Please don't feed the animals

Gabriel and I and his 'don't feed me' sticker

We took a day trip to San Francisco this weekend.  I was excited to see how well Gabriel did, but I must admit, it took a bit of planning.  Our day trip started out late.  Because eating out isn't an option for Gabriel, we typically take our trips between meals.  We walked through the city as I juggled everything we needed to keep Gabriel on track for the day.  We brought Gabriel's medicine backpack- that goes everywhere with us.  It includes a fully charged battery operated nebulizer (that also has an adapter to work in a car lighter outlet), benedryl, anti-itch creams, inhalers, epi-pens, the pasty concocktion the doctors instruct us to mix if he esophagus begins to swell, tummy medicine, germ wipes to keep from touching someone else's leftover food, ICE cards, allergy lists, and a set of his 'don't feed me stickers'.  In my other arm, I was toting around a bag of Gabriel friendly snacks, since we can't buy any when we are out.  We had lots of apple juice, and rice cakes.


We walked, and stayed away from restaurants.  When I was hungry, I bought a hotdog from a street vendor.  We avoided gift shops with candy and peanuts, and we opted against boat rides and other activites that might keep us in a confined area to avoid a potential reaction. We even avoided walking in crowds to stay away from smoke.   We took the same precautions when we went to Disney in February.
As careful as you can be, sometimes your options are to stay home, or to risk a reaction.  At what point are you willing to risk it?  Or, what amount of 'living' are you going to miss out on?  My general rule?  If its life threatening, absolutely not.  We'll stay home, thank you very much.  If the trip results in a few breathing treatment, I weigh out the benefits.

I wat my child to see the world.  I would like Gabriel to experience 'the happiest place on earth,' and I want to share big cities, and culture with him.  I think the difference between a life threading asthma attack, or allergic reaction, and a treatable symptom comes down to planning and prevention.  By the end of our day long trip to Disney, I was administering 2 nebulizer treatments on the bench while we watched the light show.  Is a raspy cough and a deep crackly wheeze something I was hoping for?  Of course not, we made that the end of our trip.  But, we made it through the day, Gabriel enjoyed Disneyland, and he was O.K.

When a trip like our San Francisco adventure is a successful one, I walk away a bit proud.  Without the added prevention and precautions, it would not have been so easy.  And the ending wouldn't have been so happy.  But at the end of the day, I can say that I am proud of the balance I've created between keeping him safe as a  'bubble boy,' and adventuring out into the scary world.    These preventative ideas and precautions have worked for us, and may help someone you know!;
-Pack emergency meds!  When we travel, there is always a set in the car, a set in my purse, and a set in the medicine backpack (and in my sister's purse, if she's around)
-If you travel with a child with challenging asthma, a travel friendly nebulizer will be your best friend.  You can buy one online, without a prescription
-Pack enough food so that you don't have to risk contamination.  Not everyone has as many allergies as Gabriel.  But if you could avoid that dangerous reaction to peanuts by packing a bag full of snacks, do it!    If it is for health, and allergies, you will be allowed to bring food even where others aren't!
-Preventative medicines.  Prepare in advance for your day with antihistamines, and other preventive medicines.  You cant avoid every trigger, but if you can help your body to not react, you'll have a much better day.
-Every parents fear is loosing their child in a busy public place.  Heaven forbid, Gabriel ever goes missing.  If he did, I will be sure that he will not have a reaction in the process.  When we travel Gabriel wears a sticker  with a peanut holding a 'no' sign that says 'DONT FEED ME I have food allergies.  If I have a reaction, call 911, then call my Mom xxx-xxx-xxxx.'  MedAlert bracelets are also lifesavers.  But I must admit, I'm a fan of our custom made stickers, because even when he's not lost, people see it, and automatically move their food away from us.
-Avoid crowds.  When you are surrounded by people, you are also surrounded by their food, and smoke.  I always make sure I have an escape route, that I can get out of the crowd to get Gabriel some fresh air.
-Know where to find help.  Disney? Find out where the emergency first aid station is.  Keep your cellphone charged.
-Say it!  Don't be afraid to say "he has asthma." or 'She's allergic to peanuts.'  In my experience, when you share what your challenges are, staff is more willing to help.  If you choose to order food, and you mention an allergy, they will be extra careful.  Or, someone will escort you to special needs seating for the light show that the rest of the crown stands for, so that your wheezy child can catch their breath.  On a plane, some airlines will announce a peanut allergy, and ask that other travelers not eat their nutty snacks.
- Let your child know what to expect.  I am always amazed how much Gabriel understands his health.  He knows that we will not be near any restaurants, and he has an idea of how the day will go.  Now, he's the first one to share with stranger "No I cant have that!'


Is toting around luggage full of food and medicines my idea of a vacation, well, let's just say it's probably not ideal.  Sometimes I feel like his sticker looks like a sign at the zoo that says 'PLEASE DONT FEED THE ANIMALS.'  But as much as we may look like a circus act, it's working!