Jackson loved watching the fireworks! He would clap at all the ones he liked! Melissa warned us that the bugs and mosquitoes were really bad and so we should bring a lot of Off! bug spray. We made sure to spray Jackson really good, and then we let him crawl all around the grass during the fireworks, chasing fireflies, until Grandpa Fred said, "There's chiggers in that grass! I wouldn't let him crawl around in there!" We quickly moved him, but didn't see anything wrong until we were driving back to the hotel and Melissa kept asking us why Jackson was rubbing his eyes so much and scratching himself all over! He'd been bit by something all over his torso, back, face, and eyes! At the hotel, Melissa recommended a milk and oatmeal bath which helped with the itching, but he must have had an allergic reaction to the bites or grass, because his entire head swelled up and doubled in size and his eyes swelled shut! (Think of Will Smith in the movie Hitch when he had an allergic reaction! This was the exact same thing!) Jackson had difficulty breathing, so after listening to his raspy breathing, coughing, and crying all night, (and Eric asking me every 30 minutes if he could take him to the hospital) early the next morning we decided to take him to the Emergency Room to be looked at. We ended up at Lake Forest Hospital where all the nurses kept asking me if I'd given him Benadryl. I didn't have any with me, so I'd given him all I had, Infant Tylenol and Infant Motrin. After many disappointed looks, I was informed that every good mom always has Benadryl on hand in case of emergencies! So, I have since stocked up on Benadryl! The doctor was worried about bacterial infection and put him on an Amoxicillin and now he seems to be doing much better! It made for an exciting 4th of July!!
2 comments:
Did anyone think of allergic reaction to Off!? Respiratory difficulties, swelling, itching... Sounds more like a contact dermatitis or allergies to me. This may be a "primary response", so watch out the NEXT time he's exposed to the same allergen. The response may be much, much worse, and potentially life-threatening. In addition to Benadryl, I would have an Epi Pen on hand JUST IN CASE. Of course you should consult with a pediatrician before taking any advice over the Internet from an unknown blog reader. Based on my screen name, I bet you and Erik can figure out the "real me".
goodness, Janelle! How scary!! The epi pin sounds like a good idea. I don't have any benedryl in my house either, so don't feel bad.
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