My three year old took his first sip of goat's milk yesterday and ended up in the hospital.  He is allergic to eggs and cow's milk (as well as several other foods) and now we know he is also highly allergic to goat's milk.

After he took one sip he said "Mmm that's good" and ran off to play.  He immediately came running back screaming that his "mouth was burning."  I gave him Benadryl and then he started coughing, saying his ears and stomach hurt, and he headed upstairs because he wanted to "go to his bed."  He immediately came running back down the stairs screaming that his "mouth is burning!"  He then laid down on the floor crying.  I called my husband at work and he said he would head home.

My son closed his eyes (while lying on the floor) and would not open them to look at me.  I was trying to get him to talk to me and he wouldn't except once after I yelled for him to talk to me he screamed "Mom, you're scaring me!" He then wouldn't say anything else.   I called his allergist and they told me to call 911.

When I called 9-1-1, I got a recording that said "all circuits are busy now" over and over.  Incredulous, I just kept the phone to my ear and someone did come on the line and said they would send an ambulance. 

My two youngest children were in their cribs for naptime and I told the three oldest that the firemen were coming into the house and I needed them to stay in the room upstairs and watch cartoons.  In between all the running around I was calling everyone I could think of to come babysit and no one was answering the phone.  Finally one of our babysitters answered and said she was on her way but then remembered she was without a car and couldn't come.  Thankfully, during this entire event all five other children stayed upstairs and stayed completely quiet.  What a miraculous blessing!

 A few minutes later the paramedics came rushing into our house and at this point my son was unresponsive and struggling to breathe (very shallow breathing).  They carried his limp body out to the ambulance.  He did not even open his eyes during all of this.  They put oxygen on him, gave him a shot of epinephrine and started an IV.  He screamed during the shot (a very good sign) and immediately started breathing perfectly.  They assured me that he was okay but said he needed to go to the hospital for observation by the doctors.

A neighbor's daughter (whom I had never met) walked down the street and said she would keep my children for me, which was so kind!  But they all have food allergies, had never met her before, and it was time for me to nurse the baby.  I was so torn about my son going alone to the hospital and not knowing how to manage taking care of all the other children while there, too.  My husband was 20 minutes away.  I asked if the baby and I could ride in the ambulance while the neighbor kept the others and they did not want to do that because they said there would be carseat regulations and they would have to set one up.  I told the paramedics that I was going to nurse the baby and gather up all five kids and follow them to the hospital.  One of them worked very hard to calm me down and convince me that it would be best for me to stay home with the kids and let my husband go straight to the hospital to be with our son as he was not far behind them.  Looking back we are very thankful for that decision but at the time I was uncomfortable with every option before me!

So!  My three year old was taken via ambulance to the hospital without a parent or anyone he knew with him.  When my husband walked into the emergency holding room, my son was wrapped up in bedsheets in a hosptial bed and was peering out from the covers.  At first he didn't notice my husband walking into the room but then he saw him and said "I'm at the HOSPITAL, DAD!" and the nurse said that was the first time he had spoken since he had arrived.  The docs said he was fine, sent him home with a 24 hour prescription antihistamine, and he walked into our house bubbling with excitement (along with a literal shot of adrenaline!) over his adventure.

The entire event only lasted a little over two hours, but my legs were still shaking until bedtime.  This trial had me facing two of my biggest food allergy fears:  an epinephrine shot being necessary for one of my kids, and the dilemma of one child needing to go to the hospital and not being able to find a sitter for the other five.  We made it through and can testify with certainty that the Lord is good and He cares for us!