Anaphylaxis After Allergy Shots

 

 

 

 

 

To follow up on the last post, I cautioned that you must stay 20 minutes after every allergy injection. 

 

Why?

 

There is a possibility of anaphylaxis since you are getting injections of what you are allergic to.

The ONE TIME we left early, #1 Son had anaphylactic shock. 

 

Son #2 was already in the hospital with pneumonia and asthma, and we left the hospital to do allergy shots with Son #1 and Kitty. 

 

The plan was: get shots, grab some pizza, and head to the hospital. 

 

HA!

We told Wonderful Shot Nurse that we weren't going to stay, but were headed back to the hospital. She assured us we would be fine. 

 

Then Murphy's Law stepped in (If Anything Can Go Wrong, It Will.)

 

We were a block away from the clinic when #1 Son started coughing and said he thought something was wrong. 

 

I looked in the rear view mirror and saw Son #1 with a bright red face, glassy and bulging eyes, and a swollen neck. 

 

Uh oh.

I did a quick U-turn and called Wonderful Shot Nurse and told her my son was having anaphylaxis. She waiting for us as I sped back to the clinic. 

 

 She had the epinephrine injection ready, and a breathing treatment set up. She calmly injected him and made small talk while the medicine did its job. She stayed with us for 2 hours after the office closed, to make sure my son was stable. 

 

She gave us a prescription for an epi-pen since people can have a "rebound" anaphylactic shock episode 2 hours after the initial onset and treatment.

Meanwhile, Hubby is calling my cell phone wondering what's taking so long for the pizza. I breathlessly said "anaphylaxis, can't talk". 

 

To make matters worse, while we were at the pharmacy getting the epi pen, Kitty left her favorite stuffed animal there!

We made it to the hospital about 3 hours later, I was so shaken up that we ended up ordering pizza to be delivered there. 

 

 As we munched away, I remember feeling grateful for modern medicine, and that both our sons were still alive.