It’s been about a year since we found out what Ezekiel is allergic to and how bad it is. He’s allergic to peanuts, wheat and eggs. The peanut allergy is bad enough that I have an epi-pen with him at all times. It really scares me that I have to have this shot with my kid just in case he comes in contact with peanuts or ingest some because he could stop breathing. Ugh…it makes me sick just to think abut using it. We have had a couple scares since having the epi-pen but I have never had to use it. Benadryl is his best friend in situations where he starts to break out.
This morning was just like any other normal morning here in the Bryant house. Got up and started getting breakfast ready for Zeke. After he was settled I got my coffee and poured my cereal. Zeke was eating his food and spilled some on the floor so he got up to throw it away. He was taking a while to come back so I got up and saw that he was eating some of my cereal that I apparently dropped on the floor. I ran over and got it from him. Minutes later I noticed him itching his neck like crazy and he started to break out in a rash. Neck started to swell and his rash was spreading to his cheeks. I look at the cereal box and it was honey nut cereal. At the bottom it says sprinkled with PEANUTS!!! I start to FREAK! When I bought the cereal I wasn’t thinking and didn’t do a good job checking. All the honey nut cereal I have bought before were always almonds so I didn’t even think to check.
He wasn’t breathing funny or trying to breathe so I didn’t give him the epi-pen. I go to get the Benadryl but we didn’t have any more!! I’m starting to really freak and call Chris. He told me to give Jen Polk a call, who was headed my direction anyways, to see if she can pick some up. She is right in front of Publix as I called, Thank you Jesus!! She runs in and picks some up for me while I keep an eye on him. Breaking out in a sweat and having so many thought running through my head. Feeling AWFUL for having peanuts in my house and letting my kid get into it. Every situation was running through my head…epi-pen, 911, ambulance, hospital and even death. Crazy how fast thoughts come in your head and your brain takes you somewhere else.
Jen gets to my house and we gave him the Benadryl right away. At this point his one eye is starting to get splotchy, puffy and red. His eye ball is getting red too. I call the PED and he said you can bring him in or just wait and keep an eye on him. I choose to wait and with in the next few minutes his eye starts to get better Praise The Lord!! He’s slowly looking better as each minute goes by.
You would think that would make me feel better but I actually felt worse. Guilt is sinking in. I’m SO glad Jen was there for me! She said wake up calls aren’t bad.
Huh? My wall of caution was low and I allowed this in my home. When I first found out about his allergy, my wall of caution was super duper high. I didn’t care if I hurt someone’s feeling by not eating their food or not going some place because they have peanuts or cook with peanuty things. I wasn’t afraid to say something to someone about his allergies if they had peanut butter. I also was super scared for him that I didn’t really even go anywhere because Zeke got a reaction from a shopping cart one day. I’m sure a kid had something peanuty and touch the cart. I get it next and Zeke touches it then touches his eye. While I get Zeke out of the car I notice his eye swollen up. It looks like he got stung by a bee. The other eye starts to swell as well. I was always scared for him. So we spent a lot of time indoors where I was in control of what he was exposed too. As time went by my wall got lower and lower. It’s an inconvenience sometimes and I would just give in. Now I’m beating myself up for being so lax.
I guess this was my wake up call. Now I’m trying to find a balance in our life with the food allergies. It’s hard and I get so upset sometimes but then I think about my life and it could be A LOT worse! Other then the food allergies, our little man is perfectly healthy. While I was in the hospital with Evey for RSV, I would pass mothers and families with children with disabilities. My food allergy road is a lot different then theirs. It really opened my eyes and made me thankful for what God has blessed my husband and I with. 100% healthy children.
So for now I will just praise The Lord for not letting this little scare turn into something big.
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