Did it again... I hate being the patient!

[NurseELB]

Soo, I took my daughter up to my sister's for a sleepover and we all went out to the new Sonic in her town. I haven't been to a sonic since we lived in So Cal. We ordered our burgers, my daughter ordered a hot fudge malt and I ordered a plain chocolate malt.

The kicker is I am allergic to coconut. VERY allergic. Coconut oil keeps chocolate solid at room temperatures. It's what most hot fudges use to keep the chocolate thick.

Server comes to the car and gives us our orders. There is a big chocolate C on the underside of the lid of one of the malts. Server says- "this one's chocolate", so I kept it and handed DD the other one, didn't think to have DD check it first.

I proceeded to enjoy a really yummy chocolate malt. About a 3rd of the way into it, the hot fudge starts coming up the straw in gobs- YUMMM. I LOVE chocolate, therefore it took several long swallows before I realized that malt tasted TOO good. Sent it to the daughter to check and sure enough, I HAD THE WRONG MALT!

At the same time I realized I was feeling REALLY congested. We called another worker out to bring the fudge can and sure enough- COCONUT OIL was the 3rd ingredient.

DD went through my purse, NO EPI PEN! I left it on my dresser the other day when I changed purses. Sonic worker offered to call an ambulance, but I wasn't too bad just then, so I had my sis drive me to the nearest Emergency. By the time we got there I was really having a hard time breathing and started having a little chest pain (anxiety?).

I talked the provider out of Epi because was able to maintain my airway RELATIVELY okay with rest. Kept asking her to check me in 5 more minutes (Epinephrine is PAINFUL when injected under the skin, and the side effects SUCK!). They gave me a large dose of Benadryl in the shoulder and a HUGE dose of steroids in each butt side!

The strange thing about my reaction to coconut is my blood pressure. Last time (Sept 2008) I ended up in the ICU for 3 days because my blood pressure skyrocketed. We managed to get it down with just the benadryl this time (provider says that proves the high bp was a histamine reaction).

Got to go home, not quite, had to go back to the sister's house to be monitored for a while. Convinced sister and daughter I was safe to drive home- about 45 minutes- around 10 pm. Took more benadryl and a percocet for the RAGING headache and low back pain and went to bed.

The sucky thing about steroids is what it does to my sleep cycle. Couldn't get to sleep until 4am, woke up at 6am and then managed to drift in and out until 8.

Still have the headache and back pain, haven't checked my blood pressure today, usually when it goes high like that (only in these situations, thank the lord) I can feel it in my ears.

Nobody's home until later tonight, hubby at work and daughter still at my sisters. Everyone is a phone call away, though. Too busy to hear me moan and complain, so guess what?

YOU GOT THE HONORS!

Thanks for listening!!! *big sigh, waiting for meds to work*

I guess the good thing about all this is it DOES make me a more understanding nurse... I could do without, though.

 

[Southernbelle]

WOW! Glad you're okay and that you knew what you needed to do.

 

[pbjmaker]

That was a close call! Glad you are OK!

 

[NurseELB]

I didn't tell the staff that I was an emergency nurse right off, I like them to feel comfortable around me so they can make the right decisions... The problem is I am stubborn and a terrible patient. I HATE epinephrine and will suffer quite a bit to avoid it- plus they have to watch you for like 8 hours after, so I try REALLY hard to pretend I'm better thatn I really feel. This time wasn't nearly as bad as the last- last time it was coconut MILK. Something about the more concentrated the less I need to have a reaction- the oils are less irritating and when it gets to the 7th or 8th ingredient I can usually get away with just taking benadryl.

I love the way my daughter told my husband I was sick- "Mommy got into coconut again (she's 15)" I woofed after she said it, felt like the dog getting into the trash.

 

[NurseELB]

Shouldn't I be passed out and drooling from 50mg of benadryl and 2 percocet? I still have the bad headache and low back pain. Can't sleep, afraid to take anything else.

Guess I'll call my DR. She doesn't work on Fridays or I'd already be there. She swears she wants me to call her on the weekends if something happens, but I never have. Always toughed it out until Mon.

*WHINE* I wanted to get a coat of primer on the new coop and install the windows today. I have to work this weekend! *WHINE WHINE WHINE*

 

[MandyH]

I too am a nurse and also suffer an allergy to something in most bread products. I would have to agree 200% that having to have epinephrin DOES SUCK. That stuff makes me feel like I'm crack or something. It takes me 2 days to quit trembling. YUCK!! Glad that you are OK.

 

[StupidBird]

oooh that IS sucky . . . but at least you can still take benadryl and all that stuff. I took that stuff for years, now am too sensitized to even touch it - very bad reaction. I hate epipen too, and the three day or so hangover. My allergic "crashes", when not bad enough to just plain old pass out, make me look like I'm drunk or stoned...has led to some misunderstandings, even at the ER.

One of the (looking back) first signs of my sensitivity to benadryl was hyperactivity instead of passing out??? This and a whole class of allergy drugs cause bad symptoms including severe, raging, take everyone down with me suicidal depression. I carry a letter detailing all the stupid drugs I can't tolerate anymore, with a description of what happens and when it started (year). This is on top of being hideously allergic to 3 common molds. (and lesser allergies to all sorts of things on top of that) I even passed out in anaphylactic shock in the allergists office getting the skin prick tests. Now that was fun.

Coffee, with lots of sugar, (I prefer it black) with an antihistamine, is my first response defense. I hope you never get sensitized to the allergy meds. Glad to know there are others out there who make themselves wait until the black curtain of almost passing out starts to lower before resorting to the epipen! I can't tell you how many times the nurses or docs have chewed me out for waiting, but they're not the ones who have to live suffering the next few days to a week with the complications. Even if I catch it in time, it is still days before I'm fully functional.

So do you find that after a close call allergic wise, you are super duper sensitive for a week or so? (wow, am I whining too)
"Mom got into some (fill in the blank) again" is a common refrain! Luckily, I am staying out of the ER, and slowed way down on the episodes. Unluckily, this means I have no job, no life, and mostly stay cocooned at home avoiding triggers. I have whined before about being told by 9 out of 10 docs/er or regular to move to Alaska. That got to be quite a joke, especially when the one of ten changed his mind and said I definitely needed to move out of the south, had I thought about Alaska?

Ah, crap, listen to me! I don't mean to highjack the thread, I just want to thank you for your sharing that episode, and that I really do understand the frustration for having to dump the plans for the next week because of one moment's encounter. And the crazies from the meds.

 

[muddyhorse]

Wow somebody else allergic to coconut, my reactions aren't as bad as yours. I just have difficulty swallowing. I can breathe just fine. One time heading into a class at a horse show I swiped a cookie going into the ring and didn't realize it was a macaroon

my trainer kept telling me to smile like I meant it not like a psycopath.

 

[StupidBird]

MuddyHorse, that made me LOL.

 

[NurseELB]

Quote:
I've even fussed at patients for waiting too long to use their pen! (Then I silently think to myself, I would've too!

)

The sensitivity to EVERYTHING lasts for a couple days, the Epi hangover for at least 3 days, followed by a HUGE crash. I try to avoid eating anything processed for at least a month after each episode, trying to clean out my system again.

Just sucks right now, my situation at work is tenuous and I just can't call off, but I'm sure no one wants to have a nurse that can't focus on them and put THEIR needs first! Especially in an emergency situation!

Finding my pulse is up over 120, considering a trip back to the ER if my doc doesn't call back soon... NOT HAPPY *WHIIIIIIINNNNNNEEEEE*