First Emergency Room visit

The pizza was milk free?

Yes, the owner's recipe was only flour, oil, water, etc., I wrote down the ingredients while we talked but do not have it in front of me. There was nothing in it that was milk or dairy related.

Kerri, so sorry to hear what you and your family had to go through, and to be treated so nonchalantly by the ER staff. I'm glad your pedi set you straight about the epi, there is no reason to hesitate, by far better to err on the side of caution.

As for your sons anxiety, all I can suggest is that you just listen to him and try and reassure him as much as possible. I'm sure his fears will pass.

Cynde,

Thank you for your reply. Sorry to hear about your ER visit as well. I was so panicked about him having to go the ER that I didn't recall that he needed the epi as well. I always thought in my mind that he would be in total distress. I felt horrible and have been second guessing my decision ever since. Luckily, as my doctor put it I erred on the right side because he was fine afterwards but never to do that again. Just give the epi if we think he has ingested or come in contact with any of his allergans. Thank you.

Take care.
Kerri

What is the deal with nurses, doctors, teachers, etc., calling us "Mom"? How did that ever start? When people call me "Mom" I want to strangle them. I feel it is a subtle put-down, like calling an old man "Gramps." I just love telling people (politely): "Please don't call me Mom." The look on their faces is delicious. I admit I let some people get away with it if I happen to like the person, but it makes me grit my teeth.

Sorry you went through such a scary experience. It is confusing and uncertain and it's very hard to figure out what to do when the symptoms are not clear-cut.

Sandra,

that was one of the first things I loved about my daughter's ped.- He always calls us by our real names. I can't stand the Mom thing either!

Linda

When my son had his first reaction ever they ushered us into the BIG room in the ER. A doctor was standing outside the room, he looked at me and said "Well Mom, this is the day you have been practicing for for a long time."

I could have kissed him. I felt he understood and we would be OK with him and we were.

He never left the room, he talked to DS the whole time and kept telling us we did the right thing. He was wonderful.

He can call me MOM any day LOL!

Otherwise it might have felt irritating but he got me at just the right time and seemed to KNOW we indeed had been practicing for this day for years! I also felt that as MOM it was my job to do the practicing until my son was old enough and to be validated on the potentially worst day of your life was a wonderful thing and this guy knew it too.

Peg

Frankly I'm surprised the ER released you son with a sat rate of 93. Another example of less-than-stellar treatment on their part!

Sorry to hear of your experience. Give yourself and your son a big hug - you both deserve it!

Amy

kerri28 - How is your son doing? How are YOU doing? I remember the "days after" being such stressful days for me, so I'm just wondering how you both are doing. I hope well.

Dear Syd's Mom,

My son is still a little anxiety ridden when it comes to eating everytime he puts something in his mouth he complains minutes later that his belly doesn't feel good. I have been trying to reassure him that he is o.k. but that I can understand that it is scary for him. I have been feeling guilty yet glad that he didn't need the epi, but he was so frieghtened and I was so panicked that I just felt he didn't need it, I was lucky that he was o.k. but I will never hesitate again. I have been o.k., or so I thought until I experienced an anxiety attack last night. We are meeting with my sons principal and new teacher as well as 504 Coordinator to set up the 504 plan for next year, it is happening today. So, I am still a little anxious about last week. It is nice to know that you are all hear for each one of us when we go through such a scary ordeal. It is reassuring that someone will understand what you are feeling. Thank you to all of you who replied to my posting.

Kerri28

I completely understand your anxiety feelings even days after the reaction. My anxiety came via nightmares at night for awhile. Wish I had thought to post about what I was going thru at the time - it seems like I just needed to keep a straight face and go about life without letting on how difficult it was, and truly affecting me.

It took abit of time, for me to shake this feeling. I'm so glad you shared your experience by posting.

It's a very difficult time after a reaction. I found this information on coping with trauma at a U.S. county site that I hope may be helpful:

Following a disaster, a child, adolescent or adult who experiences the catastrophic event may develop ongoing difficulties known as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is psychological damage that can result from experiencing, witnessing, or participating in an overwhelmingly traumatic (frightening) event. PTSD rarely appears during the trauma itself. Though its symptoms can occur soon after the event, the disorder often surfaces several months or even years later.

Mental health professionals can be very helpful in diagnosing and treating children, teens, and adults with PTSD. With the sensitivity and support of families and professionals, individuals with PTSD can learn to cope with the memories of the trauma and go on to lead healthy and productive lives.

Keep reminding yourself that your responses are normal responses to a stressful situation. Give yourself permission to do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself. Your body and mind will tell you what you need to do -- your job is to listen to them.

Get plenty of rest when you're tired, and use the energy you have if you experience hyperactivity at times. Don't force yourself to be active if you don't have the energy, or rest when you don't feel tired. Talk to people as much as you need to. Reach out. You may experience a need to talk repetitively about the trauma. If you can find someone who is willing to listen, use her/him to talk to about how you are feeling. If you do not have anyone in your support network to use, consider calling a crisis line, going to a crisis center, or using other community resources -- they are there to help you.

Spend time with others, even if you don't feel like talking. It can be very comfortable to know you're not alone. Try to find someone or someplace that feels safe and comforting to you, and spend time there. Don't make any major life decisions or big life changes if at all possible. This is not a time to put pressure on yourself to do anything out of the ordinary. Concentrate on taking care of yourself. Do things that feel good to you -- take baths, read, exercise, watch television, spend time with friends and family, fix yourself a special treat, or whatever else feels nurturing and self-caring.

Allow yourself to cry, rage, and express your feelings when you need to. Try not to numb your feelings with alcohol or drugs. This will only complicate your situation.

It is important to know that recovering from a trauma is a process that may take a long time. The initial response of disruption (perhaps alternating with numbness) may last days, weeks, or longer. Don't be surprised if you continue to experience these reactions for longer than you expected. It is impossible to predict how long you will experience effects of the trauma, but usually trauma reactions gradually decrease over time. If you experience another stressful event while recovering from trauma, you may find that your trauma reactions reappear for a while. This re-activation, or delayed trauma response, is perfectly normal.

At any time during this process, you may find it useful to ask for professional help from a counselor or mental health professional. There are some circumstances under which you should definitely get professional help:

If you find yourself feeling suicidal or contemplating suicide
If you find that your daily function continues to be impaired so that you cannot carry out your life tasks
If post-trauma fears interfere with your ability to return to certain places or situations that remind you of the trauma.

[url="http://www.sccgov.org/channel/0,4770,chid%253D58979%2526sid%253D10710,00.html"]http://www.sccgov.org/channel/0,4770,chid%253D58979%2526sid%253D10710,00.html[/url]

(As well as just for general information, I posted this for cynde, who is also dealing with those fresh emotions.)

Thank you for the information regarding PTSD. It was very helpful to read. Thank you.