This picture above of my 14 year old son, Garrett, is a HUGE blessing.
My family of four was on vacation in Indiana to visit extended family and see my grandmother’s new apartment in her assisted living faciltiy. Earlier that day, all 15 of us (my immediate family and our extended family members who were all gathering together for some summer fun) decided to have lunch at the restaurant in my grandmother’s new home. We all thought it would be a great way to kick off our fun weekend. We could all see where my grandmother had recently moved to since she had become more independent after some recent health scares.
We were all enjoying our lunch, since Grandma was treating us, and it was basically like a five course meal with dessert included – yay!
The plan was to finish up our lovely lunch and then head out to a hike near the sand dunes and Lake Michigan where my grandmother could show off her new scooter skills. Grandma had also recently gotten her own scooter to drive around in order to be more independent. The hike/walk was a nice way to be able to include her in some of our outdoor activities.
As we were wrapping up our lunch, the waitress asked if we would like some ice cream. Of course everyone said yes because:
a) Grandma was paying!
b) We were celebrating!
The choices were given to us for the flavors available and the special flavor was described as chocolate with caramel and chocolate chunks. So naturally most of us ordered the special flavor including my son, my husband, and myself. My daughter (Chloe) did not order any dessert because she was busy trying to convince my husband to go and get her doughnuts after our hike/walk (we had passed a Dunkin Donuts earlier – her fave).
My husband and I were sitting next to my son Garrett and after my husband, Mike, took his first bite he said, “I think I just had a nut in mine.” I have to give him credit here because he is always very vigilant and I usually have more of a relaxed approach when it comes to my kids’ tree nut allergies.
You see, my children haven’t had a severe anaphylactic since either of them have been diagnosed with tree nut allergies as very little children (mainly almonds and cashews). Although my son did have a reaction about a year ago when we were in Disney. He became violently ill after eating a dessert that we think may have had tree nuts – even after they assured us it did not.
But on Saturday while visiting my Grandma, something told my husband to tell Garrett to stop eating the ice cream. Right after my husband told my son not to eat the ice cream, I tasted what I thought might be an almond in mine and surely enough, I pulled a little piece of almond out of my mouth.
Moments later, Garrett pushed himself away from the table and began to tell my husband and me that he did not feel well, his throat felt weird and he was having shortness of breath. By the time I stood up next to Garrett, he was pale white and looked like he might pass out or throw up. I asked my husband, “Do I need to call 911?” (This was after I told him that even though we had brought the kids’ Epi-pens on our trip, I had switched from my purse to a little back pack and had left the Epi-pens back at my aunt’s house.) My husband agreed and so for the first time in my life (40 years) I dialed 911.
My family members at the table began to realize what was wrong and once I finally got my fingers to work, the 911 operator picked up and said, “911, What’s your emergency?”. I told her my son had a tree nut allergy, we thought he had eaten an almond, he was having difficulty breathing, and I had left the Epi-pen at home. As I began to tell her this, I also began to cry. I was walking around looking for anyone to tell me the address where I was and as my aunt said the address, I relayed it to the 911 operator.
I then began to ask anyone who was around (family, assisted living workers, the chef – he had now come to our table) if anyone had an Epi-pen or Benadryl. The answer was – no.
The 911 operator kept asking me questions – the most important one – was Garrett breathing? I stood next to him and rubbed my fingers through his hair; my cousin’s wife who is a nurse brought a cool, wet towel to put on his neck. Garrett was stooped over in his chair with labored breathing and a pale face. He could answer my questions but I new the ambulance needed to get to him soon.
I kept telling the 911 operator that it was my fault I did not have the Epi-pen. She did not one time, not one time – blame me. Instead, she told me it was not my fault and that the paramedics would be there soon. She walked me through where they were and how many minutes it would be until they arrived. She was incredible, she was calm, she was encouraging, she was reassuring… and I wish I knew her name and where she lived so I could find her and give her a big hug and a gift certificate to her favorite place on earth.
Finally after what seemed like 10 years had passed, two young, male paramedics finally arrived. They checked Garrett’s airway and breathing. His lungs were clear but he was defintiely having an anaphylactic reaction.
Once they told me this, I think I finally took a breath. I remembered then that while I was on the phone with 911, I saw my daughter (10) standing there across the table sobbing into my other cousin’s husband’s arms. She had been watching her brother trying to breathe and listening to her mom on the phone with 911. She had been right there listening to her dad asking her brother if he could breathe and was he going to be sick? My cousins had then taken her and the other little kids to my grandmother’s apartment, while reassuring all of them that Garrett would be okay, all before the ambulance even arrived.
The paramedics calmly got Garrett onto the stretcher, lead us to the ambulance, and safely got us inside. They told my aunt, who was now going to drive my husband and follow us to the hospital, that they would drive at a normal speed with no lights or sirens because he was stable. But if they turned the sirens on, she was not allowed to run any lights or speed behind them. Everyone silently prayed for no lights or sirens.
In the ambulance, they started an IV with Benadryl and also gave him a breathing treatment. I was sitting behind him the entire time and even though he could not see me, Garrett knew I was there. The paramedic explained everything to Garrett and to me. He was extremely encouraging, serious, hopeful and caring. The paramedic moved swiftly and methodically as he worked on Garrett; trying to help him breathe more efficiently and trying and stop the allergic reaction.
Once we arrived at the local hospital, the team of nurses, doctors, and paramedics all attended to Garrett right away. Over time, he was given fluids, more Benadryl, and anti-nausea drugs to keep him from getting sick. While his face and lips did swell during this reaction, his throat never closed. Garrett experienced a tremendous amount of anxiety during this time (which is also a symptom of an allergic reaction, let alone an ambulance ride). However, we all began to breathe a sigh of relief once he was in the care of medical professionals because if the reaction got worse, they could treat him immediately.
After a few hours, we were able to bring him home and we kept him on the Benadryl and anti-nausea meds. In the car traveling back to my aunt’s house, he got another huge hive on in the inside of his lip and a few more hives on his back and arm. This was because the reaction can last for several hours and even a couple of days. Which is why he remained on Benadryl until all signs of the reaction went away.
The family all gathered again that night at my cousin’s house for dinner. The rest of the family had taken the hike/walk to the lake without Garrett, Mike, my aunt, and me – which was great to keep everyone remaining positive and calm about Garrett’s allergic reaction.
As the sun began to set, Garrett and I decided to walk outside and take some pictures – just the two of us. As I stood behind him and snapped that photo of him and the beautiful sunset, I thanked God for saving my son and for giving me the ability to be his mom.
In the past, I did not take this tree nut allergy as serious as I should have at times. There have been times when I did not carry the Epi-pen. There have been times when other people we have been around did understand the seriousness of a tree nut allergy and anaphylaxis because they might have been unaware. There have even been times when I didn’t speak up loudly enough to people who had almonds and cashews around my children. I felt too uncomfortable to say something because I was afraid of being rejected by them. I too experienced anxiety with how to deal with adults I knew who did not want to give up their almonds, cashews, or other tree nuts around my children.
Well let me tell you, speaking up and telling people to get the tree nuts away from my children will never be as uncomfortable as calling 911 and praying for my child to breathe. I vow to do a better job and be more vigilant and to teach my teenager and pre-teen the same. No parent, child, or person affected by tree nut allergies (or any other allergies that cause anaphylaxis) should ever be too embarrassed or anxious to speak up. These types of allergies are not just dangerous – they are life threatening. Anaphylactic allergic reactions can kill. They are deadly.
Before writing about this experience, I found a few articles that might also be helpful to raise awareness and offer more education on anaphylactic allergic reactions, along with the anxiety that can be caused by having these types of allergies.
Food Allergy, Teens: The Danger Years
Emotional Aspects of Food Allergies
Life-Threatening Allergic Reactions Rising in Children
Don’t Care About Our Nut Allergies? Thanks for Nothing
If writing about our experience last Saturday and Garrett’s reaction to three bites of ice cream helps one person, then I will be happy. I hope that it will help more. Since that day, I felt God nudging me to write this and let anyone and everyone know that a celebration can turn into an emergency in a matter of seconds if we are not careful. Allergies that cause anaphylaxis are real and can cause death. Don’t let carelessness or being unaware of anaphylaxis lead to a tragedy or even a slight reaction. Food allergies are not inconvenient, they are deadly. No one should pay that price for someone else to enjoy any food. Find out who you know that has any potentially deadly allergies and respect them by keeping them safe and by keeping them alive.
Lord, thank you for keeping Garrett alive and for teaching me and my family this lesson. May you continue to bless us and others by humbling us, forgiving us, and gracefully giving us numerous second chances.
Faithfully Real,
Stephanie
Faithfully Real 
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