I guess no trip to the ER is ever planned, but I was in Philly this weekend visiting my sister and nephew and spent some time in the hospital with him, and little did I know a few hours later I would be checking myself into the emergency room one floor below.
Let’s rewind a bit…
Saturday morning I woke up early to get on the road to Philly and arrived around 11:30am. I went directly the hospital to see my nephew and sister, and visited for a few minutes before my sister and I left to go to Lithe for a 12:15p class. Wendy had a groupon to the Lithe 101 class, so she signed us up to go on Saturday and the workout was HARD. It is a combination of pilates, cheer, dance, and some other things I’m sure (check out their website for more info) but is basically a super intense core workout that has you do work on a mat, on the floor,and using a ballet bar. I am still SO sore from that workout 2 days later…
After the class, we went back to Wendy’s and had lunch – nothing too strange. Stuffed shells and salad. After that Wendy and Justin went back to the hospital and I took their dog, Sadie, out for a short 3 mile run. Towards the end of the run, I started feeling really weird, but I thought maybe I just pushed myself too hard from doing the two things in one day.
I went inside and tried to drink water but felt like I couldn’t breathe very well, and then I went into the bathroom because my eyes felt weird, and my left eye was so swollen that the eyelid was hanging over my eye. I tried to remain calm and went outside of the bathroom to try to find some allergy meds, and then I went back in the bathroom and my right eye was starting to swell too, so that’s when I really freaked out.
I called my sister in tears and she left the hospital to come pick me up and bring me back to the hospital, one floor down from Harper. Because I was having an allergic reaction, they took me right in and didn’t make me wait at all, which was “nice”. Immediately they gave me a shot of benadryl, and then hooked up an IV and gave me more benadryl, steroids, and a breathing treatment, all intravenously. They also had me use a nebulizer, which is this little tube thing you put in your mouth and breathe in and out of which has more medicine to open up your airways.
They made me stay there for several hours so they could observe me because apparently its pretty common for the allergic reaction to kick back in when the Benadryl wears off, but luckily the swelling subsided and I didn’t have another reaction and was released several hours later.
It was SO scary and like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I have a picture of myself all swelled up but its a little too gross to put on here.
Update: I have NO idea what I had the allergic reaction to, and the doctors don’t know either. I was told to follow up with my PCP today, so I have a message in and will hopefully get allergy testing so I can figure it out!
Have you ever been to the ER? What happened that made you end up there?
Filed under: Uncategorized |
Beth's Journey 
I’ve been twice – once for a severe migraine/dehydration/touch of the flu and once for inner ear problems.
Wow, scary…. what were you having an allergic reaction to? Do you know?
I haven’t been in an ER yet thankfully. (knock on wood)
I have NO idea!! That’s partially why it was so scary!
Do you know what you had a reaction to?? I wonder if there was something on the mats at Lithe… so strange but glad youre okay again!
wow – scary! I’m glad everything is fine!
two years ago my appendix burst – my surgeon said it was in two pieces and “looked angry”. pretty awful, and I was in the hospital for 6 days – yuk!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK – the worst is over, right?? 🙂
Oh man! I wonder what you were allergic to?! I’m sorry – that is really scary!
The last time I went to the ER (well the only time – thankfully) is when my nose started bleeding uncontrollably. Turns out it was b/c my sinuses were dry. Strange that I would share something like that…
I hope you feel better! 🙂
Beth, that sounds super scary!! I’m glad that you’re okay. Do you have any idea what triggered the allergic reaction? I wonder if it was something in the Wendy’s?
Wendy is actually my sister! haha. I have NO idea what triggered it – so weird!
Yikes!!! Glad you’re ok.
Oh no – I’m so sorry to hear you were in the ER! Glad it was nothing serious and you are doing okay today 🙂
Oh dear!! Glad you are okay! 🙂
So scary!! Are you going to get tested or anything to figure out what it was?
Wow scary! Glad you are okay!!!
Oh wow… that’s so random and scary! Especially since you don’t know what triggered it???
I hope today’s a little less eventful! Ick…
Sheesh – glad you’re OK! Hopefully it was something totally random that caused the reaction & you won’t run into that allergen again!
ERs can be pretty scary places. I’ve been in an ER twice… Once when my father was the patient on the day he passed away, and then the 2nd time when I had my first anxiety attack about a month after Dad died. I thought I was having a heart attack – my heart was racing, I was very shaky, legs trembling, sweating yet cold…just felt “off”). I was initially really embarrassed about going to the ER for what turned out to just be anxiety but I felt much better about it once I heard the guy in the curtain next to me getting the same diagnosis for the same symptoms!
Now I avoid ERs at all costs – but I’ll go to an “urgent care” center instead! Have been there 3 times now – twice for stitches and once for a bad reaction to a fire ant bite!
Beth how scary!!! I have never had anything like that happen to me — I’m glad you made it to the hospital and I hope you figure out what happened!
I have been to the ER for cutting open one of my fingers — it definitely was not an “emergency” so I had to wait for 2 hours. It was pretty boring!
[…] Surprise Trip to the ER […]
That’s really scary! I’m glad you’re better now. It’s weird that they can’t figure out what did it! Be safe!
Ack! Glad you’re ok! Talk about scary!! 😦 I’ve been to the ER but not like that! 😦 My most dramatic trip to the ER was when I fell off and got trampled by a horse. I walked into the ER pretty much on my own accord, though, and walked out with just some bruising. Got tons of weird looks since I was still wearing my riding helmet and chaps and leaving dusty butt prints all over the hospital.
Definitely glad you’re ok! Whatever you were allergic to, let’s hope you don’t encounter it again!
Sara
Oh no – so sorry to hear about this! How scary. I spaz over this kind of stuff.
I have been in the ER three times, haha. 2 broken bones, 1 time um doctor diagnosed panic attack, I diagnosed unable to breathe during a stress free period of my life – dumb doctor.
I’ve been to the ER 2x – both for allergic reactions! What’s scary though is that I’ve been through allergy testing (both blood tests and the skin prick test) and they don’t know what I’m allergic to! Hope that you can figure out your allergy!
I’ve been to the emergency room quite a few times. Broken arm(2x) and finger, gallbladder inflammation(eventually required removing) and for a kidney stone. I hope you figure out what you are allergic to. I don’t have major allergies, but usually dairy, seafood, soy, and nuts are the main culprits.