Well, that's not what you want to come home to...

[pne]

When I came home this evening, I was greeted by a young boy walking toward me slowly and his mother saying, "Wait until he's come home properly". So I was already a bit, what?

Then Yvonne told me that they had taken Stella to the hospital. And from the open window upstairs, our upstairs neighbour came and said that Stella had eaten some peanut and had gone into anaphylactic shock, and she had gone upstairs to them (since their son works for the Johanniter) and they had called an ambulance. Apparently, a helicopter had even been called but had been called off again when the ambulance arrived and they found it wasn't quite so critical.

They didn't know where Stella had been taken, because the ambulance had come and gone so quickly, so our neighbour suggested I call 112 and tell them Mrs. Lingsteding had called them to our street and could they tell me where she had been brought.

So I did, and they said that she had been taken to the general hospital here in Harburg. So I called their switchboard, they asked me for Stella's date of birth, and confirmed that she had been admitted to the ER, and put me through to them. I asked how Stella was and they said she would be able to tell me herself.

A couple of minutes later, the phone rang and Stella was on the line. She said that she was already feeling better, that they had given her some kind of medicine and that they were going to observe her, and that if everything worked out all right, she might get discharged this evening (or so she understood it). She did say she'd try to call me if she ended up having to spend the night there.

So we'll see what will happen.

A bit later on, another neighbour called to inquire how I was and to offer their help—for example, if I wanted someone to accompany me to the hospital or to take care of Amy. Mrs. Lingsteding, who had taken care of Amy since Stella got taken away, had also offered to take her again if I wanted to go to the hospital by myself. (She said she had enough toys since they had grandkids, and that Amy had been playing quite happily until I came back.)

I've brushed Amy's teeth and put on her pyjamas. Since I thought Stella had told me this afternoon that Amy had taken a nap, I didn't send her to bed since chances are she wouldn't be able to fall asleep earlier than nine or so anyway, but told her to stay in her room with the door closed.

So now let's see.

---

Update. (Executive summary: she's back, throat seems fine, circulation still wobbly, she's gone to bed.)

Comments

[arthur-sc-king.livejournal.com]

Oh wow! Thank heavens she's OK. I can imagine how freaked out you must be.

Did you know she was allergic to peanuts before, or is this the first time?

You all will be in my prayers. Take care!

[pne.livejournal.com]

No, I had no idea.

She had had an allergy test done a little while back because she thought she got a tickly throat from eating certain things, but the main thing they picked up there was hazelnuts, which she's now cut out of her diet.

(I don't know whether they tested peanuts, though.)

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's so frightening! I'm so glad she got help quickly and is doing okay. You must be so shaken.

[pne.livejournal.com]

I'll say. I didn't really know what to do. Or think.

I just hope things will work out well, and quickly. And am glad that she got help quickly - I've heard peanut allergies can be the worst in terms of what they do to your body.

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

Peanut allergies, like shellfish allergies, are likely to cause anaphylaxis, which is, as I understand it, about as bad as it gets. She got help quickly, which is the most important thing. From now on she'll probably have to carry an epi-pen (single dose of epinephrine, which can interrupt the reaction.) Here in the states it's common for kids with peanut allergies or adults with other allergies that can cause severe reactions (peanut, shellfish, and bee stings, for example) to always carry an epi-pen.

I hope she's home and back in your arms soon.

[opal1159.livejournal.com]

Oy, glad Stella's okay!

(Does Amy know or anything?)

[pne.livejournal.com]

She knows that Mummy's not here, and I told her she was in hospital, so she knows that.

(She thinks she's in Hamburg, because that's where she thinks doctors live. All doctors. I guess she got confused at some point when someone told her that "there are doctors in Hamburg" or something like that.)

I'm not sure whether she knows deep down inside. But if Stella comes home fairly soon, it need not matter, since she's been alone with me for an evening before this.

[missysedai.livejournal.com]

Holy cats! I'm so glad she's OK!

[kamara.livejournal.com]

Eep!

Glad she's okay! Hope she comes home soon, hospitals are never fun :| Bleh.

[kake]

Eek! I'm glad Stella's OK. How scary.

[isabeau.livejournal.com]

Yikes. :/ I'm glad Stella's okay. That sounds ... incredibly un-fun. </understatement>

[pne.livejournal.com]

Then imagine reading these comments and seeing one advertising a Paris Hilton nude video.

Annoying at best, but on an entry like this, at a time like this... Urgh.

(It was just below yours. From a user, even, not anonymous. Thank goodness for delete-and-mark-as-spam. But... still.)

[asciident]

Oh dear, I hope she's okay :(

[wingflutter.livejournal.com]

oh wow that must have been terrifying! I'm so glad she's better now! take care x

[tungol.livejournal.com]

Eek! Glad to hear Stella's okay. I have a peanut (and walnut) allergy that's potentially anaphylactic, though I haven't had an actual anaphylactic reaction within memory.

Are you accustomed to having peanuts around the house much? Will it be a big challenge to avoid them?

[pne.livejournal.com]

Are you accustomed to having peanuts around the house much? Will it be a big challenge to avoid them?

We don't really have them around much - the Erdnussflips she ate one of are pretty popular in Germany (and apparently all but unknown everywhere else), but we rarely have them. And I have a jar of peanut butter I tend to forget for months on end. And though I like Snickers bars, I don't think we've ever had one at home - they're more of a "buy along the way and eat immediately" thing for me.

So I think we'd be fine with omitting overt peanut matter.

I wonder whether the allergy is severe enough that we have to pay attention to the peanut traces hidden in other foods, though.

[tungol.livejournal.com]

I wonder whether the allergy is severe enough that we have to pay attention to the peanut traces hidden in other foods, though.
My guess would be yes, though of course I'm not an expert. Her reaction is more severe than any I've ever had, even counting the last times I've had things with overt peanuts in them, and I'm sensitive to traces.

[nitaq.livejournal.com]

I can imagine what a shock that must have been.
Hope she's fine and Gute Besserung from me.
At least it didn't happen somewhere in the outback where the ambulances aren't that fast.