Aimee - I’ve always admired your positive self-esteem.  I didn’t want the solu-cortef at our school because I know our particular school system.  It is extremely rigid.  It’s not because of appearances...it’s because I know my daughter.  She doesn’t have your strength of character right now....and I don’t know what she’ll be like at your age.  I always have the story of DJ in the back of my mind...he stopped taking his meds at age 19 (felt he didn’t need them that badly), got a cold, which turned into pneumonia, and he died.  My little one is extremely shy, quiet, is comfortable with her little group of friends, doesn’t like any changes or anything new, and has struggled with self-esteem..and yes, we’ve been to a counsellor.  She’s only in 4th grade now and is doing great...but she has my husband’s tendency to see the negative in things.

I work in the nurse’s office; I know what is written on those darn ’permanent records’ that follow you all the way through high school.  Again, our system is very strict...there is a full-time RN at every school.  Actually, they’re even starting to have a NP at some schools who can write prescriptions.   I knew she would be "labeled" and, since it’s not something more ’typical’ like diabetes, she would be, potentially, treated differently.

We’ll deal with high school when we get there....the order is now at the school, anyway...Lord knows it’ll follow her there.

As far as going on fields trips....you might have liked mommy or daddy going along, but some kids in middle and high school would rather not.  I don’t know which way my daughter is going to go...

and this:

No parents but I brought my meds.

 would cause my daughter to be suspended immediately. 

It doesn’t matter that it’s her "life-saving" meds.   She must have an RN (or mommy or daddy)  carry the meds....at all times and  all the way through high school.  btw....It’s not just ’any parent’ or chaperone........the parent to go along would have to be me or my husband....that’s what I meant by ’parent’...and that would be strictly for my daughter.  I couldn’t count as just a general chaperone on a trip.  I would have to be with my daughter only and at all times.  It’s this kind of policy (absolutely no tolerance) that made me hesitate to introduce the whole solu-cortef thing.  I’ve sat through all the training classes that I needed to work in the nurse’s office.  Some of the no-tolerance-policies they’ve enforced are, IMHO, beyond ridiculous.  They’ve suspended girls for having an Advil in their purse.  Can you imagine having a syringe?  We’d be lucky if she wasn’t expelled.

Bottom line, I was only speaking about my daughter and why we did things the way we did.  Heck, if we were talking about my OTHER daughter, things might have been way different....she’s so different from her sister.  Very extroverted, needs to be in charge of all things at all times, strong-willed, very physical, very strong character.  I probably would have had the solu-cortef up there on Day One without a thought....she wouldn’t give a flip about anything following her through high school!