Why, oh why are some so ignorant when it comes to allergies......

[M44]

In ds's class there are two of them with allergies/severe eczema. THe school don't seem to understand how risky their behaviour is.
I now have to give my son two different antihistamines all the time-which I don't like as for one he will become intolerant to piriton after a while. All because they can't understand if they use sprays and hoover the classroom first thing ie 10 minutes before the kids come in all the dust particles will be rife. Ds can't sit on the carpet as he gets terrible hives/permanent eczema on face/exposed bits. He scratches all the time, wheezes all the time so on max inhalers and we are trying different ones. I am so fed up with having to remind them about latex- I wept when I came home this am as people just don't understand how simple things can improve the life of a child with multiple allergies. They will only keep epipens in the classroom so his emergency kit is split. They won't even let him keep some emoillient accessible so he can moisturise after playtime or handwashing.
AAAARGH- I have had so many meetings with the school,I don't know what to do!! I just need to rant-that's all!

Thank you.......

Ask the consultant to write a letter to the head. Maybe it will help them realise how serious his allergies are?

Have you tried cutting tomatoes, oranges, vinegar from yr. DS's diet? it may help him (it stopped my eczema!!)

ppeatfruit- we know what he is allergic too-some severe intolerances + 2 definite allergies (anaphylaxis). School are not helping with what we know about and thus he exposed to things he doesn't need to be hence eczema being exacerbated all the time. Strange that by week 2 of any holiday- beautiful skin and no wheezing!

I agree with ppealfruit but think the reply might need explaining more

Look into "histamine rich foods" theres lots of info on the net, but basically, our bodies produce histamine in response to any allergen, ...hence taking ANTIhistamines to reduce the natural allergic response

Some foods contain Histamine, others can be turned into histamine in your body, so your body becomes over loaded & is more likely to respond to true allergens with a more severe histamine response

basically, avoiding foods that top up the bodies histamine, can help reduce the severity of the reaction to anything we are allergic too

for example, tomatoes are a high histamine food, I'm not allergic to tomatoes, but I am allergic to certain mould spores, during the times of year that the mould is a problem, cutting out/down on fresh tomatoes, helps reduce my reaction to the mould.
A friends Sons Asthma was improved by cutting out bananas during high pollen days times, as he is allergic to certain pollens....NOT Bananas :)

Don't be scared off by the food lists, you'll probably find your DS won't react with them all, but keep a mental note of what he eats, & when he gets a flare up, look at what he's eaten in the last 12 hours, that is on the list, & that will be the food you need to cut out during times he is exposed to his true allergens

Otherwise....if no joy with the Head etc at his School, have you considered approaching your local Educational Welfare Officer???.....after all it IS affecting his educational welfare & could affect his attendance ??

Oh dear. Feel for you M44. My dd was real bad when she started school too. luckily for me our school does try. They'd even asked for no nut products to be brought into school for my dd. It doesn't mean I have not been frustrated along the way but considering they have worked with me as best they could over the years, I cant complain. It can vary with the different teachers each year though. How old is your ds? Why is his moisterisor not accessible? My dd has her handwash (dermol) by the sinks. I did send letters in originally for my dd to be moisterised every day with her diprobase from her dermotologist but this was never very routine in the past- I have to admit, did fizzle out. I dont think they realize they are itching with so many children but of course we know the damage when they get home and sting in the bath crying ect. As for her medical box, we have one set in the office and also one set in the classroom. It was requested from the head at the time she started school and so I have always kept it up and my doctors dont seem to question it when I put in my repeats. I had always planned on getting dd an anti dustmite cushion and washable cover for school, just for her to sit on instead of the floor or their cushions. I never did send one in as she progressed to the older classes but had considered it greatly, it could definately help your ds to sit on instead of the floor and bring home regulary to wash. I hope you feel a little better, I now what its like and at times it has been like hitting your head against a brick wall when they come home with sweets they are not ment to have ect and yet they have a box of their own safe ones all prepared and in school! But remembering teachers have 30 little horrors to control and not much knowledge of allergies, the years have made me not expect as much as I did. I dont mean in the life threatening sense. Just recently my dd went to the cinema with school. Letter in hand stating for them to ensure she sits on her anti dustmite pillowcase supplied in her bag so she did not itch/react from the seats ect food traces. Did it happen no. She came home itchy as hell, bright red thighs for days and in the film she told me -had to keep figiting. It is frustrating, previously she had a great helper who kept an eye on her and then she went into the other class. However, swimming last term they creamed her up before entering the pool and allowed me to collect her after to bathe of the chlorine so they do try. It is very hard and you end up feeling like a paranoid mother but keep it up though M44. I have relaxed more now as dd is growing older but the early years are hell, so much worry. I dont get the impression your school is helping you at all. Our school even used to wash all the dress up clothes regulary in my dd's washing liquid just to help her allergies!They even tried to get more help prior to her starting but it was denied. It is surprising what they have done to help us. Special modeling stuffs ect, making sure she wears her gloves for crafts and painting.

chloesmumtoo- thank you for your lovely post. We have been through all of this before with eldest dd also.

rockinhippy- thank you too- I will ask consultant on friday- ds eats home prepped food only- so no nasties like tartrazine. As for the list of foods- I would be very reluctant to cut anymore things out- he is already limited. Tomatoes not a problem as he doesn't eat them!His eczema is more likely to be flared by environmental factors such as chemicals from cleaning products, or latex. He doesn't eat frood stuffs that trigger his eczema- as I said before it always clears up in the holidays when he is away from the classroom. It might be that some other child has a long haired cat or dog at home and is bringing hairs in; in might be that someone had nuts for breakfast or it might be someone elses washing powder.......etc etc but I do know as I have observed him that if the classroom is cleaned just before they go in it is far worse and his face puffs up and is itchy almost immediately....

So sorry M44 have thought about home ed?( If you're not working out of the house of course).

in a local school a child has severe allergy to latex and has a TA for her only. The TA tracks down all materials in the school she is allergic to and gets them removed in the vital rooms and keeps child out of the others.

TA also goes on courses to learn more. Play time is an issue as a Latex ball in the face could be fatal.

The things they learnt were

Latex in carpet and carpet glue, had to remove and replace carpets in the class room

Latex in shoes - no shoes with it allowed but to double check they had assembly after her PE session for the day and the floor was washed daily.

Blue tack was banned from the school, and her room repainted

All balloons in school banned (sounds hard but it could be the difference between life and death)

It sounds as if your child is not to badly affected but there is help out there and the school should get it.

good Luck

chloesmumtoo sorry if this repeats you, my eyesight is not good enough to cope with full paragraphs. I hope I haven't trodden on your full reply :)

He is badly affected which is what the school don't get.......

he came out of school with a puffy face....like eyes pushed close, reaction over all of his face and wheezing-teacher didn't say a thing to me. Am going in this am to do another discussion explanation of his symptoms. As a consequence ds was poorly through the night requiring extra drugs, ventolin, piriton etc...and skin looks not much better this am.....we took photos to show the consultant on friday.....It is frustrating as this week as he is off normal meds as he is having blood tests on friday which means they have asked us not to give anti histamines....we can't have those now......just proves I suppose that if he didn't have those meds he would be really poorly al the time.....

oh your poor ds. Sounds really bad M44. I know just keeping my dd off antihistamines is hard enough with just her milder allergies. Let alone what your going through. Fortunately our dd doesnt have the latex allergy. Has linking ones to kiwi,melon, bannana ect but hopefully it wont develop further. Eaglewings your post was very interesting. I dont think my eyes can cope with my other post either! Didnt think about alot of the things you mentioned- PE shoes, carpet glues ect. More clued up on the nut allergy side of things with my dd. M44 what tests is your ds having next, are they thinking he has more allergies to things?

Despite all my efforts to educate....ds was sent to a parent led cookery session. Fortunately he spotted the egg and worked out they would be handling raw egg. In bustles the inclusion worker and grabs him out the room.
Did the teacher tell me about this incident- no, it was the parent helper who was disgusted that they hadn't thought about what was going on......poor ds.
I am at a loss as to know what to do or how to educate. When will they learn anaphlaxis does not mean intolerance it means life threatening- i hope not with a death.

M44, have you discussed this with the headteacher? I may be over reacting but having read your post I feel that the school is acting terribly and if I was you I would be tempted to make a complaint. Possibly in the first instance write a letter to the head and then if no joy contact Ofsted?

This may be an overreaction so ignore me, I just am angry on your behalf reading your posts.

endlessly......dh and I meeting the head this week....if no joy it will be a formal letter to the govenors and head copied to the LEA.....

Oh I am sorry for you. I am only just beginning our journey with a LO with allergies, it is heartbreaking.

Good luck with the head!

M44, your poor DS, and poor you. You say you've had many meetings with the school so maybe you've tried this but The Anaphylaxis Campaign produce a short DVD (I think 25 mins) called Action for Anaphylaxis which is quite good for getting the point home about how serious the condition is (as well as how to recognise it, what to do, etc). DS's class teacher and head were happy to watch it when I offered it to them.
It sounds like you have a real battle on your hands with the eczema/dust, though. Good job your DS has you on his side!