More ROIDS! Allergic reaction, round two

Tuesday started off as a great day. I slept pretty good that night and had an amazing morning at my women's bible study. I was feeling spunky (from the energy from all of the steroids I had IV on Monday) so I decided to go into work for the afternoon. Kaylee, one of my coworkers and friends, was chosen as the watch girl for me. She knew to call 911 if my face started getting really flushed, itching hands, and/or shortness of breath. Then she was going to call Wil. She texted me Monday night and said she was up for the challenge and she would "follow you like your shadow."

Well HUGE shout out to my buddy Kaylee. I did a couple of treatments then started to get a hot flash, not out of the norm for me right now. But then my hands started to tingle a little. I went ahead and called my oncologist, and Kaylee never left my side during this. They told us to go ahead and call 911 so they could start treating me en route to the hospital. Kaylee called 911 and Wil for me and got me an ice pack since the flushing was getting worse. Wil was there in record time and was shortly followed by EMS. They went ahead and put me on oxygen since my shortness of breath was getting worse. My vitals were all ok, oxygen was ok just increased respiration rate and blood pressure.

Wil said that before he met me, he had never been to the emergency room. So we broke that barrier when we were dating, I had a car accident then my younger sister did too. We broke it again when we were married when I had abdominal pain that led to finding my tumor. But until yesterday, he had never ridden in an ambulance. He got to be in the front seat while I was in the back being monitored. We had great EMS team, even though I can't remember their names! The tech taking care of me was really sweet and gave me 25 mg of Benadryl IV. When we arrived at Forsyth Medical Center ER (where I worked during nursing school), she said that she would be praying for me.

Here is upon arrival, before medications, not feeling too great:

I was taken to Red 12, which is the where the more critical patients go. I had two awesome nurses, one that remembered me from when I use to work there. I was hooked up to the monitor and stayed on oxygen. The ER doctor came to see me and I told him that my oncologist knew I was on my way. He called her and I got more IV steroids, Benadryl, and Pepcid. Dr. Skinner and Alison (my oncologist and PA) to see me in the emergency room. Dr. Skinner told me that if we wanted to see her that badly, we could have Skped. They wanted to do a CT-PA (scan of my pulmonary arteries) since I am at a higher risk for having a clot because of my abdominal surgery.

Here is after medications made me feel better:

 

 

Great news, NO BLOOD CLOTS! They think this was just a prolonged allergic reaction from the Carbo (chemo drug). This whole experience was very scary for both me and Wil. They told us Monday, that this reaction could be fatal. Nothing comforting about that word really. Wil told me today, he would rather see me in pain (which he absolutely hates) than be short of breath. I was sent home with 5 days of prednisone (oral steroids) and take 50 mg of Benadryl every 6 hours for 48 hours.

 

I have felt fine today. Wil and I are just exhausted. 6 hours in the emergency room and the whole experience takes a toll on you. Thanks to Kaylee for her action at work, my boss who didn't bat an eye when Wil called saying I would be out of work this week, Wil's parents who met us at the ER and brought my car there, Wil for staying by my side. Most of all, God who kept me safe during this scary time.