One evening while my husband was cooking dinner, our 2-year-old, James, and I shared a snack. Now that James was a proficient eater with no known food allergies, I offered him a cashew for the first time. He tried half a nut and said, "Nummy, Mommy. Have some more?" I then gave him two more nuts before he grew bored.
Within 10 minutes, James' sweet little face was covered in hives and his eyelids swelled shut. Little white bumps appeared on the inside of his lower eyelids and on his lips and tongue. He cried, "Mommy, wipe my eyes-they hurt!" Then he complained that his neck hurt. I remembered the signs of an anaphylactic reaction from my child first-aid course. Five minutes later, it became clear that this was a life-threatening situation.
As we rushed him to the hospital, James' nasal passages swelled shut. He cried, "I can't breathe, Mommy!" I urged him to breathe through his mouth and tried hard not to panic. When we arrived at the hospital, I burst through the emergency doors screaming, "I think my son is having an allergic reaction to a cashew."
The doctors and nurses quickly checked James' breathing and heart rate. They gave him epinephrine through an IV. James shrieked as they injected the epinephrine, and he cried as they wrapped his IV arm onto a splint. After 30 minutes of crying, I sang to him and he finally fell asleep.
I felt so helpless and guilty for accidentally poisoning my son.
One hour later, we needed to repeat the whole ordeal, and then James fell back asleep. When he awoke, he was scared and restless. A kind nurse came to the rescue with a Barney video and a snack. Three hours after our ordeal began, the doctor decided James was well enough to go home. She prescribed Benadryl for his hives and a kit for future emergencies.
Tonight, as I watch my beautiful boy running joyfully around our living room, yesterday's trauma seems far removed.
I feel so grateful to have my precious son safe again. Though I fear James' first preschool day and a classmate who kindly shares his lunch with James. I carry the emergency kit in my purse and pray we never need it.
I've taught James to refuse foods offered by others until he's checked with me. All our friends and family are now aware of James' allergies. I know the signs of an anaphylactic reaction and how to administer his shot if needed. Anyone who watches him will know how, too. More important, James has learned to say these four words: "No thanks, I'm allergic!"
Virginia Lucas lives and writes from her home in West Chester, Pennsylvania.