In the beginning of allergy shot therapy, there are weekly shots. Four weeks at each level, with increasing amounts of a person's particular allergens. Have a reaction and you are either "held" at that level for an extended time or dropped back to a previous level.
Last week's Pets and Grass shot caused a reaction. It was pretty much instant. Nothing dangerous. I never had problems breathing unless I thought about how I should make sure my airway wasn't closing up.
The doctor and nurses had told me that any welt larger than some coin (quarter? silver dollar?) was cause for concern. Yet when I called to say that half my arm was red, itchy, hot and swollen to the point of being painful and that the swelling was causing my hand and elbow joints to ache?
"It's a localized reaction. Ice it."
"What about the fact that it's still growing more than 24 hours later? Or that it's raised about half an inch?"
*in a tone that clearly indicated I'm overreacting* "It's a localized reaction. Ice it. Can you take Benadryl?"
"I'm nursing."
"Okay, suck it up and deal ice it."
Do you know what kinds of looks people give you if you're walking around with an ice pack under your shirt sleeve at work? Especially when you are in the midst of an important conversation right when you can no longer take the cold, so you wiggle and pop it out the bottom of your shirt?
3 comments:
Ugh! What's wrong with your team? That reaction sounds awful :( At the very least they could have been more sympathetic sounding. Geez. Hope it gets better quickly.
Sugar! Yikes!
Stopped by the say happy Thanksgiving!
You probably have to fight off suggestions of abuse too... 'no, it's allergy shots, really!'
Poor you.
Hope your arm is starting to look normal again :)
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