Game Night? More Like a Trip (or Two) to the ER!

Sunday (yesterday) night I went over to Randy and Jenny's to play games (without Trevor because he had stuff he needed to get done). I got there and we were enjoying some chips and salsa. They also had a jar of candy including chocolate covered raisins, peanuts, and other sorts of nuts. Since I'm allergic to peanuts, I tried to carefully pick out the raisin ones (they are SO good!). Unfortunately, one of the ones I thought was a raisin was a nut... but it didn't taste like a peanut... so I thought I'd be okay.

Well, sure enough about a minute later my tongue and throat started to swell. Drinking water didn't help and I started to get worried... I was swelling a little more than I was used to. So the Bucks offered to take me to the hospital just up the road, and I thought it might be a good idea, just in case. So we went to the ER and I told them my throat was swelling because I ate a peanut. This got me in pretty fast because that's on the top of the priority list, thank goodness!

So I saw a preliminary nurse who gave me a small benadryl to hopefully help with the allergens. By the time I went to my hospital room, the tongue and throat swelling had subsided, but my stoomach had started hurting pretty bad. So they gave me a nausea pill to take, which I stored in my purse because by THAT point, my stomach was feeling better too. So, they gave me some instructions and told me I could go home. Right as I was about to leave one of the nurses asked if I usually got hives because my neck was looking a little red. After she said that, I started to realize that I had been scratching my ears and neck and that they were pretty itchy, but it didn't seem to be a big deal, so we left.

We stopped by the Buck's house and Jenny drove my car home for me while Randy cheuffered me safely home. By the time we got there, however, I realized that I was starting to wheeze a little, as if I had been in the same room as a dog for too long, and that the itchy hives were spreading further down my body. So I asked the guys for a blessing and they gave me one. The Bucks left soon after, and I started to get ready for bed. But I was worried-- the hives were getting intense and my breathing was strange... so I called the ER again and the preliminary nurse talked with me and said I sounded worse and she really wanted me to come back because if my throat closed I could die. I didn't think my throat would close up, but by this point I was willing to play it more safe than sorry because I had never reacted like this to a peanut before.

So my sweet Trevor drove me back to the ER at 10:30 and they put me straight into a room. By this point the insides of my arms were one big hive and my eyes were swelling so I took my contacts out. Soon a male nurse came in and gave me an IV with saline solution to clear the path for the epinephrine shot I would be getting. It must have been the combination of the needle being poked in my arm, the blood running down my arm from the needle, and the trauma of my allergic reaction... but right after he got the IV in, I felt really light headed and knew I was going to throw up. And throw up I did. It was gross. But at least it got that peanut out!

Then I got an epinephrine shot (like an epi pen) and a shot of steriods and more saline. Then they let me sit there and close my eyes for... oh... about an hour. At about 12:15 (and the point where Trevor was getting a little impatient) they finally came back and said I was looking a lot better. They handed me instructions and prescriptions for some medicines and an epi pen for me to carry around with me, just incase this happens again. When I got up to leave, I felt light headed and had to take another short trip to the bathroom to empty the rest of my stomach. It was a very draining, traumatizing experience.

Needless to say, I learned a lot last night. I learned that my reactions are a lot worse than I thought, especially if I SWALLOW a peanut. I also learned that if I have hives on the outside, they could be on the inside too, which could be dangerous-- so hives aren't always benign. I learned that I may be getting worse reactions with age, which is scary. I learned that I should be even MORE careful about avoiding peanuts because it's not as mild as it used to be.

Most importantly, though, I remembered to be grateful for life. In our choir class we are singing a piece by Aaron Copland called "The Promise of Living". It's a great piece, and today we went straight through it with the piano accompaniment for the first time. There's a part in the middle of the piece where the women start to sing and these are the lyrics:

Give thanks there was sunshine
Give thanks there was rain
Give thanks for the hands that delivered the grain
Oh let us be joyful
Oh let us be grateful
To the Lord for His blessing


Needless to say, I couldn't make it through that part. I just started crying. I realized I was so grateful for life and for everything the Lord gives us - rain, sunshine, food, shelter, loved ones! It is such an overwhelming feeling to be reminded of how precious every day is. So, even though I wouldn't necessarily ASK for the experience I had at the ER last night... I'm honestly grateful for it... because it has reminded me of the important things in life, which I tend to forget about when life is normal and day-to-day.

I just want you all to know that I love you and I am grateful for you and for the specific roles you have each played in my life. I couldn't ask for better friends!