Friday, May 8, 2009

Fire Ants are Not My Friends....

Yesterday I discovered that I am allergic to fire ants. Who knew? Although with the number of auto-immune issues in the family, it really isn't all that surprising.

I stepped on a low lying nest getting into my car and got about 7 bites. My friend kindly got me a benadryl immediately after I let a few German curse words slip and danced around until I got them off. For you northerners they are like little sea lampreys that don't let go until you pinch them off. Anyway, driving home my ears started itching on the inside and turning red, then my scalp, and then my arm broke out, all the while the welts on my foot were amazing. Long story short by the time I got home I was covered in welts and my eyes were starting to itch and get little welts at the side. I called to get a doctors appointment but they were full so then I asked to talk to the nurse who after hearing my symptoms told me to get to the ER ASAP. So, after throwing cheese sticks at the two older girls I threw all 3 girls in the van and booked it to Eisenhower. You should have seen me getting airborne on the speed bumps!

At that point I was ok, just in a lot of pain but just scared that it would jump to the next step and affect my breathing. I was just trying to keep myself calm. Anyway, we got there in one piece and I was whisked in. Never have I spent so little time in an ER. There was absolutely no waiting.

In our room they immediately started a line for some drugs at which point, wait for it, baby decided to have a diaper explosion of EPIC proportions. The nurse was seriously sticking me when it happened. Never in 8 years of diapering have I been covered like that. GROSS. I am guessing someone needed a lot of prayers yesterday. And through all this the big girls, unlunched, were complaining they were hungry.

After the nurse left P. called and he got the brunt of my anxiety. After we got off the phone, his colleague, who is actually out processing, came in and clothed the naked and fed the hungry. He brought me scrubs and took the girls away for lunch. It was perfect timing because they had just drugged me up and I was so woozy and I was able to sleep while baby slept. He was my guardian angel!!! We finally got to go home after about 3 hours. Never a dull moment!!

Now I am living in fear of the little buggers. They are everywhere around here until at least November, so I am going to have to come to grips with this pretty darn soon. Then again, I guess now I have the perfect excuse to hang out poolside, and only poolside, for the rest of the summer! : ) Anyway, the Epi-pen, I won't be leaving home without it. I have one in my purse and another one in my kitchen. I am trying to decide if I want to show the Conqueror how to use it on me. In a real emergency that would be good, but I think the trade off of terrifying my sensitive son just wouldn't be worth it!! And for those of you disappointed that I say I am never moving north again due to the cold weather I have duly noted that colder climates have no fire ants, so that's a point in your favor!

Only 44 days to go...but really who's counting??

3 comments:

:o) mg said...

Never was anyone so glad to hear an answering machine message than I was last night.
Offering prayers that you are well again.... mg

South Paw said...

GEEGS! Oh my gosh--wow keep that epi pen in your back pocket!!

Anonymous said...

GTM's daughter. Only she could possibly think that people of the north would better understand red ants by comparing them to underwater parasites.