Return of the Sniper − 26 May, 2007
Today was another day spent in the emergency room.
My wife gets allergic attacks. No one knows what causes them. We have a long list of suspects, but as for today's attack, all I can think of is she's fatally allergic to taking a walk on Saturday morning.
It starts with itching. She has about 3 minutes left at that point to inject herself with an epipen. Soon she is covered completely in hives and scratching her skin off. The side effect of the pen and the hives is that she passes out, often including a concussion in the equation just for completeness of effect. Half the time the symptoms increase to the point the paramedics have to take her to the emergency room -- that was today's option.
This has happened to her at least once a year for the last 20 years. Sometimes it has been many, many more. She doesn't tell me about all of them.
The most notable was probably during her trip to Cambodia. Of course it crossed my mind during Hurricane Jeanne, while we were sitting there in the dark without any way to communicate with the outside world, exactly what would happen if the demon visited us again.
Demon? No.
Living with this is not like something supernatural. It's like living with a sniper.
You're going along, minding your own business, enjoying your day, making plans . . . then *pow*, you're not anymore, and its flashing lights, a ride on a stretcher, the usual white sheets, tubes, monitors, IVs, nurses, doctors, physicians assistants.
I love my wife, but today, I realized, this is probably going to kill her. No one seems to be able to help, and it's been going on for 20 years. We thought for a long time it was mostly a problem with wheat gluten. We cut wheat out of our diets -- and it worked, for about a year. But the sniper is back.
My wife gets allergic attacks. No one knows what causes them. We have a long list of suspects, but as for today's attack, all I can think of is she's fatally allergic to taking a walk on Saturday morning.
It starts with itching. She has about 3 minutes left at that point to inject herself with an epipen. Soon she is covered completely in hives and scratching her skin off. The side effect of the pen and the hives is that she passes out, often including a concussion in the equation just for completeness of effect. Half the time the symptoms increase to the point the paramedics have to take her to the emergency room -- that was today's option.
This has happened to her at least once a year for the last 20 years. Sometimes it has been many, many more. She doesn't tell me about all of them.
The most notable was probably during her trip to Cambodia. Of course it crossed my mind during Hurricane Jeanne, while we were sitting there in the dark without any way to communicate with the outside world, exactly what would happen if the demon visited us again.
Demon? No.
Living with this is not like something supernatural. It's like living with a sniper.
You're going along, minding your own business, enjoying your day, making plans . . . then *pow*, you're not anymore, and its flashing lights, a ride on a stretcher, the usual white sheets, tubes, monitors, IVs, nurses, doctors, physicians assistants.
I love my wife, but today, I realized, this is probably going to kill her. No one seems to be able to help, and it's been going on for 20 years. We thought for a long time it was mostly a problem with wheat gluten. We cut wheat out of our diets -- and it worked, for about a year. But the sniper is back.
Comments:
kga245 (May 31, 2007. 11:56pm)
Bruce - So sorry to hear this news. How's your wife doing now? I'm thinking of you both...
bmccosar (June 1, 2007. 12:11am)
Kelly, thanks for asking. She is doing ok; the symptoms go away usually on the same day.
We’re just puzzled as to the cause. We honestly thought we had it beaten, and then — here we go again. Like I said above, it's like living with a sniper.
kga245 (June 1, 2007. 02:57am)
Scary. I can't imagine how traumatizing this must be. I'm glad all's well again.
pepero (June 4, 2007. 08:31am)
bruce, i'm glad your wife is feeling better.