Track 20: Outdoor School

Eli just participated in a really wonderful program here in Oregon (and possibly other states?) called Outdoor School. The program sends every sixth grader in Oregon on a week-long (4 day) trip to a camp in the great outdoors in order to learn outside. When I was in sixth grade, I went, my brother went he was in 6th grade, and my oldest son went as well. Now Eli has gone as well!

First of all, let me say, we had a wonderful time. It was amazing and fun and everything you want outdoor school to be. Learning science out in nature is a really amazing experience!

However, I want to allow a peek into what a food allergy family does in order to make these “normal” school trips happen. The first step is always to contact everyone involved- my son’s principal and teacher, and the director of the outdoor school camp. I asked if it would be possible for me to come with him the whole week and if it would be possible for me to bring and store food for every meal as well. This was done a month in advance, and lots of emails were exchanged to work out the details!

This is a reality of food allergy life, you always meet everyone, everywhere, first. By the time we show up somewhere, everyone knows who Eli and I are. It is the nature of food allergies. I suppose if I were an extrovert I would maybe enjoy this part, but I usually just feel anxious. When I email or meet with someone and ask all of these questions, I am really asking, “can my son be a part of this? Will you let him join in?’ I think all parents can understand the anxiety of asking that.

There is a certain kind of grief I experience each time I do this and it is hard to explain. It feels a little like running into a wall you didn’t know was there. In our regular routines and safe places, we almost feel normal, or at the very least, used to what we do. We’re just walking along relatively unhindered. However, when we navigate these new experiences, I run into that wall, and I am reminded that my child is vulnerable, that we depend on the kindness and understanding of people we don’t know to keep him safe and to feel included. I always get this feeling of wanting to wrap him up in my arms and keep him safe forever and never leave the house. We don’t do that, but as much as I fear an allergic reaction, I fear the reactions of people who feel inconvenienced or frustrated or unwilling to understand, to the same degree. 

We have been very lucky that most places have at least a rudimentary sense that people have life threatening food allergies, and the outdoor school director was very accommodating to my requests. It helps that parent chaperones come along anyway, so I was able to go without a lot of fuss. The camp offered the use of a microwave and a refrigerator and had no problem with us bringing food.

The reality is I spent a whole day on the Monday of the week cooking and preparing the food he would eat for each meal at camp. I also packed snacks and bonus foods, just in case! For each meal, I would go to my car to get any dry goods we needed, a plate, and utensils. Then, I would bring all of that to a refrigerator they let me use and get anything I needed there. After that, I brought all of my materials to the microwave in the back of the cafeteria. At this point, I microwaved whatever I brought along, walked it over to Eli, and we would eat. After the meal, I did a reverse process where we threw away anything disposable, returned anything we needed to to the fridge, rinsed my tupperware, then returned all of our dry goods and containers to the car. It was a lot of work, and certainly not the ideal situation. It is pretty hard to watch all the other kids get excited about the food each day and not be able to participate. Eli really is the best with this stuff, but I am so glad we found the food allergy institute so he can experience eating with his friends someday and being a part of everything! I did get the chance to chat with his friends and answer their questions about food allergies and Eli’s program. The kids at his school and his friends in particular and just wonderful. They love him and protect him and are cheering him on.

You may wonder how we managed the allergy program. We did dose him the first day with the full hour rest, but we worked with the institute to give him a two day break on Wednesday and Thursday from dosing (although he still did his medicines and maintenance food every morning), and we dosed when he got home on Friday. 

I included a few pictures below so you can see how much fun he had!