So I was on a minivacation with my wife and 5 year old son in Gatlinburg, TN two days ago when my boy ate a Turtle chocolate. Two minutes later he's crying because "the nuts scratched my throat". We blew it off and gave him a coke to drink as we're driving in bumper to bumper traffic. It didn't help, and I was starting to get a little annoyed with his crying when my wife noticed that his face was swelling.
My wife and I took CPR 2 months ago, and the first thing I thought was allergic reaction to nuts (or something) and anaphylaxis, which turned out to be the case even though he has never been allergic to anything before. Because we both knew what might be happening we hauled ass down the mountain and pulled into the first pharmacy to buy benedryl and called a doctor on the way. By then he was breaking into welts all over his body, his tongue was swollen, and he it was looking worse by the minute. She called in a prescription for an Epi-Pen Junior, and suggested another antihistimine which we gave while waiting for the prescription.
By the time we got the Epi Pen for him, he had welts the size of playing cards from head to toe, his throat hurt immensely, and it was getting worse by the minute. I knew exactly how to apply the shot because of the training, and did it immediatly. We were an hour from the nearest hospital, so I asked the pharmacist where to find the closest paramedics, and he told me they would be less than 1/2 mile away. We rushed over there, had him checked out, and everything was fine thanks to the Benedryl and Epi Pen, and the paramedic was amazed at how quickly and effectively we handled a situation which could have become life threatening if we hadn't known exactly what to do. THANK GOD!!!! He will see an allergist tomorrow or Monday.
Lesson learned. PLEASE take a CPR class ASAP! You never know how close to home it will hit. We knew what OTC drug to go for, how to get help, and what to do if the worst happened (and yes, we called 911 along the way, and our training was much more effective in this case than the call). I hate to think of what could have happened if we didn't know what the hell was going on. It's a few hours that can really make a difference, and even if it costs you a few bucks to take a class it might really make a difference...
My wife and I took CPR 2 months ago, and the first thing I thought was allergic reaction to nuts (or something) and anaphylaxis, which turned out to be the case even though he has never been allergic to anything before. Because we both knew what might be happening we hauled ass down the mountain and pulled into the first pharmacy to buy benedryl and called a doctor on the way. By then he was breaking into welts all over his body, his tongue was swollen, and he it was looking worse by the minute. She called in a prescription for an Epi-Pen Junior, and suggested another antihistimine which we gave while waiting for the prescription.
By the time we got the Epi Pen for him, he had welts the size of playing cards from head to toe, his throat hurt immensely, and it was getting worse by the minute. I knew exactly how to apply the shot because of the training, and did it immediatly. We were an hour from the nearest hospital, so I asked the pharmacist where to find the closest paramedics, and he told me they would be less than 1/2 mile away. We rushed over there, had him checked out, and everything was fine thanks to the Benedryl and Epi Pen, and the paramedic was amazed at how quickly and effectively we handled a situation which could have become life threatening if we hadn't known exactly what to do. THANK GOD!!!! He will see an allergist tomorrow or Monday.
Lesson learned. PLEASE take a CPR class ASAP! You never know how close to home it will hit. We knew what OTC drug to go for, how to get help, and what to do if the worst happened (and yes, we called 911 along the way, and our training was much more effective in this case than the call). I hate to think of what could have happened if we didn't know what the hell was going on. It's a few hours that can really make a difference, and even if it costs you a few bucks to take a class it might really make a difference...
