Food Allergy Counseling: Talking to Suburban Essex Nursing Supervisors Association (SENSA)

Allergic Girl talking food allergies

What a pleasure meeting with and talking to the Suburban Essex Nursing Supervisors Association (SENSA) in Verona, NJ last week. That's me in the picture above, beginning my presentation before an audience of public health nurses and school nurses. Together, we talked about the many challenges and triumphs they face as more and more children are diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies and entering the school systems.

Growing up as a child with anaphylactic food allergies and allergic asthma, I knew every school nurse, summer camp nurse and college nurse, and they knew me. These women were on the front lines of what was happening with me health-wise during the hours I was in their care. Nurses are an integral part of a food allergic child's support system and their TEAM YOU. 

What is TEAM YOU? I believe it takes a team -- a supportive network of friends, family and professionals -- to navigate through life successfully and confidently. I call it Team You and I talk about creating one more extensively in my book, Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well with Food Allergies (Wiley, 2011).  A Team You member helps you in the places where you need help. And for children with medial needs, school nurses are integral part of that team.

Thank you SENSA for a lively conversation and all that you do for all of the children in your districts!