Kendrea to the Rescue Again!

I really think my friends need to get their allergies under control.

It happened again. I am a medical emergency magnet, an MEM. I received a call from a friend, who shall remain un-named. This particular person was at a riding stable with her child who was competing, when she realized her slight allergy to horses had taken a turn for the worst. Her breathing became difficult and she felt like her throat was closing up. Naturally, she called me. Granted I have the monopoly on Epi-Pens in the neighborhood, however I'm always shocked someone is willing to put their life and death matters into my hands. I have fulfilled this function for four people in the last year and a half. I can proudly boast I have not lost a patient yet -- misplaced a few, but they always turn back up.

O.k. so this friend called to see if I could help her by bringing the drugs to her, but my kids had just started painting so I um-ed slightly, not really thinking of truly how urgent the situation was and that’s why I’m not in the ER. She said she’d try one of her other friends and apologized for bothering me and hung up. About 10 minutes later reality kicked and realized what I had just done. I tried to call her back, worried she had expired on the parking lot. And with the medical emergency record I had at the time, I didn't want to take any chances.

When the called went through she was just leaving the 'hood after taking a few Benadryl. Now, the driving home part was really not that great of a choice, because with anaphylaxis you never know what will happen next. I advised, she stop by and get the liquid stuff for her throat. When she got to the door hives were appearing on her face. She slugged back the lovely pink stuff and said she had to get back to the riding stables, which she wasn't supposed to leave in the first place. Kid's on horses, moms not around . . . make the stable owners a bit crabby. I offered to drive her and her other child back and she said no, no, no. I asked if this other kid with her knew how to call 911 and she accepted my offer. We arrived at the stable, no one knew anything had happened. The kids and I got to see little girls completing on horses and two colts. It was a win-win.

Public Service Announcement
Honestly, with an allergic reaction, erring on the side of caution is always favorable. Your body can turn against itself so quickly you'll think your o.k. and the next you know you're very, very NOT o.k. So, if your husband appears after a bee sting with bright red hive-y patches covering his body talking in a strange high voice, or your friend appears at your door with a swollen and distorted face and talking with a lisp or your other friend arrives with a small child, who's the offspring of a severely bee allergic father and the kid has just been stung . . . take it seriously.