« Food Allergies in Jr. High | Main | Confused about Food Allergy Labels? »
September 5, 2008
An unexpected way to carry Epi-Pens
For those of us looking for better ways to carry Epi-Pens, I came across a great idea. My 7th grader began carrying her own Epi-Pens to school this year and so she keeps them in her backpack. We have a fanny pack at home that we've used for over 10 years. It was too bulky to fit in a backpack. We also have a much smaller case which fits 2 Epi-Pens and some Benadryl (tablets, Rapidmelts or perfect pour capsules) perfectly and it's what I use to put in my purse/bag when I take the girls places. My daughter started keeping it in her backpack, which was fine except that I then lost my preferred carrying case.
My daughter's friend gave her a pencil case that came with a backpack that she wasn't going to use. It was the perfect size to fit two Epi-Pens and some Benadryl. The problem was that it looked like a pencil case, not an emergency medication pouch. Preparing for the worst, I imagine my daughter having an allergic reaction and a rescuer going through her backpack looking for clues of what might be happening. A big pouch with the Red Cross or Medic Alert symbol emblazoned across the front seems like it would quickly capture attention.
So, I used bright red fabric paint and painted a large red cross on the outside of the pencil bag. Inside, along with the 2 Epi-Pens and Benadryl, I included an index card with emergency information on it: my daughter's name, allergies, my cell phone number, and a note to call 911. Now my daughter keeps her Epi-Pens in the "pencil case" in her backpack all the time. We have other Epi-Pens that we use after school; you know, to go to friends' houses, sports practices, etc. This way I know that she will always have Epi-Pens with her at school, and not forget them at home on the counter!
Out of curiosity, during my shopping trips for school supplies this year, I kept my eyes open for suitable pencil cases. Surprisingly I found all different pencil cases and even calculator cases that fit 2 Epi-Pens perfectly. Just add a red cross on the side and it's good to go! This of course doesn't work well for those who need to also carry inhalers, which is my other daughter. So now I'm on the look out for that as well!
Posted by Ann Marie at September 5, 2008 3:07 PM
Comments
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)