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A
personal story.
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My
son Matthew is an active eight year old. He loves running barefooted in the grass, he loves to climb and generally everything
else that appeals to a seven year old. However he is also aware that
should he get stung by a bee he could die.
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Matthew
had been stung twice before with very little reaction to the
stings. However one summers day a couple of years ago he came
running in saying he had been stung by a bee. Not one to panic, I
calmly went into another room to get some antihistamine cream to
put onto the sting, only to return a minute or so later to see him
white and limp. He said he was burning up and felt like his throat
and neck were on fire.
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I
picked him up and raced to the car. I don't remember getting the
younger two in the car, but I did. I raced to the Accident and
Emergency Clinic thankfully only about five minutes up the road.
By the time I got there he was too weak to move, I put him in a
pram, locked the other children in the car (I was on my own) and
ran inside.
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Within
a minute there were doctors and nurses around him (someone had
fetched the other children out of the car and unaware, they
played in the waiting room - I never got to thank that person).
They worked quickly and soon I saw colour come back into Matthew's
face. I was told he was to be transferred to Starship Children's
Hospital and, with an oxygen mask on his face, I went with him to
the hospital. By this time my husband had picked up the other
children and taken them home.
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Within
a few hours Matthew was okay, but I was told that I now had to
carry an epi-pen* with me. This epi-pen will save his life should
he be stung again. So far we have not had another sting. But now
at least I am prepared.
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Gaye
Miller
