Auvi-Q Carriers

Auvi-Q Holders

I've been on the look-out for Auvi-Q carriers to make self-carrying easier. Auvi-Q offers a great shape for adults- fits in most handbags for women and in most pockets in menswear. However, active kids often need something on their person that will stay put. Here's what I've found so far:

• Allergy Apparel offers a variety of pouches. They come with a carabiner clip to attach to a belt loop or backpack. Two sizes are available for carrying one Auvi-Q or two. There is also an expandable Youth EpiBelt that accommodates Auvi-Q or EpiPen.   
• KoziEpi has pouches and belts to hold one or two Auvi-Q devices.  
• EpiCarriers offers a Leg Buddy Holster and a Waist Buddy that holds Auvi-Q or EpiPen.  

  

  Epi Carriers

Has anyone found an Auvi-Q carrier they prefer? Please share!

Annual Meeting of ACAAI Always Delivers

Spice Allergy

While I don't attend the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), I always look forward to the information that comes out of it. This year we learned more about food allergies. Did you see these headlines from the conference?

• Living with Spice Allergies
• Higher Family Income Linked to Higher Peanut Allergy Rates
• Baked Egg Tolerance
• Epinephrine Use Under-Utilized by Paramedics
• More Allergists are Using Twitter

You can catch up on all the tweets from the annual meeting that wrapped up on November 13. Check out the program guide for a complete listing of all events and sessions. From "Getting Comfortable With Off-the-Beaten-Track Food Allergies" to "Food Allergy: Controversies in Diagnosis" the field of food allergy got a lot of attention at this year's conference.

AllergySense Helps Train Professionals in Food Allergies

Put expired EpiPens® and Twinject® to good use this month. Throughout the month of May, AllergySense will send expired pens to allergists' offices for training purposes.

Of course, I always recommend training yourself and family members by using an expired pen in an orange.

However, if you have several old pens lying around,mail them in a padded envelope to AllergySense for distribution. You'll even be entered to win great prizes.

Hurry, offer ends May 31, 2010.

Use Expired Epi-Pens®

Show Grandma, new classroom teacher, soccer coach, or scout leader how to use an Epi-Pen®. Use those expired pens and demonstrate (or better yet, let someone else try) how to discharge the unit in a lemon, orange or grapefruit. After carefully inserting the Epi-Pen®- needle end first- into it's storage tube, drop it off at your allergist's or family doctor's office for proper disposal.

Do a little gratitude dance that the Epi-Pen® didn't have to be used to treat an allergic reaction and pat yourself on the back for teaching someone else to use it.

Travolta Heartbreak

We've all heard the news stories surrounding the death of Jett Travolta at age 16. When I hear a story like this, I can't help thinking, "but they did everything right... how could this happen?"

The reports I heard talked about the precautions the family took to keep their son safe due to his seizures. Things like baby monitors, two nannies, chimes that rang if he walked through a doorway, were part of their lives. Just like Epi-pens, medical alert bracelets, school healthcare plans and special foods are part of our lives.

We do everything we can to protect our children so how can that still not be enough? A tragedy like this weighs heavy on my heart. I've been hugging my kids more this last week as though I can form a protective bubble around them. Since there is no magic bubble, I'll just keep talking and writing about what is needed to protect all children.