Spike's allergic reaction

Remember when I told you that my kids are really allergic?  Well, now I have proof!  Late afternoon on Saturday, Spike asked me to help him in the bathroom.  When I pulled down his little pants to sit him on the toilet, I noticed the hives all up and down his torso.  I stripped his clothing off and realized they were all over his front and back, down his arms, and creeping down his legs and up his neck.  I sent for the Benadryl and found the Caladryl lotion.  We lotioned up his little body, which he screamed through, not because it hurt but because it was cold and wet and he didn't like any of that and he was having a major reaction!  We calmed him down and got the Benadryl in him.  Then the only thing to do was to wait and see if that was enough to calm down the reaction.  Half an hour later, I wasn't sure it was enough.  An hour later and the hives were much worse than they were when I gave him the medicine.  Here are the photos an hour after the Benadryl.

As we were frantically going over everything he had eaten or been exposed to we couldn't think of anything that might have set him off.  Then Smiley sheepishly said, "I kind of forgot that Spike was allergic to peanut butter and I might have eaten a sandwich right next to him and then put my arm around him."  Seriously?  You didn't kiss him with your peanut butter lips or drink out of his glass or share your sandwich with him?  You breathed on him and maybe had some oil on your hands?  That is what caused this??!!  Good grief!

Poor little guy!!  I started to worry that maybe we hadn't taken care of the reaction.  Then I remembered that I had the cell number of my dear friend Sister ER nurse.  Oh Yes!!!  So I sent her a text and a photo.  She asked me a few follow-up questions about breathing, wheezing, swelling eyes, tongue, airways, difficulty breathing, medicine dosages and his weight.  Then she said, I could give him more Benadryl if I needed to.  I decided to watch and wait but at least I didn't need to go the emergency room.  Yea!  Poor guy!

It was another hour before the hives started to go down.  Then I gave him more Benadryl just before he went to bed.

But because our allergies are so severe, we have these:

An epi-pen

These babies are crucial in allergies such as ours.  They deliver one dose of epinipherine, just enough to keep you from totally tanking while you get yourself to the hospital.  This is the pediatric dose, but I have grown-up ones too.  Because, well, we have Slim, who eats before he asks what is in something.  That boy has been to the hospital more times than I want to count because of his peanut allergy.   And trying to convince him that he really needs to not only have epi-pens but also needs to keep them close to him is ridiculous!  

Anyway, all is well now and we didn't have to make a trip to the ER!