OK, so I ended up in the emergency room yesterday...

[rbnyc]

...after all. Some of you saw this thread, in which I stupidly refused going to the hospital for a severe allergic reaction. Yesterday afternoon I was sure it was clearing up, then in the evening it started all over again and my throat started to swell up, so I did end up going to the emergency room where I was chastised by the doctor and nurses for not coming in much earlier. They put me on steroids and something else and I'm doing much better. MUCH better. And I still plan to see an allergist and find out what I'm allergic to.

Thanks

[blm]

1. Yeeowch...maybe the medication?

.

[Raven]

2. Good you did that!

Now follow up and find out what's going wrong! That is a very dangerous thing and probably very preventable. :hi:

[Don_G]

3. Have Them Check For Mold/Mildew Too

You had an old, wet carpet drying in the downstairs hallway as I recall. Might be one thing to check.

Glad you're feeling better. :hi:

[rbnyc]

7. I think that wasprobably it.

But I'm going togo through that whole deal with the allergist--don' they give you a million tiny ingection of allergins in a gris on your arm and see which ones you respond to? Yikes. Well, whatever I have to do--I d not want to go through all that again.

Thanks so much for yur support.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. It is called a RAST test and is really more of an ART than a science

The mold might be it. The only thing I would NOT go through, if they suggest it is what is known as a METHACHOLINE CHALLENGE TEST..this is a test where they INDUCE an allergic response and then treat it....it should ONLY be done as a LAST resort by a board certified pulmonologist. Also, make a list of what you ate leading up to the incident and check ALL your meds. Even aspirin over the counter pain relievers can cause this over time (even if you didn't have the response in the past)

[rbnyc]

14. Thanks for the tips.

I have put every lotion, soap, hair product and gel that I used all last week in a bag and plan to bring it with me.

I've been off all my pain meds for a while, but I will also tell he allergist everything I was on and howlong I took it.

Thanks again.

[cally]

16. I saw the other thread too late

and refrained from the lecture...ha. It was very tough to not lecture. However, I am so glad you finally went for help.
:loveya:

I've had the allergy tests three times. The first two times they put very small needles in and saw the reaction. It is not as bad as it sounds. I just tried to ignore it and it mostly worked. The worst was the control which itched like crazy.

Then, the last time, the used the new fangled way. It's a plastic plate with all the injections at once. It is much easier and hurt much less. I would insist on it if I did it again. Good luck
:hug:

[LynneSin]

4. I should have stuck to my guns

Girl.......grrrr....

Glad to hear you're ok though!!!

[rbnyc]

12. Thanks Lynne...

...I can be stupidly stubborn. I just didn't want to go to a Brooklyn ER on a weekend. I was set against it. Good thing I wasn't dead set.

Love you!!!

[BurtWorm]

5. Glad you're feeling better, rbnyc

I saw that thread after you'd been going through the ordeal for some time. My favorite posts were from nothingshocksmeanymore. "GET YOUR ASS IN THE HOSPITAL NOW, GODDAMMIT!"

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. YAY! You are OK now!

I hope I wasn't too heavy handed with you in your other thread. Keep an eye on your blood sugar as steroids can wreak havoc with them but the plus side is that the steroids will also help with your orthopedic pain.

[rbnyc]

8. No, you were right.

I was being very stupid. I did notice tho that my hip and butt feel much better today, tho.

:)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

9. I adore you

I have this silly attachment to people that I adore being around later for me to adore them some more..go figure! :shrug: I am glad that when push came to shove, you got treated. That's all that matters..

[rbnyc]

10. I was actually in Long Island...

...when I started getting wrse again, so I went to the same ER I was brought to for my car accident. I am glad I didn't end up in a city hospital, but I really shouldn't have waited.

I adore you too!

:loveya:

(on the hood of my car!)

EDIT: I'm having that weird problem where half the letters I type don't show up. :shrug:

[Cheswick2.0]

13. ooooohhhhh you!

I was so worried about you the other night. I thought we were going to have a Rene memorial thread. That would have been really awful. Next time we all tell you to go to the hospital please listen to us.

I am glad you went and I am glad you are going to find out what you are allergic to. Like I said these reactions are progressive. At the very least you will be able to get the medication needed to fight off a sudden allergy attack next time it happens.

[rbnyc]

15. Thanks...

...and I'm so sorry I made you worry. I was jut so upset and I wanted to talk...bu what I needed to do was act.

You're the best!

[kmla]

17. Glad to see that you're feelin' better.

...now that they've got you on steroids, you're qualified to run for governor of California. Now all you need to do is adopt a cheesy, thick Austrian accent. (Hee hee!)

Keep us posted. And keep smilin' in the face of adversity. Makes people wonder what you are up to...;-)

[rbnyc]

19. Very funny!

:) and I LOVE this:
And keep smilin' in the face of adversity. Makes people wonder what you are up to...;-)

[cmd]

18. good for you

You had me worried. Glad you are getting help.

[flama]

20. Some information that might come in handy

Not that I think allergies are genetic or anything ;-), but my mother and I both had a sensitivity (don't know why they don't call it an allergy when you get sick and break out in hives or a rash) to ultraviolet light. Well, I'm still photosensitive.

I'm also allergic to codeine, dairy products (it's not lactose intollerance after all!), and Australian Pine pollen. The last thing you'll have to worry about is the last thing on that list. A tree grows in Brooklyn, but it's not that kind of tree.

Your father is allergic to penicillin. For a while I thought he was allergic to me, but we talked while you were in the hospital and it seems he wasn't.

Oh yeah, I'm also allergic to that unknown, unseen thing in some water filtration systems. Maybe it's mildew. I can clean mildew from the inside and outside of the house and let it grow like a science experiment on the shower curtain (we always put up a new and garish shower curtain for your visits) without a problem. Guess I just can't swallow the stuff!

Mildew abounds in humid Florida! (I'm waiting for Carlos to discover that.) Guess I'll hold myself in check if I'm ever tempted to lick a green wall. ECK! :puke:

Anyway, now you've got some ammunition if the allergist asks about family allergy history. And the better part of the world knows I can't take a codeine cold pill with a milk shake outside during the daytime under a blooming Australian Pine tree.

Glad you ended up at an ER that knew you. If you hadn't ended up at the hospital on Long Island (that's where I want to go if I ever need a hospital!), I was thinking of suggesting the one in Manhattan where your part-time job awaits. The people you know there would have loved to see you. I hope they'll be seeing you soon.

:loveya:

Ma

P.S. Kids are supposed to outlive their parents! If I don't gain or lose too much weight, I've got a dress for your 112th birthday party that you won't let me back out of. Well, since I'll be 134 that year, maybe I should start looking at pajamas. ;-)

[soleft]

21. I would have been pissed

if I didn't get to see you in that DRESS!

:)

[proud patriot]

22. Oh thank goodness you are okay

I hope they are able to pin point the allergy .

[mvd]

23. Hi, rbnyc!

You've gone through a whole lot, and I'm very sorry about that. I am so glad you are ok. I thoroughly enjoy your posts. You have been in my thoughts, and best wishes always. :hi: :loveya: