Despite the fridgit temperatures outside (or maybe because of them) I am thinking of the coming summer months.  In particular I am weighting the merits of sending my son to summer camp.  My son is almost ten and desperately wants to go to overnight summer camp in the deep woods of Canada.

Summer camp has been a source of great joy and growth for my older children.  It seemed as though they would live the entire year in anticipation of summer camp.  The friends, the physical challenges, and the personal accomplishments all make for very sweet and lasting childhood memories.  This year my daughter will be portaging through the vastness of Algonquin Park  while she completes her Leader in Training program through the summer camp that she loves.   My husband and I offered a summer cruise through the Mediterranean, but fine cuisine and room service could not compete with the sense of adventure and personal pride that she derives from her camp experiences.  The kids said no to cruising and continued to beg for summer camp. 

I know how badly my son wants to go, and to be fair his sisters were at summer camp well before they turned ten.  My reluctance is that my son has an anaphylatic reaction to venom insects; wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets.   I know he will benefit from the responsibilities and independance that this camp fosters.   I know he will make many friends and share many laughs, but how do I quell my own fears for his safety?  Thankfully he will have his Moxie Pouch (equipped with two injectors) with him at all times.  Nonetheless I worry. 

I discussed my concerns with the camp director who very honestly stated that they have had emergencies that were dealt with successfully.  He stressed that there is a risk and I appreciated his honestly.  He promised that the counselors will all be trained to administer the Epipen(s) if needed.  Here are the points that help to make this a little more palatable;

1.  He will carry his Epipen(s) with him at all times inside his Moxie Pouch.
2. Campers are never left alone.  At least two and likely three counsellers are with each cabin of eight campers at all times.
3. The camp has emergency plans in place in terms of dealing with a reaction and contacting the ambulance.
4. He will have Benadryl with him as well. 
5. He and his camp counselors know how to administer the Epipen as well.

My son has rightly told me that I cannot wrap him in bubble wrap.  (Although, I think that is an excellent idea!)  :) 

I would be interested in the thoughts of other parents who have dealt with issue or who are thinking about it.  Any further suggestions, opinions or comments would be greatly appreciated. 

I will send my son to camp.  He and the camp will be cognizant of the risks and the action plans.  And I have no doubt that he will come home safely and thank me for the time of his life.  I also have no doubt that I will not sleep well until he is home safely again.  Such is the life of a mom.

Tags: allergies, allergy, anaphylactic, epipen, nut allergy, summer camp, wasps

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 at 6:44 pm and is filed under Summer Camps and Allergies, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.