As I said in one of the comments, one of my friends suggested I get an Epipen *now* because there may be no time to think if this happens again.
I rang the doctor first thing and went round straight away. After *again* thanking her for saving me, I explained what Sue had said and of course she agreed 100%.
She had a bit of a tussle with the Pharmaceutical Benefits Board (PBB) to get permission to prescribe it, but persuaded them it was better that I had it and not need it than *didn’t* have it and died. They allowed me *one* pen and said I had to have the level of risk assessed properly by an Allergy Cliic so I’m ringing up the local hospital to make an appointment.
So… at least pro-tem I’ve a little more protection and at least in the meantime I’m not in quite as much danger as I apparently was. 🙂
She also suggested from now on I go in for some risk reduction… for example when I do gardening wear gloves long trousers and a long sleeved shirt…. and Aeroguard (Deet) as well I assume.
Before I use this pen (though God forbid I ever do need to of course) I need to learn how it works or there is a *very* real danger of losing a thumb!! Seriously… adrenalin is a vasoconstrictor and as the needle just pops out of an end… so if you hold it the *wrong* way up and inject… up you could *easily* get gangrene in the thumb and lose a digit!!
Actually, the Epipen site has a video available to instruct you on its use so I’ll find it tonight and watch it.
Anyway… that’s that for now. Except that I think I’ve still got some delayed shock going on as I’m falling apart again… but I think I’ll survive. 🙂
The Eclectic Interweb 