So many of you have probably heard that Whitman had an anaphylactic allergic reaction to a pistachio on Friday night. It was a mother's worst nightmare when I got a call from my MIL saying that Josh has called 911 because Whitman wasn't breathing well and was projectile vomiting less than a minute after Josh had given him two pistachios. I was a minute away from being there and I drove like a mad woman after hearing those words. When I arrived I was hoping that Josh has just overreacted in calling for an ambulance, but it was all to plain to see that it was not an overreaction. My normally super sonic high energy boy was a limp rag with glazed eyes, puffy cheeks, copious amounts of drool, wheezing, and working to breath. I held him and monitored his breathing until the ambulance arrived a minute later. They quickly assessed the situation and we headed to the Frankfort ER. After a neb treatment by the EMTs the wheezing was gone, but his cheeks continued to swell and he couldn't swallow. Once we arrived in the ER they took an assessment and history, this felt like forever. I just wanted them to give him some epinephrine because the problem was so obvious to me, but the doctor was concerned initially that he aspirated on the nut. The nurses started an iv and finally gave him a shot of epi, iv benadryl, and iv steroids. There was a brief moment of fear when his heart rate dropped after the injection of epi and benadryl. Still not sure what the exact cause was, but the meds did their job and after an hour the swelling was almost back to normal. The doctor in Frankfort was not comfortable sending him home, but felt he needed to be seen by the UK doctors for observation. So Whitman and I went for a second ride in an ambulance to UK. By the time we got to UK he was pretty much his old self. They observed him for a couple hours and gave him some oral steroids to prevent a rebound reaction and sent us home with a prescription for an epi pen.
It was a very scary night but I am so thankful for so many things that happened that made the best out of a bad situation. First, I really believe the Lord gave Whitman peace about the situation. He was never outwardly terrified or even upset. He enjoyed the ambulance, barely whimpered at the IV, and thanked the nurse after she gave him a shot in the thigh. Seeing him taking it all so well helped me be calm as well. Second, our nurse in the Frankfort ER was awesome! I plan to write a letter thanking her for her care. Third, I was glad we were with Josh's mom and dad. They just took Waylon and we never worried about him. Fourth, it was such a blessing to see a familiar face in the UK ER. Lindsay was there to show support and give me a hug...and get Whitman a popsicle! Fifth, (and most importantly) my little boy is doing OK and completely recovered. Many thanks to those who were lifting us up in prayer during this time.
Now our lives are changing. I have a better understanding of parents who have kids with severe allergies. I've always understood in my head, but seeing your child struggling like this just changes your out look on things completely. We are reading labels, educating ourselves on the subject of tree nuts, and going to get further allergy testing in the coming weeks. For those of you who have allergies or kids with severe allergies (especially to tree nuts) any resources or helpful tips are appreciated.
Continued prayers are appreciated as we get use to a new normal. Tree nuts are in many things and processed along side a ton of foods. We are learning all we can and reading every label, but right now I'm fearful that we might mess up. We are also adjusting to carrying an epi pen with us everywhere we go. Just wanting to keep our precious boy safe.
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