Last month I got stung by a bee. No big news story there, it happens. Last time I got stung was on Guide camp in 2010 and I had a bit of a funny reaction - my lips were tingly and swelled up a bit. I'd taken Piriton and all was fine. Back up to the other week and I started with the tingly lips again, so we thought I'd better take some Piriton. However, the packet advises against taking if you're breastfeeding. "Call 111" I told Mark, "They'll be able to tell us if it's safe." Sadly they couldn't, but thank God we did as my reaction worsened fast from then on in. Once again I say thank you hugely to the NHS, especially the Ambulance service and the hospital staff working on a blisteringly hot Sunday afternoon in Barnet General (Yes, Jeremy Hunt - A&E was massively busy - lots of doctors working incredibly hard) Large doses of IV antihistamines and a few hours of monitoring later, me and my beesting went home with instructions to get to the GP asap. Our lovely doctor saw me that week, discussed the type of reaction I have and prescribed me an epi pen (two actually) and gave me isntructions for what to do should I get stung again.
What I know now, that I didn't know a month back is that people who are allergic don't always the first time they're stung (when I was about 7 back in my Granny's garden) and reactions from then on may worsen each time you're stung. Which makes me one of the 3 in 100 adults who have serious reactions to bee stings. I now have an essential and potentially life saving allergy pack that I carry around with me all the time.
Epi pen - one is kept on me, and one is in the house (by the radio in the kitchen should you need to know) Mark keeps one in his glove box and the other upstairs (he's allergic to wasp stings)
Cetirizine/ Piriton - The GP said that unbranded cetirizine is fine (Aldi sell it really cheaply). I keep a packet in my Medpac and a box in our First Aid box
Medpac - including ID and treatment card details. I found details of Medpac online as I was googling for soemthing to put the epi pen, Piriton and some allergy details safely in for when it's in the nappy bag. It's bright orange, so great for finding quickly. We've got the small medpacs, which (for me) holds the epi pen, pack of piriton and a sheet of all my other meds. Handily the medpacs contain an ID and treatment card which you complete with full details of relevant medical information. I've included all my epilepsy information as it's entirely likely that a sting could provoke a seizure.
Keyring from Carrie-Lou crafts I was getting organised (and I love getting organised) when I realised that looking at a handbag or the nappy bag, despite having the bright orange medpac inside, you wouldn't necessarily know there was anything in there. Caroline is well known in Guiding circles for her beautiful personalised unit hoodies and bags. I sent her an email and asked if she could make me a couple of keyrings which said Epi pen inside and allergic to bees/ wasps. She turned this around rally quickly and now on the outside of my bag I have said keyring, as well as one attached to the carabiner on the medpac.
That's my allergy esentials - have I missed any must haves for an on-the-go allergy pack?
1 comment:
I get reactions to insect bites and cut grass. Not to the point of needing an epi pen, but to the point that my kit would also contain antihistamine cream and a steroid cream such as hydrocortisone to apply asap along with certirizine and fexofenatoine (sp?) tablets.
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