International Travel

[yelloww]

This makes me super happy! I'm glad she will have this experience before graduating HS!

[CMdeux]

Oh boy....

EF staffer who noted DD's nut allergies and egg allergy with a cheery "Oh, THAT's easy... it's not like it's a GLUTEN restriction...."


Ummmm....     Okay.  Look.  I get what you're saying.  I do.  I've lived with a wheat allergic child.  I understand.

BUT.  I also think that I have a pretty darned good set of reasons for not being very glib about this being "easy."   Your statement is a kissing cousin to "doesn't she just know what she can't eat," for crying out loud.  If it WERE that easy, we wouldn't have more than ONE anaphylaxis experience to draw from...

  You just REALLY freaked me out with that statement, and made me soooooooooooooo, sooooooooooo glad that: a) the teacher running the show here helped to WRITE my DD's 504 plan years ago and has been on the team ever since, and b) I am coming with my DD to help run reconnaisance/interference as needed.
<breathes deeply, muttering self-soothing statements>

  Because-- okay-- frankly, a lot of people who say they have gluten restrictions.... DON'T.  Not really.  (Which, um, yeah-- different set of circumstances, certainly, but that makes things even harder on those who really DO... anyway.)  It's a dietary preference for a lot of people now, and if they screw up, nobody's the wiser on any side of things.  This-- not so much.  This is a real allergy.  The kind that we'll be carrying a dozen autoinjectors for.

"Contact the airlines for special meal arrangements..."


Um... okay.  Again with the lack of understanding...  we won't be eating ANYTHING served by an airline.  NO way, no how.  Canned or bottled beverages, yes. 

At least they are super-cooperative, which is more than most people are.  That's a definitely mark in their favor.  HOWEVER... they are pretty green, I can see that.

Trailblazer.  Again.




I think that we're going to want a physician's letter documenting medications-- and verifing the need for "that many" autoinjectors.  Might want to even go to the trouble of having our allergist detail an emergency treatment plan of some kind.  Just in case.

[twinturbo]

Oh boy....

EF staffer who noted DD's nut allergies and egg allergy with a cheery "Oh, THAT's easy... it's not like it's a GLUTEN restriction...."


Ummmm....     Okay.  Look.  I get what you're saying.  I do.  I've lived with a wheat allergic child.  I understand.

BUT.  I also think that I have a pretty darned good set of reasons for not being very glib about this being "easy."   Your statement is a kissing cousin to "doesn't she just know what she can't eat," for crying out loud.  If it WERE that easy, we wouldn't have more than ONE anaphylaxis experience to draw from...

  You just REALLY freaked me out with that statement, and made me soooooooooooooo, sooooooooooo glad that: a) the teacher running the show here helped to WRITE my DD's 504 plan years ago and has been on the team ever since, and b) I am coming with my DD to help run reconnaisance/interference as needed.
<breathes deeply, muttering self-soothing statements>

  Because-- okay-- frankly, a lot of people who say they have gluten restrictions.... DON'T.  Not really.  (Which, um, yeah-- different set of circumstances, certainly, but that makes things even harder on those who really DO... anyway.)  It's a dietary preference for a lot of people now, and if they screw up, nobody's the wiser on any side of things.  This-- not so much.  This is a real allergy.  The kind that we'll be carrying a dozen autoinjectors for.

Bane. of. my. existence. right there.

[yelloww]

I brought 8 Epi's to Mexico and a bottle of liquid Steroids. We had a drs letter with us for all of it and the dr gave me the dosage instructions for the steroids just as they would give them to ds if we had given the Epi and took him to the ER.

I was supposed to stab him, give him the steroids and get an ambulance (and basically keep stabbing and pouring steroids in him until we were at a hospital because who knew how long it would take) . Fortunately, DH's uncle is a physician who was on the trip with us, and his other uncle is Puerto Rican and speaks fluent Spanish so we were ok in the language and medical depts if need be.

Either way, we didn't need them but it was good to have them with us.

[hopechap]

 I'd try to avoid peanut Delta.

[iansmom]

Haven't posted on here in forever--like since the old boards--but had to chime in because DS and I are going on an EF tour to Italy, France, Monaco and Spain this spring, and I have questions and concerns about the availability of safe foods while there. DS is concerned about the language barrier--he's only been taking French since this fall. I took several years of French in high school and college, and I'm rusty but I know it will come back with use. My SIL teaches French, so I'll have her do some translations for us before we go. I'm not concerned about the adults on the trip. DH is a teacher at DS's school, so the staff chaperones are his coworkers/friends. They like and respect him and DS tremendously, and are very aware of the FA situation. Besides, I'm going along to do the troubleshooting.

Looking forward to it, especially since DS (only 12yo now, but 13 when he goes on this trip) has been begging to travel abroad for years already.

Best of luck to all of us traveling overseas with FA kids! 

Iansmom

[CMdeux]

Glad I'm not the only crazy one, Iansmom!!



Which reminds me-- I need to start stocking epinephrine autoinjectors now.

(Insurance has stupid policy about only one refill per 30 days, and I intend to travel with about a dozen since DD and I both have life threatening food allergies.)


Also things that you'll want to clear with EF specifically-- they ordinarily 'room' kids in quads-- if you want to room as a FAMILY instead, you have to specify that with them at least 90 days prior to travel-- for spring, that is coming up quite soon.

The other thing to be aware of is that they MUST have the name exactly as it appears on your passport-- again, a bit more than 90 days prior to travel.

We've decoupled air travel from the land package for our trip-- because they'll fly "whoever give the best rate at booking" rather than "safe" airline.  Now, it  might be a safe flight.  But who knows. 

We have not yet booked our flights because we haven't gotten confirmation of travel dates-- yet-- and won't until mid-December for our mid-spring departure.


Within 30 days of departure, you'll get access to the LOCAL, on-the-ground EF tour personnel-- and they are the ones to run specifics of recon past.  (Like-- on day X, is there a market near the city center that we can grab safe food at?)

[Ra3chel]

Glad I'm not the only crazy one, Iansmom!!



Which reminds me-- I need to start stocking epinephrine autoinjectors now.

(Insurance has stupid policy about only one refill per 30 days, and I intend to travel with about a dozen since DD and I both have life threatening food allergies.)

Might also check and see how many refills per *year* they'll cover. Mine'll only cover one twinpack per year without explicit physician override, which they regularly lose. FUN TIMES.

[CMdeux]

Oh, ours covers more than that.  We're just (probably) going to have to 'cheat' and take my 3 refills as well as DD's 5.

In other news, passports are on their way to us as I type.  So that part went off without a hitch, at least.   

[iansmom]

We have our travel dates now--only 3 months away! I'm beginning to make a list of things we need to take care of: extra EpiPens (still have some extras from our Christmas trip to Hawaii), letter and treatment plan from allergist, checking on details with EF tour personnel (specifics on meals/restaurants/markets/hotel amenities). We're fine with the school staff members who are going. One is a good friend of DH, another is his principal, and then the two language teachers who both know DS. I still need to get translation cards for different nut names in French (I can handle most of those), Italian and Spanish. Anyone know where I can find some? Fortunately, I have some great Italian cookbooks with the recipe names in English and Italian, so I can probably do most of the Italian on my own with a little effort. I can get SIL to check my French. But Spanish is a little less accessible for me.

Okay, here's an odd thought: I've been pondering how to easily carry DS' meds (EpiPens, inhaler) with us as we tour various sites, and wondering how to keep them with us without having them get in the way or risk losing them to pickpockets/thieves who don't necessarily realize what they are. Any ideas or advice? Or am I worrying unnecessarily? I just like to cover my bases.

Also, I'm not sure what kinds of foods to bring with us to be sure that DS has something handy, both on the long, long flight(s) and while over there. Anyone have info to share on hotel amenities (fridge, microwave, electric kettle)? We get more confident with every trip we take, but this is our first trip where English isn't the primary language spoken.

Starting to get excited!

Iansmom

[CMdeux]

timely update!

We are less than 30 days out-- so we'll have hotel info pretty soon.

We are still trying to figure out how to have hot water IN our hotel room-- but DD and I are rooming together, our school group has made it clear that peanuts and cashews are not permitted in snacks (may contains are fine) on tour, and we have ~10lbs of lyophilized stuff from Just Tomatoes.

I have a BUNCH of links to share re: taking food into the EU.  Basically, consider your weight to be limited-- and NO meat, NO potato products, and NO dairy in any form will be permitted (not even with medical exemption, it seems. )

SO bear that in mind.  Our plan involves Maruchan Ramen (4 packs), Just Tomatoes soybeans (as a protein source), Just Veggies, and strawberries from them-- that doesn't include anything specifically restricted by the EU, but just to be safe we are keeping it under weight (2.2 kg per person of restricted fruit/veg)--


Okay-- meds.  After talking to allergist this morning:

Pre-flight-- twin objectives of getting DD as uncompromised as possible allergy-wise, along with predosing with higher-than-normal doses of antihistamines and with singulair prior to flight (starting now, basically).  We will also carry aboard--

In-flight:  benadryl-- both topical and oral, cetirizine, epinephrine (12 autoinjectors), Zantac (another histamine blocker), steroid tablets, and both LABA and SABA inhalers (symbicort and albuterol), and pseudoephedrine.  Also-- seat covers, wipes, mask, and food for a 24 hour delay anywhere along the line. 

During our treks, we will carry two mixed-lot autoinjectors EACH in our day bags, and DD will wear two.   Plus rescue inhaler, of course. The rest can be in packed bags in our hotel.


We're still trying to figure out the cellular and water-heating aspects of things.  But it is coming together. 

[eragon]

sounds like good organisation so far.

count down!

[CMdeux]

Have  a brilliant plan for kettle.

May try to order one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/1-Litre-Cordless-Kettle-White/dp/B002BTQDC2/ref=sr_1_141?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1362090101&sr=1-141

for delivery TO our first hotel-- but not clear whether they'll deliver to Ireland.  <sigh>

[ajasfolks2]

Related story out of Australia, though their travels taking them to another part of globe  . . . saw link today:


Severe Food Allergy And The Overseas School Trip
http://www.allergynet.com.au/severe-food-allergy-and-the-overseas-school-trip/

ETA -- In that article (toward end) are a number of other links suggested for reading -- I have not had chance to read those or post them in this thread -- don't miss those links!

[eragon]

CM cant you just email the hotels you are staying in and ask if kettles are available? I am quite sure that they already are, the irish and uk are great tea drinkers and need boiling water! Even in the french hotels i have stayed at had tea/coffee with kettle in rooms.