First be a little bit tired after a late night.
Second take allergy kid to the Hastings farmers market.
Thirdly let her try things that she couldn't possibly react to - fresh fruit, juices etc.
Then as feeling brave, buy her a roll from the bakery after making sure it was safe for her.
Next get kitted up in togs and head off to Splash Planet. Hang out in the lazy river, do a few slides then have lunch. Give allergy kid the roll you bought for her for a special treat.
Have some more fun, kayaking, driving the jungle jeep and a quick go on the flying fox.
Then allergy kid comes to you saying she needs inhaler. Notice large hives all over her face. Yell to sister and husband that she is having a reaction. Run (yes I said R.U.N) to where we left our stuff.
Administer antihistamine and ventolin as per allergy action plan. No relief noticed. Grab anapen and run (Yep still running) to first aid post. Try to administer anapen, hands shaking too much, hubby does it. Safe and steady hands. Anapen administered. Staff call for ambulance. Watch child go in and out of conciousness. Talk to paramedic on phone. Wait for ambulance. Wait some more. And more.
Allergy kid still suffering majorly. More hives popping up, breathing wheezy and irregular. Finally ambulance arrives (we are probably only talking about 10-15 minutes - feels like a lifetime). Paramedics come with stretcher, oxygen, large kit full of syringes. Paramedic administers another shot of adrenaline. Other paramedic inserts IV line. Administers more adrenaline via IV. Allergy kid stabilised. Transferred to stretcher. I climb into ambulance with her. Nebuliser given to stabilise her breathing.
Arrive Hastings hospital. Watch child be hooked up to many monitors and still unable to talk (most unusual as those of you who actually know her will understand). Prendisolone administered. Hubby arrives having followed ambulance and left other kids with my sister. We sit and we wait.
About 2 hours after this all started, allergy kid starts to come round. Parents breathe sigh of relief. Child transferred to Pediatric assessment unit. We wait. Dr finally comes and says we need to stay over night for observation.
No further reactions noted and we are told we can go home.
And home we come.
Back to Auckland.
This is her second reaction since school broke up.
Back to lunch boxes and never letting our precious daughter eat food prepared by others again.
Sigh.
Barbs x.
Reading this makes my heart break for you and Emma. I'm a mother to a child with multiple allergies too and although we have only had to make one emergency trip to hospital nearly 5 years ago, every day we live with the worry of the very situation you just blogged about. Any idea what may have triggered the reaction? Stay strong, you are amazing.
ReplyDeleteOh you poor thing! That is horrid to have to go through....I can only imagine how furious you are with the shop :( x
ReplyDeleteOh God Barbs, I saw your comment on FB but that was some major horrible event for you all to have to go through. I bet you are still in shock from that. I'm so so sorry you and especially Emma had to go through it.
ReplyDeletexxx
Oh my goodness Barbs!! I really feel for all of you, how traumatic :o(. I was just checking out your blog since you commented on mine and what a rough time! I hope that this year is better for your gorgeous girl and that kind of thing never ever happens again.
ReplyDeleteWe had trouble administering the adrenaline too. My husband did the Anapen for Reuben while I held him very tight (he was screaming and crying for us not to do it). Unfortunately B hadn't actually ever used an Anapen trainer (we had an Epipen for home and this was his school one which we'd brought on holiday as a backup) and so tried to use it like an EpiPen. I have just seen the specialist this week who supplied us with a trainer and now both the school and home ones are the same. So tricky!
Anyway massive hugs to you all. x