Recently, my darling expectant girls (yes, girls - glean from that what you will :) informed me that their doctors informed them, that their parents, i.e. the future grandparents of said babies, needed to be immunized for pertussis (whooping cough) due to the increase in infant deaths due to this ugly disease.
Well, I am not a scaredy baby when it comes to shots, and I do pride myself on keeping myself current on all so that I am prepared to travel to where ever a whim may carry me. Passport is also current. So I dutifully went into the local Health Department for my Tdap booster. I was told that I will never again need to have the pertussis booster, but would need another Td (tetanus) within five years if traveling outside of the United States. Last Td was seven years ago, so I was indeed due. Nurse also informed me it would be prudent to receive a flu shot. No problem! I have two arms, even though I used one to give blood the day before, the needle goes in a different place and as I said, I am not a scaredy baby! And as luck would have it, the Health Department was offering Tdap boosters for free (recent increase in pertussis, remember). Win-win!
Took my information sheet on the Tdap booster, exposed both arms, received Tdap booster in left arm, and flu vaccine in right arm. Followed nurse's advice on moving arms whenever I thought about it to keep from having sore arms. Returned home. Went about my business.
Within about 2 1/2 hours I felt like I was getting a chest cold or cough. Weird. My eyes began to itch so I used some allergy eye drops. No big deal. That happens to me a lot this time of year. Took some clean laundry downstairs. Started wheezing as I ascended the stairs. Weird. I can go up and down the stairs many times a day in rapid succession and notice no shortness of breath. Started having a weird sensation in my throat, too, so I tried to call Greg. He was already at choir rehearsal, so called our old next-door neighbor who is now my parent's next-door neighbor, and who is also a med-peds doc. While calling, pulled out the Tdap information form that I had not read and scanned for "reactions".
Mild problems - noticeable, but don't interfere with activities - redness or swelling, headache, chills, body aches, swollen glands --- Nope - none of those.
Moderate problems - interfered with activities, but did not require medical attention - pain at injection site, redness or swelling, fever, headache --- Nope - none of those.
Severe problems - unable to perform usual activities, required medical attention - signs of a severe allergic reaction with difficulty breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, paleness, weakness, fast heart beat, dizziness --- ALL OF THE ABOVE!
Yup - I started to panic. Thank goodness for our dear friend and doctor Nordell! He first said,"Go take two benadryl and if you don't feel better within an hour, I want you to go pick up this prescription for prednisone I'm going to call in." After chatting for a few more minutes he said, "I want you to take the benadryl now and go get that prescription right now and take it."
I did as I was told.
By the time I got to the pharmacy, my throat was swollen and I was wishing for a rescue inhaler.
Took the pills before leaving the pharmacy.
Made it home - where, oh where were all of my children when I was suffering so? No clue.
Went to bed and concentrated on breathing.
Three hours later, throat no longer swollen. Eye swelling decreased. Able to rest comfortably.
Today, just 45 hours later, I still am a little hoarse and have one more dose of prednisone with mild, occasional coughing.
But don't worry -- I am now immunized against the dreaded whooping cough as well as experiencing a mild case of the real stuff, which means ... I can hold and tend my sweet grand babies upon their arrival!! So what else really matters?
