do you carry an epi-pen / medicine with you even just for a short walk to the post box?

[Meglet]

DS has a epi-pen for kiwi / pine nut and peanut allergies. We don't go anywhere without them 99% of the time.

But AIBU in leaving them at home if we take a 5 min walk to the corner shop / post box? Should I aim to be within a few seconds of his epi-pen or accept that if something awful happened I could run home in time?

Not sure how excessive it is if I take it all down the road with me when we are very close to home and are are not anywhere near food? .

I guess there's a miniscule chance that you could bump into a friend that just eaten a peanut butter sandwich, who hugs your DS hello and then you might need it.

Teeny tiny chance i suppose... they aren't that big to carry around though are they? I'd rather carry it and never need it tbh

well, I do carry the whole kit, which is possibly a tad excessive . One bottle of medicine and 2 epi-pens, plus trainer epi-pen and instructions .

I suppose one epi-pen would do for a short walk. If he had a minor reaction to something we'd be home fast to take some antihistamine and if he needed the second epi-pen the ambulance would also be on the way.

I do have a huge handbag. Think 'Mary Poppins' .

Until I read this thread, I used to take DS to the local shop without the epipen because I figured I could run back to my house within about 2-3 minutes. But now I have paranoid visions of him slipping over in a pool of spilled milk and am thinking that I ought to take it every time.

i really try to get DD to carry one with her everywhere all the time plus a piriton tablet. you just never know.

We always carry our full kit - a meidc alert bum-bag. The only time i don't is if I'm going for a run straight from school drop off so I only carry one pen in this case - I've a full kit at each end of that journey. I always worry that if I decide it's OK to leave the kit behind for a 2 minute walk today it'll soon be a 10 minute walk and so on ...

i try to remember to take it everywhere. it generally sits under the buggy or in my bag

our kit

the closed box

we dont have an epipen but I always have piriton and salbutamol inhaler in my bag as does dp as does granny as does nursery (main people dcs are left with)

1dc x cmp allergy + ? others 1 x asthma

I've talked to DH about this. He refuses to take the epipen bag to the local mini-supermarket, which is about 300 yards away. He says I am being completely over the top because he could run back here within minutes, even carrying a sick child. I have visions of him fumbling with his keys while the situation escalates... please tell me, am I being unreasonable?

I know you've all said you take your medication everywhere... I used to go to the shop / post box without it when I had DS in a sling inside my coat but now he is walking, putting his hands on things etc. and the corner shop is the only place we go without it.

Ouch! Greenbananas has your child needed to use the epi-pen? Seems unless adults have witnessed a reaction they don't take it seriously. I have this sometimes with my DH. I've just had to say that OK I'm probably neurotic but I live in fear (even if he doesn't (sic)) and so could he please just do it to make me happy - even if he thinks it's daft. Generally he will. Takes either my totally losing the plot or a big reaction for him to rally again ... ;D

we carry ds epi pen, inhalers and other meds most places. We don't tent to take on shirt journeys (within 5 mins of house) but apart from that it goes everywhere with him.

We don't have a trainer pen are we supposed to have one?

Thank you for those replies. I'm kind of glad I'm not just being unreasonable. Babybarrister, you have described exactly the situation which scares me the most - an exploding carton of milk goes absolutely everywhere, could soak into clothes... it's a horrendous mental picture! I'm also concerned about ice-cream on the pavement and pools of chilli sauce from takeaway litter etc.

Topiarygirl, I think you may actually have put your finger on the root of problem. DH has never actually seen the speed and severity of an accidental allergic reaction (although he once saw hives all over DS's leg when we did a stupid home food challenge, putting a smudge of banana on the back of his knee). I've talked to him again, and he muttered a bit then agreed that perhaps I am not just being paranoid.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply, and sorry for the hijack, OP .