Our little peanut and peanuts don't mix

So, remember back when we talked about food allergies...... Well yeah.

To catch you up. We went to the doctor and he told us that Bowen wasn't allergic to anything. Shaun and I both thought he was crazy given the reactions we've seen from Bowen to very specific food. Well here's the story.

Through a series of unfortunate events Bowen was at another house one morning because he just simply could not be in our home. Around noon after he had been there for just under two hours. I get a text from the other mama saying that she thought Bowen may be ready for a nap because he was super fussy and he was rubbing his eyes. I said yeah, that's possible and I sent Shaun to pick him up. Shaun got home and I'm looking at Bowen and the very first thing out of my mouth is "What's up with his eyes?" Shaun said that it was super windy outside and maybe he got some sand in them or something. So I took Bowen "downhall" (into our apartment) to change his diaper and to put him down for a nap. His eyes were SUPER red and he was very fussy. I put him on the floor to put the diaper in the pail and he was walking towards me screaming and scratching his belly. As I'm watching this happen I call the other mama and I ask if he was exposed to anything at her house, and she's thinking and thinking and she can't come up with anything, so I hang up. So, just to be careful, I give him a VERY small dose of benadryl. .5ml to be exact. I'm staring at Bowen thinking it's so weird that he's scratching his belly, so I pick him up and put him on the bed and start to undress him to check his belly. One gigantic hive. I call the other mama back and I start questioning her again. Did he eat anything? Did he touch anything? What is going on? He HAD to be allergic to something. I'm still on the phone with her while she's racking her brain as I grab Bowen off the bed and start racing up hall to find Shaun. Right as I get to our apartment door it hits her. Right before he started fussing and rubbing his eyes, she had found Bowen with a Reese's puff in his mouth. Peanut butter.

I start running. I find Shaun and start talking quickly. I show him Bowen's belly and say I have to go now. I ran to the car put him in and started driving as fast as I could to the hospital. I think I hit every red light. About half way there I look back and notice his eyes are starting to swell. I drove faster. I think I may have even ran a light or two... oops.


We get to the hospital and no one is moving fast enough. The Secretary is just chit chatting and I'm trying to get her attention. I can hear Bowen wheezing with every breath in my arms. No one is moving fast enough. I try to explain as quickly as I could what had happened. No one is moving fast enough. They get us back pretty quick and now we have to wait on the doctor. He comes in, asks a few questions and then leaves and comes right back in with a gigantic dose of benadryl, a steroid shot to help open Bowen's airways and a breathing treatment.

Almost two hours later we were discharged with a whole host of things we needed to do for the next couple of days to make sure he was going to be alright.

Bowen is very allergic to peanuts. Bowen has allergy induced asthma, just like his mama. Our whole world changed that day. I called my supervisor and explained what had happened and asked if I could take some time off. And I did. And I cuddled my little boy because life is just far too short.

I've never been more grateful for medical personal and benadryl in my life.

We explained to our girls the situation and about making sure that if they choose to eat peanut butter they need to not touch Bowen for a while and to make sure they wash their hands REALLY well. Our life has changed. I find myself constantly checking labels on food and in restaurants. Bowen and I stayed home while the rest of our house went to the circus tonight, just to be safe. Our life has changed.

We have changed.

S'nK 'n Bo