so breathtakingly fast. Two bites of pudding and she was in anaphylaxis right away, and then the second wave at the hospital, which was even worse, hit fifteen minutes on the nose after the first Epi injection. Because that did happen to her, I think I'm just waiting for it to happen again. My feeling that she's at all safe is just completely shot. Maybe that's an emotional rather than a rational response, but I'll 'fess up to it. And while I don't think she'd eat anything a teacher gave her again, I can't say with absolute certainty that she wouldn't slip up and eat something she shouldn't. Since it's a huge building, I worry about her being in a special class (Spanish, computers, etc) three floors away from the nurse or her homeroom teacher and those Epi pens.

[CMdeux]

I strongly recommend something that goes on-- and STAYS on.  That way, they really don't have much opportunity to be left anywhere.

DD has always worn hers cross-body, as this seems to bother her least in sensory terms (she hates anything tight on her body, and really, since she has somewhat dermatographic tendencies, a "belt" style holder probably would give her welts).

Other tips that I've figured out over the years:

a) DD has to CHOOSE the bag.  We get veto power over things which are wildly inappropriate or lack necessary features, but she never has to wear something she hates.  Ever.

b) adjustable length straps are a great idea, since that way, the fit is "perfect" in terms of activity and what your child prefers, which can change as they grow or even just day-to-day.

c) there isn't any way to make it discreet ENOUGH that nobody will notice it... and really, that's not necessarily a good idea anyway.  Might as well make it functional, then-- enough room to hold 2 epis, cell phone, inhaler (as needed), ID/information, and a compact snack or individually wrapped wipes.



Also want to make sure that any "Waiver" that you sign does NOT NOT NOT absolve the school of the responsibility for administering epinephrine as needed.  Self-carry =/= "self-administer."

[eggallergymom]

Thanks, CM. Last year, DD's allergist wrote a letter saying that she needed to carry an Epi on her at all times, but that she shouldn't administer it; that an adult should do so if she were in anaphylaxis. The district rejected that and said the doc would have to sign the waiver that says DD COULD administer the Epi to herself. The doc didn't want to do that, since he thought that would absolve them of the responsibility to do so, too. So we hit a stalemate. I'm going to revisit this at the first 504 meeting this year, but what I heard all last year was that they'd never had a child so young self-carry, and that they'd had a "terrible" experience a few years ago with an elementary school student giving herself an Epi shot in a bathroom during a reaction, but the girl wasn't sure if she'd held the Epi in her leg for ten seconds or not. That experience apparently convinced them that self-carrying is a bad move for ALL kids. Of course, we also heard that no child in the district had ever had a 504 plan "just" for a LTFA, so we were the pioneers there.

[GingerPye]

It sounds like your school building is much larger than ours.  That would make a difference.  I agree that then you'd probably want your child to carry and have it be something she wears.

[eggallergymom]

It is much bigger than her current school, but I'm not sure yet how it works in terms of which grade goes where; if the third grade spends most of its time on one floor, for example. Those are questions I'm hoping the principal will answer for me. She is really resistant to an Epi carrier that straps on, but she wasn't thrilled about the MedicAlert bracelet, either, and now she doesn't seem to notice it. We shall see. Thanks again, everybody!

[hedgehog]

DS wears one that hooks onto a belt loop.  It means he can never wear anything without belt loops, but so be it. It gets hooked on in the morning, and stays on until he gets undressed at night.

[Janelle205]

I have one that comes with a hook for a belt loop, but also has the option of threading a belt through, for when I wear pants without belt loops.  Mine is a kozyepi - you may have more luck with this brand with your daughter - they have several choices in fabric and lots of them are very cute - I'm actually probably going to order a second one soon so I can have a different pattern choice.

I did have a leg buddy for a while - this one straps to your leg and can be worn under clothing.  I didn't like it, and never used it more than once or twice.  It would never stay up for me - always ended up dangling around my ankle.

[Macabre]

My DS started self-carrying on his person in 4th but should have started years earlier.  He had a kit in his classroom and in a few other areas around the school.  The problem was that he had one that he carried with him to specials and to PE.  He was too young to consistently remember it, and the teachers didn't always help him do that.  It got left and lost (temporarily) toooooo many times. 

We have done the Epi belt (too gigantic now), the cozy epi, and the one at onespotallergy.com that is plain (it wears, but we like it the best).

We have huge threads on epicarriers themselves to give you better ideas. 


http://www.onespotallergy.com/The-Best-EpiPen-Belt-p/osa0025.htm

[socks on a rooster]

My daughter used to wear this one (pink camouflage), or she wore a stylish small purse if it was really hot. Would it be possible to have it co-located with her but have her pass it to the different teachers during the day rather than wearing it on her body the whole time? This would have worked well for us had her teachers not been incompetent. Also, if you do get it in the 504 that she can self carry make sure to write on the 504 that school personnel will be responsible for administering. If it doesn't say that, it isn't a violation if they don't do it.

http://www.onespotallergy.com/The-Best-EpiPen-Belt-p/osa0025.htm

[AllergyMum]

My DS started self-carrying on his person at age 3 in preschool and now in elementry school he still self-carries using a belt style one (kozy-epi).  We keep 1 extra epi in the office & 1 in the after-school program room.  In our school board, as well as most of the other school boards in our area, children with allergies are required to self-carry and leave 1 in the office.

Like others do, we let him gets to pick which ever one he wants and he knows he can get a new one whenever he wants.  He usually get a new one every year.

Why is she "adamant that she not wear one that's strapped on"  Is is about comfort or about the fact that others will see her wearing her epi pens.  If comfort, my son finds the kozy-epi the most comfortable of all the ones he has tried, and he prefers to wear it on the outside of his pants (so it is not on his skin) with his t-shirt hanging over it.  If she doesn't want the strap toching her perhaps a fleese liner around the belt would make it more comfortable for her.

[eggallergymom]

Thanks, everybody. I think DD's objection to the strap carriers is that they'd bother her or get in the way. The cat is pretty much out of the bag about her allergy so I don't think she's worried about being embarrassed.  She's young enough, too, that it might be more "interesting" than "weird". Or maybe not. Who knows. One of her good friends has asthma and always has a rescue inhaler with her in a little case, so she wouldn't be the only kid with something like this.
She also hated the idea of wearing the MedicAlert bracelet and she got used to that pretty quickly. She wears a lot of leggings, though, so I'm not sure how the belt-style ones would work? I need to look at all of these options you all have recommended with her, and see what she thinks! Thanks again!

[bonestable]

My DD wears a Kozyepi round her waist.  She carries one EpiPen and there are two more in the school office.

She adjusted to it very easily.  She likes to wear it a little loose, and she twists it to the side or back for some activities (gym or playing).

She started wearing it in 2nd grade, and people did ask her about it, but it kind of looks like a little purse so I think they thought it was interesting.  She didn't really like the attention, but people soon got used to it and stopped mentioning it. 

She wears leggings a lot too, and sometimes her Kozyepi ends up under her shirt or dress, sometimes over.  Either way it doesn't seem to bother her and she rarely mentions it now.

[joanna5]

My son is seven and in first grade.  We used a Kozy Epi when I carried it (and now it holds the baby's Epis), but now that he self carries, we have the belt one that was posted earlier.  They're a little cheaper directly from the manufacturer:

http://store.spibelt.com/Kid-s-Belts-s/22.htm

When we ordered, they didn't have the smaller belt.  I think I need to get one, as D's tends to loosen and fall down periodically.