"All Better"

As most of our friends and family know, Caiden has some food and other allergies so we are very careful about what he eats and keep a close on the ingredients in his foods. We didn't realize just how serious these allergies were until a few weeks ago.

It was Friday afternoon around 4:00 and Kim, his daycare provider, called me to say that Caiden wasn't feeling too well and was looking a little ill. This alarmed me because Kim has never called and suggested that we pick him up early. I knew that Jered was closer than I was to her home so I called him and let him know what was going on so he headed over right away. A couple minutes later, while I'm driving safely but quickly to Kim's, Jered called and says that Caiden was in fact looking a little pale and was acting a bit lethargic. So I step on the gas, OK I floored it, heart racing knowing that we had to get him to the doctor right away. When Kim had first called, I assumed it was a little cold and he was sleepy but I realized then that it was getting worse and that it could have been an allergic reaction. Once I had gotten there just a few minutes later and saw him, there was no question. He was still happy and gave me a huge smile and hug, not realizing what was happening to him. We drove (flew) Caiden over to the emergency clinic that was a few minutes away, Caiden in the car seat, and me watching his every move. Once we got there and got checked in -very quickly- the doctor saw us right away. We told him about his allergies and he saw that Caiden's ears, eyes, mouth and face had swelled and a rash had begun to spread down to his tiny legs. He ordered a type of steroid to reduce the swelling and requested that we take him to the Children's hospital downtown. The ambulance ride was just about 15 minutes and thankfully the steroid shot helped drastically for most of that time. By the time we had made it to the hospital the swelling was back and the rash was worse. The doctor there requested benedryl be given either orally or intravenously and we opted for the oral route, since it was less invasive. The thought of an IV in our little baby's arm sickened us and we knew that since the doctor gave us the option, we would be safe with either choice. Within just 30 minutes he was sound asleep and looking much better! The doctor and ourselves agreed that we wouldn't leave there until Caiden was 100% better and had the energy to eat and drink.

We ended up staying there for a couple more hours and Caiden was getting better by the minute! Kim had called several times to check in on him and was helping us figure out what the reaction had been from. She is and has always been extremely careful with his allergies. She keeps no peanuts in her home and watches the ingredients just as we do. We came to the conclusion that one of the other mothers had came into Kim's home after being in a massage salon and somehow Caiden had come in contact with the perfumes she was wearing. I haven't heard of a severe perfume allergy before this, but now I know that it is to be taken very seriously.

The doctor came in one last time to check on his condition and was amazed that everything had cleared up completely. We woke him up and gave him a couple graham crackers (or 8) and some Gatorade to make sure that he had his appetite back. We were relieved to see that he was, as Caiden would say, "all better!" and so grateful that God answered our prayers and watched over our little boy!

We had experienced just a fraction of the heart ache that goes along with seeing your child sick and not knowing what was going to happen. My heart breaks for the children and their parents who endure numerous trips to the hospital for various illnesses and treatments. This is something that my soul cannot understand or even comprehend. My prayer is that no matter what may happen, we lean on the Lord for comfort and hope that His will be done and He be glorified and whatever struggles we may face.