We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

DH is out of town on business, we are in the middle of a two week stretch.

Saturday morning DS had an anaphylatic reaction to peanut butter, it was the first time I had given it to him (with PED approval). It all happened so fast, before I gave it to him I had the benedryl all ready just in case. The reaction started almost immediately, I noticed him itching his eye, I kept an eye on him trying to decide if it was normal or a reaction. When he wouldn't stop rubbing I looked and saw that his eye was all red and starting to puff, I gave him the benedryl immediately called my sister who is a nurse and she told me to call 911.

By the time the ambulance arrived (about 10 minutes from when this all started) the right side of his face was completely swollen. I definitely wasn't thinking straight because I asked the paramedic if I should drive DS since there was no car seat in the ambulance he very kindly said, no we'll take him. They gave him epinephrine on the way to the hospital, he was so swollen.

I can't get that image out of my head; we were in the ambulance and his entire little face was so swollen, his eyes were swollen shut and even his lips swollen and purple. I have never cried so much, I was so terrified. At the hospital everything happened so fast, it is all a blur, the reaction would get under control and then come back, this happened 3 or 4 times but thankfully each time it was less severe than the last.

We were released from the hospital today around 2:30 and now I am just feeling so afraid, he is on various scripts for the next month, they gave us an epi pen in case of an emergency so we are prepared. I am just so scared, I feel like it is inevitable that this will happen again and they say subsequent reactions are worse, I just don't want to see him like that again. I hate that I can't control his environment, I want to tattoo peanut allergy across his forehead and give everyone he comes in contact with the 3rd degree asking what they have eaten.

We are going to the PED tomorrow for follow up and to learn how to deal with the allergy, I know I will eventually learn to deal with this and not be so afraid, I just really wish DH were home. He wanted to drive home yesterday but I told him not to because he wouldn't get any sleep and would have to turn around and drive right back to Ohio.

I am sorry this is so long and rambling, hopefully tomorrow after getting some real sleep I'll be able to think more clearly.

Has any one else dealt with an allergy like like this and felt this afraid?

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

ugh, scary sorry that happened

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

I've never dealt with that before but I'd be just as scared as you The good news is, now that you know, the more you arm yourself with knowledge, the better you'll feel and the safer your DS will be. Kids with severe peanut allergies are all over, I know that you can make this work.

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

OMG how frightening!!!!

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

scary

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

Thank you for the hugs everyone, I can really use them.

Posted by headoverheels

I've never dealt with that before but I'd be just as scared as you The good news is, now that you know, the more you arm yourself with knowledge, the better you'll feel and the safer your DS will be. Kids with severe peanut allergies are all over, I know that you can make this work.

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

I am so sorry! that sounds horrifying!

I don't deal with allergies, but his asthma shook me up for a good year. I still am learning how to deal with it.

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

How scary

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

omg, so scary.

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

So scary!!!

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

I am so sorry that happened to your DS.

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

You are not alone. Same thing happened to my DD almost 4 years ago at age 2.

It is a lot to digest. First, go to the Ped and then make an appointment with an Allergist. Have him tested for everything else, and ask for the DVD on how to use the Epi-Pen. Teach yourself, DH and anyone else who watches DS how to use it.

Ask the Allergist for the Food List for things that may contain or be cross-contaminated with/by peanuts. Make several copies of it. Hang it up at home, Grandparent's, baby sitter's/Daycare.

You will be fine and so will he. Every Daycare/school/camp is able to handle this allergy.

My DD is a happy/ healthy 6 year old now, and she is re-tested on a yearly basis. This is her "normal", she doesn't know any different.

If you need anything, please fm me.

Message edited 7/11/2010 9:29:37 PM.

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

How scary!

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

OMGosh how scary.
I am so sorry that happened.

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

So sorry you had to deal with that

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

I cannot imagine how scary this must have been. Many hugs

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

So sorry that happened!

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

That is incredibly scary. I had a peanut allergy as a kid growing up and I can tell you that I was very understanding of what I could and could not eat. You will learn how to manage it and if it does happen again, at least you are prepared with an epi pen and the knowledge that he has the allergy.

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

I am so sorry this happened to you! This is my worst fear. I have a few severe food allergies. Never to the point of anaphylactic shock, but def. verging on it. Because of this I am so afraid of offering foods I am allergic to to DD, even though I know that the specific food allergy is not inherited, I am still petrified and almost don't ever want her to eat certain things. You have experienced a major fear I think that most moms have and now you will be as cautious as can be.

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

Oh no! How scary. Glad he is ok.

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

Thank you everyone for the hugs, thoughts and experiences. I am feeling a little better today, a little more put together, I really needed to sleep.

It is so helpful to hear from others who have experienced this, thank you so much for sharing and for your guidance. I keep getting ahead of myself, wondering how acute this is, can he have a reaction from touching someone who ate something, are crowds going to be dangerous, will we be able to do Disney like we planned. I think I am really getting ahead here.

I am really looking forward to going to the PED today, I am anxious to find out as much as I can right now.

Thank you all again for your hugs and thoughts, I truly appreciate it

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

Re: We had such an awful weekend I am feelign so drained

So scary!