Food Allergy Action Plan

FAAN has released a revised food allergy action plan to be completed by your child's doctor. It has separate sections for "severe symptoms" vs. "mild symptoms".

http://www.foodallergy.org/files/FAAP.pdf




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MedicAlert EMIR

Does your food allergic child have a MedicAlert bracelet? If so, how long has it been since you last updated your child's Emergency Medical Information Record (EMIR)? Have any medications changed? How about dosages and/or frequencies? What about emergency and physician contacts? Any newly developed food, drug, or other allergies? All of this valuable information is stored in your EMIR and can help save your child's life in an emergency. With the new school year fast approaching, now would be a good time to update your child's EMIR because in an anaphylactic emergency every second counts!


www.medicalert.org

2010 Food Allergy Awareness Walk

Hello Members,

Our principal fund raiser for the year is fast approaching. On August 28, 2010, our Food Allergy Awareness Walk will be held at Warner Park in Madison. The goal of the walk is to further the mission of FAAW to raise the awareness of food allergies and to educate about the safe caring of people with food allergies. The walk achieves this goal in two ways. First, the publicity of the event raises awareness and provides information to attendees. Second, the event raises money critical to support the day-to-day efforts to further FAAW’s mission. Our goal this year is to raise $6,000.00 from individual contributions.

The Events page within the Madison of FAAW’s website (www.foodallergywis.org/eventsmadison.html) has information about the Walk. Included is a link to our fundraising page at FirstGiving (www.firstgiving.com/foodallergywis). FirstGiving is an organization that specifically helps nonprofits raise contributions through events. The FirstGiving site helps you set up a fundraising page or make a contribution to the Walk. FirstGiving also provides helpful hints to successfully raise contributions from families and friends.

As a nonprofit organization, FAAW operates solely off of fundraising and donations. Paying it forward allows us to offer most of our programs free of charge! And, as an all-volunteer organization, you can be assured your entire donation is used for the programs promised to forward our mission.

YOU make a difference! We appreciate all you do to partner with FAAW in working toward our mission.

Epinephrine Key

A new epinephrine auto-injector is being developed called the Epinephrine Key.

http://www.tcbmedicaldevices.com/index.html (view a picture of the device here)

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193773.php


A small epinephrine auto-injector that easily fits in the palm of one's hand, the Epinephrine Key attaches to any keychain. Just like regular keys, the Epinephrine Key is completely portable and always nearby, making it immediately available for emergency administration of epinephrine in the event of a severe allergic reaction.

Bisquick - Gluten Free!

Keep an eye out in your local grocery store for the new Gluten Free Bisquick coming out summer 2010!


The ingredients for the Gluten-Free Bisquick are:

Rice Flour, Sugar, Leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Xanthan Gum

Also be sure to check out the Betty Crocker website for lots of gluten-free recipes!
http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/bisquick/glutenfree.aspx

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EpiPen and Asthma Inhaler Carriers

August is almost here and that means only about a month is left before the kiddos head back to school again. Before long it will be time to renew all of your child’s medications to be left at school including inhalers, Benadryl, and of course EpiPens! Does your child self carry their EpiPen while at school? My son started self-carrying both his EpiPen and his inhaler when he started second grade. Both he and I felt much more at ease knowing that his medication was on his body at all times. He wears one EpiPen in a MediPouch around his waist while the second EpiPen is kept in the nurses office. His inhaler is either worn in a Med Ready Tote or in a sealable pocket if he is wearing cargo-style shorts/jeans. Of course by no means is self-carrying the EpiPen the same thing as self-administering. Although now at age 10½ I do believe my son could self-administer the EpiPen if need be, adults should always be trained in what signs/symptoms to watch for and how to administer the medication. Having a child know how to administer an EpiPen is one thing, but being able to do it in the face of anaphylaxis is an entirely different matter!

If you are considering letting your child self-carry, you may be wondering what type of carrier to purchase. I’ve been keeping a running list of all EpiPen and asthma inhaler carriers as I find them on the web. I have not, however, checked to see if all of these carriers will be able to hold the newly designed EpiPens as they are slightly larger, so you will need to check into that yourself before placing an order. I hope this list will be helpful to you and your food allergic child as you gear up for the start of another school year!

EpiPen Carriers

@RiskRescue
http://www.atriskrescue.com/kit.html

Adorn handbag and messenger bag
http://www.adorndesigns.com/

Allergy Haven
http://www.allergyhaven.com/c/epi-pen

AllergyKids
http://www.allergykids.com/product.php?proid=11&sub_catid=

AllergyPack
http://www.allergypack.com/

Ana-Tote
http://www.allstarsales.ca/index.html?lang=en-us&target=d17.html

E-belt
http://www.ebelt.ca/products.asp

Epi-Access
http://www.epiaccess.ca/en/single.htm

Epinephrine Mate
https://www.foodallergy.org/shoppingcart/shopwelcome.shtml

EpiPuppy
http://www.epipuppy.com/

FRIO wallets (keep medications cool)
http://www.coolerconcept.com/pages/prod2.htm

KozyEpi EpiPen and Puffer Pouches
http://www.kozyepi.com/index.htm

Medipouch
http://www.medipouch.com/

Omaxcare Leg Buddy & Asthma Pal
http://www.omaxcare.com/

Safety Sack
http://www.safetysack.com/

American Adventure Products
http://www.americanadventureproducts.com/old-backup/epipen.html

Peace of Mind Allergy Solutions (Custom made EpiPen carriers)
http://www.peaceofmindallergy.com/index.php

Take In Case
http://www.takeincase.com/

ActiveAide
http://www.activeaide.com/us/

Protectube (waterproof case)
http://www.achooallergy.com/acc-protectube.asp

Concealed EpiPen (Waist Pal, Waist Buddy, Leg Buddy)
http://www.concealedepipen.com/index.html

Waterproof bags
http://www.rei.com/product/752383

http://www.aquapac.net/usstore/aquapac-us-store-1-0.html

http://www.allstarsales.ca/index1.html


Inhaler Carriers

Med Ready Tote
http://www.medreadytote.com/buy.shtml

PuffaPouch
http://www.puffapouch.com/

Asthma Pod
http://www.asthmapods.com/

Respire
http://www.respirecases.com/index.aspx

Forget-Med-Not
http://forgetmednot.com/

Inhaler Wallet
http://www.lifesolutionsplus.com/inhaler-wallet-p-468.html

Belt or Pocket Sized Inhaler Case
http://www.redflarekits.com/pc/10030/pac/Belt+or+Pocket+Sized+Inhaler+Case

The Azmate
http://www.theazmate.com/index.html

Glow Cap
http://www.glowcap.co.uk/

Inhaler Mate
http://www.inhalermate.com/index.php

The Doser
http://www.doser.com/index.html

Mitzy
http://www.mitzy.com.au/

New pottery line: Allergy Awareness

A member of our food allergy support group has designed a great line of allergy aware pottery pieces. I think this is a great way to bring out awareness as well as let others see your allergen free lifestyle. They are so cool take a look for yourself.

Here is a link to the pieces, with more to come:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/jennyblasenpottery?section_id=7102511

Jenny Blasen Pottery
www.jennyblasenpottery.com