field trip

[Mfamom]

i haven't postedmuch about this, but now its crunch time and I've been getting the "don't worry mrs. mfamom" from school.

2 nights, 3 days out of state field trip. 
so far, i have breakfast and dinner at hotel (3 meals) taken care of.  I put the kabosh on the buffet for my ds even though they swear the buffet will be free of nuts etc.  I feel like my ds needs to follow his food rules and no buffets are one of them.   The other night of dinner is taken care of.

They are having lunch at a "food court" and when I looked it up, not one familiar place, plus many don't have contact numbers.  On the way home, they are stopping at "a mall" and I was told "your ds can eat where he usually eats fast food". 

The last thing that makes me uncomfortable is that they made the school nurse the chaperone for his group.  They did this with "good intentions", but I pointed out that just because she's a nurse, doesn't mean she's equipped to help my ds make good decisions to prevent a reaction.  Plus, if one of the other 270 kids on the trip needs her, who will be overseeing the kids in her group? 

My ds is very good at managing his allergies.  I just hate the whole trip.  Still need to work out 2 lunch outings.  The kids in his room are great friends and they all are trustworthy to not bring food that are unsafe for my ds.  Their moms have all checked with me. 

[yelloww]

Send him with a cooler for all of those other meals. When do they leave? Jar of sunbutter, some bagels, beef jerky all come to mind as our quick reliable travel foods. Oh and a pound of sliced turkey in a ziplock.

If you have time, go to the Campmor store on Rte 17 in that large shopping town that is closed on Sundays and see if you can get some of the freeze dried camping meals. Then he just needs hot water from somewhere to make an "on the go" meal.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/SubCategory___40000000226_200368408

[Mfamom]

I'm def. sending him with some food.  Good idea to go to that store! 
He will not eat sunbutter....unfortunately, he's not big on sandwiches.  Beef Jerkey he will eat LOL
I'll see what I come up with tomorrow when I call some of the restaurants. 

[YouKnowWho]

Dinty Moore and other Hormel meals can be eaten without heating (obviously not as desirable) but might be some options.  Both of the kids had those at school on the off chance lunch was contaminated, lost or forgotten.

[Mfamom]

UGH, now he's sick.  I thought he seemed "off" last week.  He has sore throat etc.  Not sure if it is allergy/cold or if he has something coming on. 

[momma2boys]

When does he leave?  How bad does he really want to go? 

[Mfamom]

Funny you ask that.  he originally didn't want to go. I am not sure why.  Then, he changed his mind. 
It went from the teacher who is in charge telling me oh, mfamom I love your DS!!  Don't worry I'm all over this....to me saying, thanks for being "all over it, but could I just ask what you know about managing his allergies and what to ask etc?"  to "don't be mistaken that "I" am going to be "OK" with someone telling me they have it covered, K? 

so , i told her very specifically the information "I" need about this trip.  She finally sent it to me on Friday. 

So, I took off work today to make the calls for the restaurants I still didn't know about.  Day derailed with DS being sick,needing to go to the dr, fill prescriptions....many of the people in the restaurant business apparently take Monday off because NONE of the people I need to speak with are intoday.  To make things even better, I just dropped his meds at the nurse.  She gave me the "mrs. mfamom.  he's almost in HS.  what does hedo when he goes out to eat with his friends?  I'm sure he'll be just fine." 
I literally blew a gasket on her and told her that he doesn't just haphazardly "hang out" and he doesn't go out very often.  When he does, it is a deliberate, informed decision in a familiar place.  That I don't think he's going to have much fun hitting Quincy market forlunch without some pre planning. 
Then I got snotty and said, what exactly do you know about food allergies?  (aftershe's demonstrated thatshe really knows zero about what to ask )
Anyway, he does appear to have strep throat....I am sure he'll be fine.  I want himtohavefun and he has no idea how stressed out I am righ tnow.

space bar giving me trouble. sorry!!

[yelloww]

There's a Mc D's right around the corner from Quincy Market. That's where we go with ds when we are up there for lunch. We've also eaten at Durgin Park with ds but during a lull around dinner time (early dinner or not on a weekend). I love Durgin Park bc my family has gone there for generations- back to my great-grandfather.

I didn't realize you'd be up there. That's the area where I grew up.

[Mfamom]

so, I spoke to the nurse again today and asked her about ds back up epi pen.  she tells me there is no back up, mrs. mfamom. this trip is to "help" get themready for hs. 
I say WHAT!  ARE you F'ing KIDDING ME!!!!!!!   You're 3 hours from home.  what if he somehow loses his epi belt?  Then what?  She says I guess he had better not lose it. 
Starts lecturing me about how this is a perfect time for him to learn to negotiate his food choices. 
I hung up on her.  I'm beside myself.  I'mmostly beside myself because I've been trying to get the plan worked out for over a month, but they are last minute Larry on their end.  Now they are telling me to Wing it? 

Meanwhile, I've been on the phone off and on all day trying to work things out for him. 

If I feel like I do right now tomorrow, he's not going.   

[rainbow]

I'm def. sending him with some food.  Good idea to go to that store! 
He will not eat sunbutter....unfortunately, he's not big on sandwiches.  Beef Jerkey he will eat LOL
I'll see what I come up with tomorrow when I call some of the restaurants.

I don't know...I'd never give a new food away from home, that LTFA child has not had successfully at home a few times.

[rainbow]

So you or DH are not going right?

I wouldn't be comfortable with the trip, on several levels.

It does not sound like they have things under control.  They do not know what they are doing.  No, kids with LTFA do not "just go to restaurants with their friends to hang out". 

Given I know your DS is very responsible, and you have a good situation with the friends, I think it'd be ok...but I do not like their attitude that you need to just relax because this isn't a big deal. Oh yes it is, eating away from home for 3 days with adults that don't seem to know what is required for a person with LTFA to eat safely.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

[yelloww]

Ooof! They sound like they have no clue what we or your ds go through on a day to day basis! Will they even know what to do if he loses the Epi? If the best they can do is "well he better not lose it" then they are probably borderline negligent.

I would have hung up or wigged out too, and if it were my ds and I was getting the bs you are getting today, I wouldn't send him either! Sheesh!

It is doable, but not if or when you are dealing with what appear to be clueless people. Then it just isn't.

And tell them they can go pound sand if they think they can dictate when and how your ds should be ready to navigate on his own! They aren't the experts!

[SilverLining]

  

I would like to send them a list of names....and details of schools that didn't get it.

[momma2boys]

Wow     I have to say I would keep him home.

[ajasfolks2]

Well, as my 13 year-old son would say,

"Good Ghandi (who was not Japanese) . . . "   (NOT a racist thing -- just an odd phrase he started saying in some weird accent when he was faced with mountain of sh** . . . )

followed by,


"My life is worth more than this, Mom."









No back up Epipens on ANY trip?  That would be definition of insanity in our lives -- in THIS household, anyway.


And the nurse thinks that minimal knokwledge of "food choices" in a "winging-it-way" would be just hunky-bleeping-dory for your son?




Nice.




I'd better shut up a little bit now.