This is a reposting of a blog article written by Sydney H. from her blog http://ataleofanaphylaxis.wordpress.com/2013/06/26/pool-party-gone-wrong/. We are happy that she is okay!
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So It happened again… I spent today in the ER after an anaphylactic reaction. This afternoon I went to an end of school year pool party with some of my girlfriends. I finished my last exam this morning and was pumped to start summer vacation. The afternoon was going perfectly! We went swimming, had lunch (perfectly allergen free), and were having so much fun! I was playing with my friends dog and throwing its toy around when the dog brought back a weed by accident. It turns out the plant was stinging nettle and its tiny thorns cut my leg and finger. Within seconds of the plant touching me my leg began to swell with welty hives, as well did my finger. My body flushed with heat and I instantly felt faint and nauseous. I took a benadryl figuring it was nothing serious. I ran to the washroom as I thought I was going to be sick and my friends followed. I told them I needed my Epipen and they were fabulous. I knew I needed it because I could feel my lips swelling and my throat closing. I remember thinking “This cant be happening on the first day of summer!!”. I administered the epipen by myself and I can honestly say I don’t remember doing that or even feeling the pain. I was so sick and faint it is all a blur. My friends immediately called 911 and my parents, as we were home alone. I have never been so proud to call these girls my friends! They handled themselves so well and were so calm. Two of them decided to wait in the driveway for the ambulance, one made phone calls, one gathered my things and my two best friends held my hands and made sure I stayed with them. They wiped my tears and were so mature and comforting.Thankfully they put some clothes on me so I wasn’t laying around in my bikini when the fire chief and paramedics arrived. I am sure we looked like a couple of wing nuts. Me laying on a bathroom floor and them running around in bikinis! Sadly the paramedics weren’t super hunky but my friends said they were keeping an eye out! Luckily they let my mom ride in the front of the ambulance as last time I had a traumatic experience by myself. The Epipen and Benadryl worked their magic and the rash disappeared and the swelling went down. As per usual I spent 4 hours in the ER to make sure my vitals were improving. They prescribed some steroids to help heal from the swelling and such. Of course I will be on alert for a secoundarry reaction, but I’m doing okay.
I am so thankful that I was surrounded by amazing people and that I am doing better. These situations are crazy scary but they make me stronger. The next couple days will probably be rough but hey im alive!!
