On Tuesday night (February 11) I ended up in the ER due to an allergic reaction. The story is actually pretty funny because it started out when I was working out in the gym.
One of my favorite things to do in the gym is cycle using my peloton app (if you've never heard of peloton it's an app that has prerecorded workouts from cycling to running and stretching and it's AMAZING!). So while I was cycling I noticed in the mirror that there were some bumps on my face, and my first thought was 'wow, I should really order some different acne treatment!' haha! I just thought that my acne was really bad! I also felt like I was going to throw up, but I just kept going on my bike ride for 45 more minutes lol. When I was done I changed and noticed that the bumps on my face were REALLY BAD... here's a pic..
me breaking out in hives because I continued to workout for 45 mins after having an allergic reaction lol
So I sent this picture along with a text to my dad saying 'I think I'm allergic to the towels I used at the gym, I'm going back to the dorm right now to grab a shower and wash it all off!' So on my walk back to the dorm my dad called me and said 'you need to take Benadryl and get to the ER right now!'. So, in my calmest manner (not calm at all haha) I sprinted to my dorm, up four flights of stairs (which did not help my swollen face lol) and tried to contact someone who had Benadryl since I didn't have any in my room (because I'm not allergic to anything...well that's what I thought) Thankfully, there are three people who live next to me, and are in the six year medical program that heard me talking to my dad over the phone and rushed to help me. I am forever grateful for these three sweet friends who dropped what they were doing to make sure I had Benadryl and a ride to the ER. My suite mate liv (yup, another liv ;)) immediately stopped studying (which was a big deal since we had our first exam in two days) and drove me to the ER. By then my face was red and swollen, my lips and tongue were going numb, and it was much harder to swallow. But I thought my face looked hilarious so I kept taking pictures haha... (also definitely remember me comparing my nose to Kelsi from the Bachelor lol)
screw lip injections, just have allergic reactions, trust me it works
Once I got to Trumans ER, things ran so smoothly thanks to a close family friend, a physician who works in the unit. They had a room waiting for me when I arrived, where the sweetest nurses and physicians injected me with an epipen and started an IV. The process was kind of crazy with everything happening at once (as it usually is in emergency rooms) but the nurses and physicians were so very kind and tried to keep my mind off of what was happening. They were very good at explaining what they were doing and why they were doing it despite the time crunch. Here's a pic 45 minutes after the epipen and steroids.
Totally normal!! (really wish I would have taken more pics but the drugs made me super sleepy) After my face was normal again I ran into the HOTTEST firemen while walking to the bathroom, ladies I am talking chicago fire 2.0! So... if you're going to have an allergic reaction in kansas city make sure it's on a tuesday night around 10 pm wink wink. The doctors said there were a lot of things that could have caused the reaction, but assumed it was a combination of ibuprofen and stress (which means I shouldn't bike for a few days :(()
Besides having broken bones and a dislocated knee, I've never had an emergency experience where I felt like my life was in danger, and I'll admit I was TOTALLY terrified! But I am so blessed and thankful for the people in my life that were there for me, especially the people who UMKC School of Medicine has put in my life, they really showed me the selflessness of a true physician. They are a representation that life is not about competition, but about helping and supporting others and that's exactly what they showed me that night. Another thing I learned: be nice to EVERYONE because you never know when you'll have an allergic reaction and you'll need to borrow some Benadryl and a ride to the hospital haha!