Don't leave the clinic after allergy shots!

Well, another week means another visit to Asthma Doc for allergy shots. All 3 of my kids have had  the series of allergy shots which takes 3- 5 years (depending on the person). Of course they have all started and ended at different times, so it's been about 10 years of me taking kids for allergy shots.....every week.

To learn more about allergy shots, click here. 

Once your serum is mixed (depending on what you are allergic to) you start by getting allergy shots twice a week (one in each arm) and then they slowly increase the dose until your body can handle the injections.

Since you are being injected with a what you are allergic to, there is a chance you can have anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction.) You are supposed to wait 20 minutes after each injection, but at Asthma Doc's office, I regularly see people leave right after they get shots. Stupid people. They are tempting fate.

The ONE time we left early was because Son #2 was in the hospital due to asthma. It was a Friday afternoon and it was Hubby's turn at the hospital. I decided to take Son #1 and daughter Kitty to shots, then we were going to pick up a pizza and head right back to the hospital to watch a movie with Son #2. HA! 

Son #2 had his shots, and I said to shot nurse, "We're not going to stay, we're going to grab a pizza and head back to the hospital." She said, "I'm sure you'll be fine, what are the chances that anything will happen? And if it does, you'll be at the hospital!"

So, we piled in the van and headed to get pizza. Well, we were only a block away when Son #2 started coughing and said, "Mom-I think something's wrong." I looked in the rear view mirror to see that my son's face had turned bright red, his eyes were bulging and glassy, and the veins were popping out on his neck. 

I swerved over to the side of the road and turned around to head back to Asthma Doc's office. I grabbed my cell phone and called them in a panic. Wonderful Shot Nurse assured us she was ready and waiting. She had the epinephrine pen waiting for us. She quickly injected him and then started a breathing treatment. She stayed with him (after the office had closed) and watched him for 2 hours. She kept us calm and made a terrible experience bearable.

She told us that even after using epinephrine, the anaphylaxis can "rebound" or re-occur. She gave us a prescription for an epi-pen and sent us to the pharmacy.

Meanwhile, Hubby is calling to say, "Hey! Where's the pizza?! I thought you guys were coming right back to the hospital!" I said, "I can't talk now, Son #1 is in anaphylactic shock!" He could only get in a "What? Huh?" Before I hung up.

And to make matters worse, while we were at the pharmacy getting the Epi-pen, we left Kitty's favorite stuffed animal on one of the chairs. Talk about a bad night!

I was still shaking by the time I got back to the hospital and we ended up just calling for a pizza to be delivered.

What's the moral to this story?

 STAY FOR THE RECOMMENDED 20 MINUTES AFTER EVERY ALLERGY SHOT!!!!

It can be the one time you leave early that you have anaphylactic shock. Don't tempt fate.