Summertime is here and our everyday lifestyle is always planned ahead of each daily jaunt and each vacation. As a mom of a child that has life-threatening allergies I have to be ahead of his allergies long before I encounter an unplanned health problem. My son’s personal Kryptonite is latex, this sends his body into anaphylactic shock, swells his tongue, face, and delivers incredibly horrifying abdominal cramps and asthmatic coughing that is just uncontrollable. As if all these symptoms are not enough, he loses his appetite for days, and then gains a headache much like a migraine, which all creates the need for steroids, a trip to the hospital, asthma medicines and more. Latex allergies are one of the hardest to conquer because latex is in everything from food to underwear and most people don’t even know this unless of course you are allergic to latex. That said, the kids depend on me to have everything taken care of and meet their needs, and his, as I am the parent they are with, to take care of them. I have to be able to balance my life, keep their lives safe and provide summer travel with health and happiness. Sometimes the responsibility of traveling solo with three kids is a bit tougher than having someone to help you, but I do seem to manage, and it’s my three and me, with a red emergency bag. Summer travel has us everywhere from poolside to beach side. To keep my son latex free, I have created a Latex Free Summer Survival Kit, in order to achieve summer travel with health and happiness, and we take it everywhere we go. Long before the first suitcase hits the bedroom to be packed up, I pull out my key ring, my smartphone and head out to stock on items that create a Latex Free Summer Survival Kit that lets us lavishly travel out loud.
No matter where we are, out and about, poolside to beach side there is one common thing that can take my son down and it is sure to leave an OUCH behind. What is the worse possible scenario while we are out? For my son, while we travel, getting a cut, and getting treated can be as described above…horrific. Why is a cut the curator of all evil? It’s not the cut, it’s the treatment, and as a mom of a child with severe latex allergies, I can tell you that it’s all in the Band-Aid, the cloth tape, the pain relieving ointment and the small gauze pads that will either send him into anaphylactic shock or treat him and let him get on his way. I stock up on things we most need by visiting WALGREEN’S for items that are essential to summer travel. Organization is key to working with a child that has severe life threatening allergies and I can not afford to make a mistake with my son’s health or any of my children’s health.
Our Back Story On Latex
There is nothing like a good swift reaction to a latex bandage to help you figure out that some bandages are latex free and some are not! What a wake up call. We have a lot of experience with anaphylactic reactions and learned through the school of hard knocks about latex, as we were told my son had latex allergies, but no one every told us that latex was in bandages, tapes, etc. Once we got smart to the many things that latex is in, we have shopped accordingly making sure we are free of latex in every area of our lives to make my son safe and Walgreen’s is a place we travel to to make it all happen. To avoid any more reactions to latex bandages, tape, etc., we carry along our OWN bag that lets me care for my son, not first aid, not lifeguards, just me, which keeps him safe from possible anaphylactic reactions.
This display is where I found my most recent updates for my son’s emergency red bag, in fact, when I purchased three of the first aid products from Johnson & Johnson Healthy Essentials(this whole display) I got the new Red Bag FREE!–Bonus.
Happiness is preparedness during the summer, and happiness leads to fun in the sun, and adventures that beckon outdoors small boo boo’s and quick fixes! At Walgreen’s I pick up the Healthy Summer Essentials and I use my smartphone to gain access to the Balance Rewards For Healthy Choices App that lets me earn points with every transaction, gather great money saving digital coupons and really save big! In addition did you know that you can earn rewards points for everyday active living like biking, hiking, and running? I had no idea about this little perk, but I did know I could save money by clipping coupons digitally which just store to my card and then come off at the register, this is lavish savings! The cashier told me that you can earn points for your healthy activities and of course my new Johnson & Johnson products would let us stay active this summer since I would not have to worry about latex reactions from bandages, cuts, scrapes and so on.
Here is how I created my Latex Free Summer Survival Kit. First I purchased these particular items, 
I checked all the labels very carefully, because not all of the products are Latex Free, I really read and check since some products can be and some are not it makes it quite difficult and often a process that takes time and can not be rushed.
Once we located that these were latex free, I then did the same with the tape and anything else headed into the red bag. Speaking of the Red Bag, this was just a nice little bonus, it was the free piece I told you about.
Now the next big job was making sure I had everything I needed to fill the bag, and of course Walgreen’s makes that easy. Here’s my How To make a Latex Free Summer Survival Kit. I did a photo ID to the outside of the bag, with a school photo that is laminated and on a key ring, and this is essential for us, since the EPI PEN should not be given unless you can directly identify that a person should have this pen injected. The label on the inside lists all of his allergies, as well as an emergency number and his name. Of course after all of the boo boo’s and mending, a lollipop is perfect to give the patient and I make sure that my Latex Free Summer Survival Kit offers health and happiness all in one bag!
I am sure now that I have everything with me to care for those little snafu’s that happen just because vacation, day trips, and time at the pool would not be as memorable without all the cuts, tears and scrapes. Walgreen’s’ Balance Rewards program and the Balance Rewards for healthy choices app for your smart phone help you earn points, and save money towards a more healthy and happy lifestyle, while Johnson & Johnson’s Healthy Essentials allow me that piece of mind knowing I have safety in my little red bag when we travel. Just like Superman has a Red Cape, I have the red bag, and while kryptonite is latex for my son, he has a powerful red bag that kicks latex to the curb and won’t let it interfere with all of our fun! Lavishly live travel, summer happiness and healthiness out loud when you create a Latex Free Summer Survival Kit!
Do you have a similar health bag that you carry with you? What do you put in it? Are there other tips and tricks you have?
*Please note, this bag was tailored for my son’s allergies, yours may be different. Read all labels on all products to create your OWN bag, don’t just use mine, as EVERYONE has different tolerances and allergies and this may not be the proper bag for yourself or loved one. We based ours on what we have learned from numerous visits to the ER, and training from our allergist. ***********DISCLAIMER***********
