Lucia ate Pistachios and Had an Allergic Reaction - or - The Single Scariest Event in My Life

Today Lucia ate two pistachios and had a severe allergic reaction. It was the scariest thing that I have ever experienced in my life.

First, I should say - Lucia is allergic to walnuts, cashews, and filberts. Last year she had some slight allergic reactions to salmon and shrimp, so we took her to the doctor and he did a prick test. He determined the nuts she was allergic to - NOT almonds, peanuts, or brazil nuts, but yes on the three aforementioned. Pistachios were not one of the tested nuts. He did not test for pistachios, but I probably should have figured.

Today, we were playing at Campus Village with some friends, and the mother brought out pistachios. I actually GAVE her one, and she managed to get another on her own. Turns out that kids allergic to cashews and filberts should watch out for pistachios, as they are in the same nut family (as are walnuts and pecans).

At first, nothing happened. About 10 minutes after eating the two offending nuts, she got a little pink around the mouth, and started to cough and rub her eyes. I though she had a little reaction and swallowed some the wrong way - and I saw sand in her eyes (we had been playing in the sandbox, so...). Five minutes later she was getting worse, so I booked it for the Intel Clinic (thank goodness I was at the American School compound where the clinic is, if this had to happen!). The clinic was closed as it was Sunday, but I didn't know that. As I was walking across the courtyard carrying Lucia (Magdalena stayed with the friend), I called Alex and told him to get there as fast as possible (he was out shopping with the driver), and someone in the courtyard overheard my conversation. She got my attention and told me the doctor had just been in the Christian fellowship held in someone's home there at Campus Village. Another woman walked me there, and soon I had some kids benedryl down Lucia's mouth and the doctor on the phone. All the while, I was holding the Epi pen with the intention of using it if Lucia got to the point where she could barely breathe.

At this point, Lucia's whole face was red and she was wheezing, but still breathing. The doctor met us at the clinic immediately (about 25 minutes after she ate the first nut), and he did stick her with an epi needle, and gave her three small prednazone (I think) pills. Then he listened to her lungs and got her to breathe from the oxygen mask to help get more air. I was holding her and singing Jesus Loves Me this whole time, as it was the only thing that kept her calm. I was also freaking out internally and praying that Alex would arrive soon.

Alex got there just after the oxygen was on Lucia's face, and she was starting to get better. A few minutes later, things were calming down, so he went to pick up Magdalena from our friend's house. The friend felt terrible, but it was really MY fault for giving her a stupid pistachio in the first place. NEVER again.

Anyway, Lucia stayed in the clinic for 10 or so more minutes, eventually giggling at the Pluto dog playing the drum on one of the plastic box containers in there, and wanting to crawl under the blue paper "blanket" on the clinic bed with me. The doc listened to her lungs again (we had to tell her that he was listening to hear if there was a dog in her tummy or back so she would tolerate it this time), and gave us the all clear. We had to give her more benedryl at 4:30 pm (all this started around noon), but by then she was completely fine. Some noodles, a cool bath, a nice long nap, then our friends came for dinner and Lucia was her old self.

All this to say - there are so many IF's in this scenario. If only I hadn't given her the nut in the first place. But if I was going to do it, thank GOD the doctor was close - I can't even think about what would have happened if he wasn't (I would have given her the epi pen and called the International SOS emergency number, and he would have come later rather than sooner). If we had been out elsewhere, or if I didn't have the epi pen, or if if if...! All I can say is that this was the single scariest thing that I have ever experienced, and I thank God that Lucia is okay. I'm not even going to write about what might have happened otherwise.