The following weeks after we found out what Dean was allergic to were intense. The first week, we had to give him Benadryl 5 out of 7 days because he had some sort of minor allergic reaction (hives) despite our elimination of the known allergens. Four of those times, daycare called me in the middle of the work day. Whenever I saw its number pop up on my phone, my stomach dropped because I thought they were calling 911 again. I’m in meetings about 6 hours a day and am often running them or presenting. I didn’t know whether to drop everything and step out or if they were calling about random stuff, Dean fell and hit his head but he’s OK, etc. I finally had to tell them to call my work cell for emergencies only, like he’s having a severe reaction, and to call my desk phone for all other issues.

Of course, when your kid is living off of Benadryl, you think, “Are their other things he’s allergic to that we just don’t know about still?” This is ridiculous! I started to keep a diary of what he ate and symptoms to see if there were any patterns. After that, we religiously introduced only one new food at a time, testing it 4 full days, before we introduced the next item.

I also called the allergist with lots of questions, mainly to gage if administering Benadryl 5 times during the course of a week was just what life was going to be like now or if this was unusual. She was anything but helpful. She was condescending and rude and was practically yelling at me on the phone. I almost hung up on her at one point (of course, there would have been some words said there too!). She could have cared less that I was concerned, worried, and confused. I told Matt that step one was to find a new allergist.

It felt good, however, to make some decisions and start putting things into motion over the next few weeks. Continue reading →

After Dean’s original trip to the emergency room in January, we had to wait two weeks to go to the allergist for testing.  He was on prednisone for the next five days to eliminate the symptoms of the allergic reaction.  They want to make sure all of the medicine is out of his system before adding a possible allergen back “in.”  As a precautionary measure, his daycare doesn’t allow children who’ve had a severe allergic reaction to return without clearance from a doctor.  Since the reaction can be life-threatening, they need to know how to respond in the event of another emergency.  So the next morning, we saw his pediatrician.  There was a LOT of paperwork: allergen information, emergency response plan, 2 medicine authorizations, and 2 medicine administrations.  In the future, we were told to administer 5 mL of antihistamine (Benadryl) in the event of a minor allergic reaction, e.g. hives, flushing, etc.  We were given a prescription for an epi-pen.  She showed me how to use it (they give you a practice one) and was told that from now, we are to carry both with us at all times.  (We actually carry 2 epi-pens because you want a backup if one doesn’t work and you are supposed to administer a second dose if the response flairs up again or if the symptoms don’t subside after 5 minutes.)  She told us to use the epi-pen if Dean was having a severe reaction, e.g. significant hives, repeatedly projectile vomiting, trouble breathing, etc.  When in doubt, she told us to use it without hesitation, right through his clothes, and to call 911 immediately after.  An allergic reaction can significantly progress in just a matter of minutes and many children die because someone was nervous that the reaction wasn’t severe enough to use.  (I just read a heart wrenching story about a mother in a facebook support group I belong to whose 14-year old son died because she wasn’t sure and tried to get to the ER herself).

I was emotional for the next several weeks, crying at random times when I least expected it, going through everything that happened that Friday.   Continue reading →

I’ve been able to see things in a new light the last couple of weeks.  Most of it was fueled by a nice visit to Hillsboro, IL, a small rural town between Springfield and St. Louis where my grandma lived.  She passed away last summer but the family is in the process of selling her house.  It was a nice girls weekend with my aunt, Kate, and me and gave me peaceful closure being there one last time.

Things are always a slower pace when you’re back in Hillsboro.  There is a simpleness to the town but people seem happy, know their neighbors, and you never get the sense that they feel like they’re missing out on all the grandiose things that a large urban city like Chicago brings.  Being there always provides a much needed relief from the hustle bustle of everyday life.  There is also a comfort that I experience when I’m there, sort of a home away from home.  Given the weeks leading up to the visit, I was certainly looking forward to having a few days away from work and some down time to really evaluate life – to sort through all the various thoughts I’ve been feeling about where I’m ‘stuck’ or unhappy.

It was also a time to remember my grandma and how grateful she always was for whatever life brought her.   Continue reading →

This week has been a rough one.

For those of you who don’t know, there are 3 things that are often linked together medically: eczema, food allergies, and asthma.  Thankfully, D only has issues with 2 of those.

This week has been a particularly bad one with his eczema which is largely induced by environmental factors.  He’s allergic to dust mites, cats, dogs, and sensitive to many soaps, laundry detergents, etc.  Humidity is also eczema’s enemy, not easy when you live in Chicago.  Even if your clothes have any of these items on them, his eczema can flair up.  Cats and dogs usually cause him to break out into hives and once, his eye swelled up.

Last Saturday, D seemed to be developing something beyond eczema.  It looked more like a rash on his chest, back, and in the back of his knees which is where his eczema is usually worse.  This was the second time in a month so we decided to get him in to see the doctor.  She thought maybe he had a virus and a bacterial infection (impetigo) from the bad eczema but wanted to confirm with the pediatric dermatologist on Monday.  She took some pictures and told us to try a topical antibiotic.

By Monday, it had gotten better so she told us to continue usage.  Wednesday morning, daycare called and sent him home because they thought he had hand, foot, and mouth which started in his room on Tuesday.  Doctor confirmed it wasn’t, just impetigo still.

Back we go.  Thursday afternoon, daycare called again.  D now had a fever of 101 and had to go home.  I put him into the bath after dinner, and he threw up a minute later. Continue reading →

I’ll never forget the day.

L: “Jennifer, this is L.” (daycare center director – the head lady)

Me: “Yes?” (OK, something’s weird here.  L never calls.)

L: “I’m here with D.  Has he ever had an allergic reaction before?”

Me: “What kind of allergic reaction?”

L: “To food.  I’m here with T.” (on-site security; teaches first aid and CPR).

Me: “No.  Why?”

L: “D’s having some sort of allergic reaction.  He’s broken out into hives.”

Me: “Are you sure it’s not eczema?  He gets really bad outbreaks that probably look like hives.”

L: “No.  I don’t think so.  The hives are all over his body.  He’s projectile vomiting, and he’s wheezing.  Are you at work? Can you come over?”

Me: “No, not today.  I’m working from home.  It’d take me some time to get there.  What did he eat?”  (What?  What is going on?)

L: “He just had formula and rice cereal.  (Me: He’s had both of those multiple times before; clearly,  he is not having an allergic reaction.)  OK, I’m going to call First Response to come check on him.  I’ll call you back.”

Me : (What?  Are they totally overreacting here?  This is ridiculous.  They probably just want to make sure.)

5 minutes later…

L: “Jennifer?  First Response is here.  We need to take D immediately to the hospital.”  (Me: What?  Oh no, oh no.  This can’t be happening.  This is for real.  OK, OK.  OMG.)  I’m going to ride with him in the ambulance.  How far away are you?”

Continue reading →