Allergies

Today, I am not going to talk about food; I'm going to talk about my new epipen.

~8 years ago, I got stung in the eyelid by a hornet. I immediately got hives all over my body, and both of my eyes swelled shut for a week, at the end of which both of my cheeks ballooned out from the swell line down. Hornet stings are one of those things that build up in your system for a lifetime usually resulting in a stronger reaction each time, so we don't really know what will happen if/when i get stung again, but that's not where my story ends. A few weeks after my sting, i damaged the cartilage in my hand and was on a wave of painkillers for months of rehabilitation, during which we discovered my food allergy to soy. Over the course of the last 8 years i've had a range of crazy rashes, reactions, and side effects (i spent 4 months allergic to being cold. google it. utterly ridiculous and so uncomfortable) that bring my current total allergies to 3 medications, 1 food, and hornets (not bees).

It took being pregnant to be prescribed an epipen. Every doctor i asked about it for 8 years told me i should have one, and none would write the script- but my obgyn wasn't going to leave me pregnant in summer and unprotected. I already knew how they worked, learned the storage (room temperature, no extremes) and the shelf life (~1 year), and that you only use it if your airway is affected- not before. I even had a little help from the pharmacist who told me to go on epipen.com for a prescription card that would make my co-pay $0 (i did this at the pharmacy on my smartphone. It would have been ~$80 with a regular insurance script card).

This is a stock photo of epi-pens out of the tubes they come in.

A big part of epipens that doctors warn about (and why they told me they don't like to give them to college kids- beside the pricetag) is that you have to have it with you when you need it, and you can't leave it in a hot car. I was most concerned for at home, because we have gardens and a lot of fruit trees and bushes, and our neighbor has an orchard. I would absolutely take it hiking, but it's important to remember it anywhere you might be exposed- like picnics, etc. They make different carrying cases for it, from belts and fanny packs, to pencil cases, and strap-on sleeves for runners, some insulated to protect it from extreme temperatures and some not.

This is how they come from the pharmacist, as a pack of 2, in protective tubes, with a plastic connector and a practice pen

 I don't carry a purse and couldn't see myself as a fanny pack person, so i decided to share my solution. It comes in a tough tube when you buy it. I decorated the tube (both so it's not all medical looking and because it doesn't hurt to block sunlight) with patterned duct tape I had laying around. They sell it in all different patterns pretty much everywhere. 2 pieces meet up exactly on each side and you just so some folding at the bottom to make it look nice. I used 2 of my tiny black rubber hairbands to make a tight but sturdy holder and added a caribiner. I can hook it on to jeans, hook it onto my clutch, trade the caribiner for a lanyard, or get my husband to slide it into his much larger pockets, but i am more likely to bring it along (and not leave it in the car) if it's as small as possible.

It's still pretty big, but this is as small as it gets. I hang it by the door next to my keys, and if a little duct tape means i'll have it with me when i need, then i am all about the upgrade