Allergy Shots for Kids!? Our Environmental Allergy Shot Journey Begins!

 Our Allergy Shot Journey Has Begun!



I was very nervous, and worried about my daughter getting her first allergy shots. But, with Buzzy Bee, a lollipop,  and a Shot Blocker, the first allergy shots went better than I could have ever imagined!

My seven year old daughter was terrified, but with these three things, and a lot of talking them up as being almost painless, she barely even winced!  She was thrilled that the shot was almost painless!

We are both excited that she is on her way towards being able spend less time sneezing, eye rubbing, itching, wiping her nose, wheezing, and coughing, and hopefully one day, snuggle with Grandma's cat.

The 35+ weeks of weekly shots seems endless, 5 years of maintenance seems like an eternity, but it will be worth it! Hopefully...

I felt silly bringing in a shot kit with the skin distractors to the office, because I called ahead, and the nurses had never seen either the buzzy bee, or the shot blocker, they have nothing for kids... But it was worth it!

My daughter is normally shaking, and crying, and they worked to keep her calm, and happy.

I would not say either would make the pain non-existent. Both seem to work in the similar way of confusing/stimulating the nerves/skin, so the focus is not all on one tiny spot where the needle goes in. Plus there is the psychological comfort of being told that it will help, and that there is something being used to make the pain and fear go away.

The shot blocker reminds me of acupressure points, here it is: http://www.buyshotblocker.com/ the buzzy bee vibrates, and has a frozen pad that can go on it as well. Here is the site for it http://buzzy4shots.com

The nurses loved them! They told me that I should do a U-tube video as they have many young patients who could really use them.

Food Allergy Alert Daycare and School Handout

Food Allergy Alert Daycare/School Handout

Here is a handout that I made for Daycare, Sub folder, and Specials Teachers to compliment FARE's Emergency Food Allergy, and Anaphylaxis Plan. 

I made one for my daughter for daycare and pre-school and had it posted in the snack cabinet. For elementary school it may be helpful to have in the sub folders, and for specials teachers. 

To print double click, or right click on image, save image to your device, and then print:

                                        

The Best Way To Celebrate a School Birthday is Food Free!

The Best Way To Celebrate a School Birthday is Food Free!

This year my daughter has a safe snack box for parties, but they are also celebrating birthdays with bookmarks, silly straws, pencils, books, and more. She loves being included, and I am enjoying her delight on days when a birthday is celebrated at school, and she is included! 

Allergy Shots for Kids with Environmental Allergies, and Asthma

We are going to start allergy shots in a couple of weeks for my daughter. After much research we are going for the traditional allergy shots for her seasonal pollen allergies, dustmite allergy, and pet allergies. We hope that they will help her daily hay fever symptoms, asthma, slow down her development of new allergies, and lessen her fruit and veggie oral allergy/ food pollen syndrome.

Because of the severity of her allergies, she will have 4 extra months added on to the 4-5 months of weekly shots as they will be diluted even more than usual, and building up slowly to her maintenance dose.

I am on a search for any books or websites geared towards kids to help them cope with the fear, and pain of the shots.

So far, I have found zero books for kids... But I was pointed to Buzzy, a frozen buzzing bee! It looks cute, and we will give it a try. And Shot Blocker, which looks super simple, and inexpensive. We will try that out as well. Also recommended was EMLA numbing cream, and hydrocortisone anti itch cream.

I was also told there are studies showing that eating something sweet, and keeping warm can help ease the pain... We will give that a go as well.

http://buzzy4shots.com/what-is-buzzy/

Maybe this buzzing bee can help? Any experiences using this that you can share?

Shot Blocker was recommended by an allergist that I admire:
http://www.buyshotblocker.com/

So far our arsenal of products for combating the fear discomfort, and pain include:

Buzzy 

Shot Blocker

EMLA cream- numbing cream

Hydrocortisone- anti itch cream

Lollipops

Warm clothing



I will continue to search for products, and books etc. to help her cope! Please share any tips, or resources that you may have!

Happy New Year!

Grateful for all of the support groups that help me navigate food allergies!

Allergies, Asthma, and Getting Ready for School, or: We are Always Late

Rush, rush, rush!  

If you are disorganized like me, then you too probably run a bit late in the morning. Add on a must take list of medications for allergies and asthma, and it is a recipe for chronic scurrying, and tardiness.

Many a time while trying to feed my kids, get them dressed, and out the door on time, I forget my daughter's medications until we are walking out the door. I know that inhalers can not be rushed, the breathing needs to be done right, a good rinsing needs to happen afterword, and if needed, a nebulizer breathing treatment takes a good 20 minutes. This is not something that should be left until the last minute as we are scrambling to be on time for school. Plus this is not something that can be overlooked, even for one day. The worst call is one from the nurse's office asking you to please bring in the daily antihistamine, or inhaler that was forgotten before school as your child is itching and sneezing like crazy, or coughing non stop.

Just the other day, both kids were fed, dressed, hats and coats ready to go on, and my son decided that he was not happy with his outfit for the day, and "re-dressed" himself.  As I was rushing through my daughter's medications, pill, pill, inhaler, inhaler, nasal spray, etc. I turned to see his hamper running across the floor, with his two bare legs going as fast as they could go. "Mommy! I get dressed all by myself!" he squealed with glee as he ran in circles around the living room. I swear I have a sense of humor, but at the time, it was NOT funny.

I scrambled to finish my daughter's medications, caught the little stinker, and threw some clothes on him, just in time, to be 5 minutes late. On the way home I thought about how if I had not left my daughter's medications to the last minute (again), I could have laughed and enjoyed the moment, but as we were pushing the tardy cut off as it was, with yet another inhaler to give, I was not amused. Not even one bit.

So, I am going to make a change. New Years resolution: Medications first thing in the morning, and no more rushing around like a headless turkey right before we walk out the door for school.

The Non Food Allergic Sibling

But Mo-om, I'm Allerbic to gween beans!

 

My son is now three, the age that we have been told that it is OK to try out our daughter's most severe allergens with him. Our plan is to feed him peanuts and tree-nuts outside of our home (as our daughter is severely allergic)  in a setting close to the ER, or at the allergist's office. While I am waiting to get the courage up to test out the peanuts, and tree-nuts with my youngest child, I am learning that the younger siblings of children with severe food allergies quickly learn to make the most of their sibling's allergies.

Recently my three year old son has been using his sister's allergies to his advantage. The other day he grabbed a whole bag of cookies off of the counter, put a serious look on his face, and announced "I eat all cookies for my Sissy, she's allerbic to cookies!", "Don't be sad Mommy, I keep her safe!" I was floored! I had no idea that at the age of three, he would be capable of using his sister's allergies to his advantage. It hit me that I need to get ahead of this fast! But what to do? How do I educate him about his sister's food allergies without scaring him. How do I help him understand that they are not to be trivialized, or be used to ones advantage. How can teach him about the importance of including everyone in family treats?

In another example of how he has used his sister's allergies to his advantage, he announced at dinner that he was not going to eat his green beans, as he was allergic to them. After pushing them around his plate for some time, he was coaxed into trying one, which he promptly spat out, and whined "But Mo-om, I'm allerbic to gween beans!"  This is not a new adventure for me trying to figure out if a complaint about a food is a real allergic reaction, or just a dislike of the food's flavor, or a texture issue, but it is new in that he is not really concerned that he may be allergic, as my daughter was, he just doesn't want to eat his green beans!

Figuring out how to explain allergies, their seriousness, and the difference between not wanting to eat something, and being allergic to it can be trying. How do I explain to a three year old that something may make your mouth feel hot, or "spicy", and while that is uncomfortable, it is not necessarily an allergic reaction?  How can I make sure he understands the seriousness of a real allergy vs. a preference in taste/foods without worrying him?  A food may taste bad to you, make your tongue burn, have a funny texture, make you gag, or seem to get stuck in your throat, but that does not necessarily mean you are allergic to it. This seems simple to do, but seeing his sister with hives on her face from a previously loved food, and a worried watchful mom hovering at mealtimes must be a bit confusing to a three year old. But he is sure making the most of it!

If you have any tips, please share!!!