The morning after ... the EPI-PEN!!!

Well, I guess it was getting a little dull in the Smith household. We hadn't had a life-threatening emergency lately so I guess it was our due.

Short Version:

Noah was outside with his sisters playing at the end of the cul-de-sac last week (Monday). After a while, they came into the house and Noah was rubbing his eyes like crazy. I took one look at him and knew it was his worst reaction to SOMETHING?? ever! Underneath his eyes was swollen out at least an inch. I yelled at him to wash his hands and face and lay on the couch. I ran for the Benadryl!!! I gave him 3 teaspoons -- his dose was 1 or 2 teaspoons but he really needed some and fast. I ran back over to the couch to closer evaluate the situation. I heard him wheeze and asked if he was having difficulty breathing and he said a little. As I looked at my baby boy I had a scary feeling that I would need to give him his epi-pen. I called one of my friends, Gayla, she had given her son an epi-pen last month and is in nursing school too. Next was a series of miracles:

1. Gayla was home (She is busy and hard to get a hold of)
2. I found Noah's epi -pen
3. The epi-pen was not expired

I told Gayla what I was seeing (face progressively swelling, eyes almost swollen shut, and difficulty breathing). I asked "Am I going to need to give him his epi-pen?" Gayla was like, "I think you are going to need to give him his epi-pen." She talked me through it with Noah panicking in the background because he could tell I was going to give him a shot! The girls were great and had him squeeze their hands while I gave the shot. The first time it bounced right off his leg but the next time it went in real good. It was kind of freaky because you have to hold the epi-pen to his leg for 10 seconds after you give it. Well, fourth miracle ... it worked!!! Breathing resolved and slowly swelling decreased. The worst swelling was his eyes -- the white part of his eye was swollen out past his eye socket and this I noticed after the epi-pen when I was looking at him from the side.

I called the Dr. and they said to bring him to the ER but after consultation with my two friends and with me in my pajamas, with 5 kids and swimming lessons and swimming fun scheduled with friends I decided to just observe him at home. After all he was breathing fine now.

Noah's thoughts, "It was scary when you were talking on the phone and talking about the epi-pen."

I didn't even think of taking a picture that day but managed to take a picture of Noah holding the epi-pen box the morning after.

We know he was playing in a cornfield for a few minutes outside and the corn husks did touch him all over his body. I guess that is what he was reacting to -- still not sure but definetly no playing in the cornfield anymore.

Update to this post to follow with more excitement to come ...

I dodged the HOSPITAL bullet!!!

Recently, I have been majorily sick with my asthma. It all started just before Thanksgiving. I was a little wheezy, nothing major, and then we went to Eric's Mom and Dad's for Thanksgiving. They live on a farm. I didn't go out to the barn or pet animals but FUR was in the air and I got a little more wheezy. Nothing major I just had to take my inhaler a few times a day and some allergy medicine. We got back from Alabama and then I volunteered at Noah's school timing an obstacle course Thursday 2 weeks ago. It was all well and good until I decided that I wanted to run the obstacle course. It was pretty hard but I did pretty good for a member of the 39 club. However, when I finished the course I could not breath. My asthma really flared up!!!! I had to concentrate on breathing. I, of course, did not have my inhaler with me and still had 1 1/2 hours to volunteer. I finished at the school and went home to grab my inhaler which I proceeded to take about 20 times. Eventually my symptoms subsided somewhat ...

Over the weekend I developed a cough and wheeze and by Monday a week ago I could not talk to someone on the phone without getting winded and I was wheezing alot. I tracked my Dr. down in Schereville (50 minutes away) and I was about to die. I failed the pulmonary tests and received a breathing treatment in the office, and was given a steroid inhaler and high dose of steroid medicine (prednisone). So ... I took my pills/medicine and kept going with my crazy hectic life. NOT a good idea!!! Dr. wanted me to come back to see him on this Tuesday and when I went I was a little better but still not breathing too good (very wheezy). He added another steroid inhaler to my medicine arsenal and more prednisone and said I really needed to ... REST!!!!! I got a good chuckle out of that! So I took it easy Tues night and decided not to go to cub scouts Wed night . By Wed afternoon I was spent and even worse despite all my medicines. I sat myself on the couch and then basically did not move until Saturday morning except for a few instances and an occasional stroll to the Ladie's room. Eric helped get the kids on the bus Thursday and Friday and my friend KayLynn came to my house and TOTALLY cleaned my kitchen and watched my 2 little ones at home and then took all 5 of mine over to her house after school to join her 6 until Eric got home at 5 - 5:30 pm. She is awesome!!!! My friends carried on with cub scouts, brought meals for 2 days, wished me well and my family talked to me lots on the phone.

I thought for sure I would end up in the hospital when I started having to take my breathing machine every 4 hours too on Wednesday night. I was not getting better even though I had been resting ALL day. My chest was on fire and felt like I had a 20lb weight on it and many times when I took a breath I would go into coughing hysterics. Eric gave me Mucinex and a blessing on Thursday night and after about 20 minutes I started to get a little bit of air. I was so exhausted!!! Anyways, I think I have weathered the worse and am on the mend. I go to the Dr. on Tuesday and one of my good friends, Brandi, is going to watch my brew because I don't think I can handle all of them at the DR. still being in recovery. I am still trying to take it easy and I think I need to end this post and rest some more but needless to say it has been a crazy week and I can't believe Christmas is just around the corner. I'm so glad I ordered tons of my presents online during Novemeber and 1st of December or I would be in trouble.

I better get to resting but thought I would give an update ... I was going to get caught up on all my posts this week too!!! Ugh!!!!!