Allergic Reaction in Trauma 2...

This morning I went to the doctor for my sinus infection/cold because I really want to kick it in the butt before school starts. So I got there a little early, sat in the waiting room for a whole 5 seconds (seriously) and then went back to the room to wait for the doctor. That took about 10 minutes, and the music was putting me to sleep. Well, the Doc finally got in there he looked at me and listened and wrote SINUSITIS on my chart. Figures. Evertime I get a cold it turns into a sinus infection. So he writes me a prescription, tells me to keep taking my tylenol cold and sends me on my way.
I picked up my meds and went home. I took them both at noon, because I figured I could take them again when I got home from work and then I would be good until morning.
Well, not so much. At 1 o'clock I started getting ready for work and I noticed that my chest felt really tight and my face was starting to feel hot and I was a little nauseous. Well, I went to look at the slip of paper my medicine came with to make sure I shouldn't have had to eat with it. Well, I didn't, but I went ahead and ate some rice crispies anyway. I went back down stairs and my chest discomfort was just not relieved by anything and my face was getting hotter along with my ears feeling really weird. Then my neck started feeling hot and was breaking out in a rash. That's when I started to panic.
I called my mom and told her what was happening and she called the doctor. They weren't very helpful. They said to discontinue my amoxicillin (DUH!) and they would prescribe me something new. They said if I got worse to go to urgent care. Well, I was starting to freak out a little bit, and even though my mom kept offering to come home I told her she should stay at work because Dad was on his way home for lunch. The rash kept spreading and before I knew it the rash was all over my chest, neck and face.



Well, Dad got home and got me an ice pack and then I hopped into a cold shower. That didn't help at all. The water wasn't cold enough because my skin felt like it was on FIRE! When I got out the rash had spread down to my stomach and back and my upper thighs. Then I was really itching!!! Dad made the decision that we should just go to Urgent Care, so off we went.
Once we were in the car I started to feel really sick and I could feel my neck getting swollen and tight as well as my forehead and by my eyes. Did I mention my lips were red and swollen too? We walked in and as soon as I was up to the desk they all looked at me and a nurse whisked me back to Triage to take my blood pressure, pulse ox, and heart rate. My heart rate was double what it should have been. She was working really fast I think she was worried my throat was going to close up and she wanted an IV in me fast!
She led me back to TRAUMA 2 and I quickly got into a gown and she hooked me up to the heart monitor and pulse ox. By that time a doctor and 4 or 5 nurses were in the room busy at work. By this time pretty much my whole body had swelled up... my face, hands, legs, feet, etc. A nurse quickly started an IV in my arm while a couple of others were busy getting the medications the doctor had ordered. I got 1 oral med, an injection in my upper arm, and 2 or 3 meds in my IV. They gave me epinephrine of course and that made me so jittery I thought I was going to shake right off the gurney. It took about 10 minutes but I finally started to return to normal. Of course someone from our church was there and had to stop in to say hi. When he walked in he said "Wow, you look much better. I saw when you came in and you looked really bad." Thanks. Just what I wanted to hear.
Holli came from work to relieve Dad so he could go back to work and when she walked in she said two things: 1) "You're in Trauma 2!" and 2) "Did you bring your camera?"
It was funny because when the room was all chaos with people I told my dad "We should have brought my camera." Well, never fear, Holli took a picture of me in all my glory.

They kept me there for about an hour and a half and then I got to go home. I was starting to feel a little itchy again and my ear were hot and red, but they said I could take benadryl and that all would clear up. Now I am officially allergic to penicillin. I've never been allergic to anything before. That's a first, along with being admitted into the hospital. I was a newbie. I've been on the other end of that many times, but I've never been the patient. I'm feeling much better now. My chest hurts every once in awhile, but for the most part I am 95% better. Just a little excitement before I go back to school. Ha!
Thanks to my Hero Dad, all the Hospital staff and Holli for coming to take me home and take a picture (hehe) of the event.
Hope your day was more uneventful than mine!
Until..............................