It started like any other night. Robert and I made chicken and rice for dinner. We spent most of the evening in our respective places in the living room, I was reading and he was playing with his phone. Well then Robert decides he wants to go to the gym. And after much prodding, I agreed to join him. I rode the stationary bike for about 30 minutes and he lifted some weights. When we got home he took a shower and then began making a protein shake. I asked him if I could try it. It was gross...not to mention not fully shaken up..I inhaled a big chunk of powder and decided then and there that protein shakes were not my cup of tea. Little did I know how right I was.
I got in the shower and noticed my mouth was itching really bad. I tried and tried to rinse it out to no avail. I began to feel what seemed like severe heartburn. I brushed my teeth to scratch my itchy mouth, took some heartburn medicine and a benedryl. Then my ears started itching and my eyes were kind of bloodshot. I went back to reading on the couch...but then my lips started feeling tingly and numb. I went back to the bathroom and saw that my bottom lip had practically doubled in size. Then I began to freak out. Robert got me some ice and his flashlight. (to put his medical school skills to use?) He said my ears and throat looked normal..I looked in the mirror again only to see a huge lump had formed on my eyelid and my neck had hives all over it. It was time to go to the doctor.
When I got there they kind of ignored me, the receptionist was having a lengthy conversation with some man about his insurance. A male nurse took notice of me and asked what was wrong...i showed him my lips and eye and they took me to a room right away. Another nurse came in and took my vitals. She filled out some paper work and left me in there. I could hear the doctor on the other side of the curtain giving a little boy stitches. At this point, my lips felt tighter than possible, I couldn't breathe through my nose, my hands were on fire...I felt so horrible I couldn't stop from crying intermittently..it wasn't helping. About 30 miserable minutes after arriving she finally came to see me. They kept asking what I was allergic to...but I have no idea! There was an entire concoction of crap in that protein shake, and I'd never had this kind of reaction to anything. She told me they were going to give me a shot of epinephrine and steroids. Another nurse, who had apparently had a long day, came to give me the shots...she was not the friendliest person. I got the epi shot in my arm...holy crap it hurt. It felt like my arm was simultaneously being injected with fire and being punched forcefully. The steroid shot was in the hip...I barely felt that one. I laid there for another 15 min or so and they let me leave. My lips already felt less tight and burny.
I went to sleep and when I woke up this morning I was feeling significantly better. My eye lid is all hangy now and I have a bad headache. I'm supposed to take more benedryl today, I figured that would make me pretty much worthless at work, so I'm home, waiting to call my supervisor.
I hope I can figure out what caused my reaction...that's terrifying to know something unknown can do that to you!
5 comments:
That sounds positively awful. A similar thing happened to Andy (Brit's Andy) a while ago too! Except he was home alone and passed out in front of the door, so when the ambulance came it made it more difficult for them to rescue him. Good thing Robert was with you!
Oh how scary! Yeah - we never figured out what Andy was allergic to. But we have multiple epi-pens and such around the house/in the car and he has a few in Iraq. I even know how to do the one you have to get between the ribs instead of in the leg! Feel better and avoid protein shakes!
P.s. My random word for "verification" is: redopu. lol!
poor andy! that's scary. i hope it never happens again...i'm pretty sure it was the super concentrated weigh protein...but it has a ton of other ingredients.
Holy cow that is scary! I am glad you are ok though, and feeling better! allergies are scary, especially when you arent aware. My poor cousin died a few years back, due to Morphine. Ambulance gave her a shot of Morphine for the pain when they arrived due to a knee injury she occured while on holiday and she died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. It always scares me to know that something could happen and change your life so dramatically and quickly over something what would at the time seem so insignificant. BE Safe!
jen that's horrible! i remember hearing about your cousin. i read malpractice cases all day long and it makes me really distrustful of medical professionals...i'm so sorry you lost someone that way!
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