Marla

[Guest guest]

Yesterday I had a really weird day. I got up and had a protein drink and a

piece of toast with a slice of cheddar cheese. I took some vitamins and a

Felodapine, a Diovan, and a Synthroid. I went to the doctor and had a dexa scan

(no calcium for 24 hours) and a flu shot, came home, picked up Ron and went to

Costco where I had two samples of something they were trying to sell. They were

tiny cheesy little things. Then we went to the Mall and had dinner at a Thai

Restaurant where I had Pad Thai. This was the third time I had been at this

same restaurant and I ordered the same thing as usual. We then went to the

movie " Australia " as it was date night after all! Half way through the movie I

started having trouble swallowing. My tongue and especially the floor of my

mouth were really swollen. It felt like I had two huge jaw breakers below where

my tonsils used to be and where my glands were next to my wind pipe. It got

exceedingly worse throughout the movie. I told Ron I thought I had a severe cold

or something or maybe a reaction to the flu shot. I knew from teaching that

this must feel like a peanut allergy and I did have peanuts on the Pad Thai but

I have never had a allergy to that. In fact my only allergies are reactions to

MSG, Penicillin and tape. I had a Benadryl before I left the movie. Ron took me

directly to the ER in Shelton where they immediately treated me. I had an epy

shot which immediately made my veins smaller (said the nurse), did an IV (which

hurt like hell) and gave me a sedative and something to calm my tummy. I had no

tummy problems but I let them do it anyway. I was shaking uncontrollably and

they kept putting warmed blankets on me. They made me stay until 1 a.m. for

observation. They also gave me more Benadryl. Scary stuff but I had no pain

and was just unable to swallow. They gave me great service and my diagnosis was

Angioedema that they think was caused by the Diovan I have been taking for over

a year. They see this sometimes. I am on a bootload of meds and have to car

ry a EpiPen Auto-Injector. Fortunately, I only have to take the meds for four

days. Today I feel really good except for the Benadryl every six hours for

three day that makes me groogy. I thought maybe it was a food allergy or from

the flu shot but I ate nothing new and I don't have an egg allergy so it

couldn't be the flu shot. So, now I am on a new low dose BP pill and will wait

with the doctor's permission to see him until we return from Mexico after the

15th. We leave Monday from Portland. And that was my " very bad, horrible, no

good day. " And it is nothing compared to what our friend, Elle is going

through.

Marla

WA State