anaphylactic shock anyone!!
As a lifeguard we are continuously doing training for all shorts of first aid situations. One of which is anaphylactic shock, this is a severe allergic reaction. The common once you hear about are due to bee bites (my girl) and peanuts (that’s why they ban peanut butter in schools). During training situations, no one really know how to look like an anaphylactic shock victim, they end up just listing the symptoms which include, a swollen neck, difficulty breathing and so on. WELL I know now how to act if that victim sit comes up again . . .because yes I had anaphylactic shock the other day. let me tell you the story, my week of being sick and treated like I have SARS was starting to come to an end, I went to sleep on Friday night thinking tomorrow I will feel so much better . . .instead I woke up crying from an ear infection, the pain was so bad my body was shaking, I went straight to a clinic, the doctor had one look in my ear and said "WOW your in a lot of pain" he prescribed Amixocillin and Tylenol 3. I took both immediately, on the subway home I couldn't stop moving, because the pain was so bad, I told Sal I felt like a had just left a rave, when the e was just dieing down, but you still have to move. My heart was beating fast like it was on triple speed. I was on my bed shaking and hyperventilating, both Sal and I thought it was still due to the pain, I started to use a paper bag to help me breath. But I face went numb, I remember asking Sal what was in codeine, if it was like coke because I was going numb, I then ran from my room to ask Matthew if he had ever experienced this reaction before, by the time I got to him, my throat had closed and I couldn’t speak, I dropped to the floor and attempted to read the side effects of the medication, but I eyes were blurry. As I sat there convulsing I could hear the boys calling an ambulance. The ambulance was quick and when they got there my severe reaction was over, I was still swollen, had a full body rash and hyperventilating but I could breath again. They checked my vitals and put me into the ambulance. I spent the next three hours with liquid benydryl in my veins, after the three hours my body rash was gone, and most of the swelling had gone down, so they released me. I have been awake a total of 6 hours in the past three days, partially because my body is healing, and also because I have to take 2 benydryls every four hours which causes me to be drowsy. I can feel that I'm getting better now, but my doctor says it will be another week before I have my energy back. I get to wear one of those medical alert bracelets now!! No doctor wants to test and see what I am allergic too, because each time you have a reaction it gets worse. So my bracelet will say penicillin, Tylenol and codeine. I just grateful that my roommates were on top of things and called 911. thanks boys :)