Archive for December, 2008

The Attachment…

{ December 14, 2008 @ 1:13 am } · { Me and Anaphylaxis }
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So people have asthma puffers, some people have insulin… I have an epipen. Everywhere I go I have to take it with me.

Epipen is short for epinephrine pen. You can see how it helps to have abbreviations sometimes. It’s a cylinderical injection about as long as the top of your middle finger to your wrist. So yeah about a vertical handspan or longer. And the width of a 20 cent piece. Let’s just hope I’ve got my definition of width right or you’re going to have a visualisation of some freaking wierd looking object.

When I first found out I had to carry one around with me everywhere after not even having one for the past 11 years, it pissed me off. I felt cheated that this was just something else to make me feel different if my allergies hadn’t done the job already. A constant reminder. “Don’t forget your epipen.” It took a year before I started to accept it. I see it as more of a lifeline and not a hinderance. I don’t mind having anaphylaxis, or allergies for that matter. I have lived with having to check food packets my whole life. Nuts is just another one to add to my list. That’s why I eat alot of fresh foods and cook my own meals and stuff. It’s easier and far more healthier anyway. So I’m happy. I just see it as being a part of me. And that’s the way it is.

11 Years Without An Epipen…

{ December 14, 2008 @ 12:53 am } · { Me and Anaphylaxis }
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Well, it took 11 years to find out I had anaphylaxis. The specialist said that was pretty incredible considering I hadn’t had an anaphylactic shock before. I always knew I had allergies to milk and milk products because of my reactions with milk only when it touched my skin. I’d come up in hives and all sorts. Five years ago when I had a quarter of a cashew… I came up in more than just hives.

I felt sick afterwards and threw up, I was taken to the hospital and they said nothing was wrong. That was until I came back the second time with blotches and hives all over my skin and my throat nearly closed over like my ears.  That’s when the staff  started panicking. Haha, a bit late guys.

I was lucky it was a delayed reaction or otherwise I would’ve died. They have me a shot of ephinephrine/ adrenaline at the hospital and after that I settled down.

It was bad though as it was happening. Everywhere my skin felt terribly itchy and if that wasn’t bad enough my ears felt all blocked over and my throat. I couldn’t breath properly. The worst was how tight and itchy my throat felt. And every time I’d try to swallow it was like hell. It was a familiar feeling with having a tight throat and not being able to breathe. When I was 5 I had croup. It’s like a backward thing from asthma, but it isn’t asthma. But this was far worse. Somethings happening inside you and you don’t know what it is and you can’t escape. And you feel things are getting worse. That’s being trapped.

I’ve only ever had one attack but that’s enough for me. Anyone else who has had one will know a bit what it’s like. Every attack is different. Some worse than others with different symptoms, but if you’ve got anaphylaxis it’s all lifethreatening. People die from it.