A Night in the ER

Last night didn't really go exactly as I planned. I planned on coming home after a long stage rehearsal of dance for Joy and climbing into my comfortable bed. I was thinking that I would try to get plenty of rest to be ready for the three show dance recital on Saturday that will have us there from 9:30 a.m. until at least 9:30 p.m., but things didn't turn out that way! Of course if anything happens, it's going to be when there's something else "big" planned, or a vacation, or event! That's the way it goes with us it seems! :)



When our son, Colt, came home from church and from playing music with his girlfriend and friends, he came home saying he was itching. I thought nothing of it because we all seem to be dealing with allergies these past few days in one way or another. He sat down, played a few songs for us and talked with us, ate his supper and went on to bed. I was just about to get into bed for the night....it was almost midnight, and I heard Colt talking to Jason telling him he thought he needed to go to the hospital. Jason turned on the light and Colt was covered in hives on the upper part of his body. His neck, chin, hairline, back and hips and wrists were big blobs of red hives.

He took shots for three years for general allergies as well as for insect stings such as wasps, yellowjackets, etc... A wasp sting landed him in the ER a few years ago which made us aware of all of these allergies. He had to get IVs at that time and his blood pressure had dropped significantly and he was having problems with breathing as well as hives, including facial ones that even distorted his face. He had stayed the night next door with my mom and dad, so my mom was the one to get him to the ER that time and she said he looked like a monster by the time she got him there, although he was already looking some better before we got there (and that was still pretty bad). So...we didn't wait around last night to get him to the ER! Jason stayed home with Joy since she was already asleep and I drove Colt on to the ER.

We waited....and waited...and waited after an initial visit with the nurse to determine that his breathing was okay, and it was. He was just itching...itching...itching. She gave him a cold towel to wrap around his neck. That's the only relief he had during the long wait. He had already had three benadryls and they weren't doing anything for him, or so it seemed. Finally, we were seen and he was given a steroid shot of decadron and an epinephrine shot. We had to wait twenty minutes to see how he was looking after that. He then had another epinephrine shot....another twenty minutes....and yet another epinephrine shot before we were allowed to leave. So finally at 4:00 a.m., we both crawled into our beds and Colt finally had some relief. And then the little booger got up and went to work today to open the restaurant (where he is a manager) at 9:00 a.m. He felt like he HAD to be there....stubborn!

We may never know what caused this reaction, and to me that is the most aggrevating and scariest part. At least he could avoid whatever caused it if we only knew! I just talked to him awhile ago and he was beginning to itch again and to break out a little again. I sent him off to the Dr. and there he sits in the waiting room now...his girlfriend, Amber, with him this time. I'm waiting on a call from him.

I would appreciate your prayers for Colt! Thank you! :)