A lost EpiPen

Day 255 – it’s the weekend of the New Year and we celebrated it by taking the first hiking trip of the year. It was a large group this time, about 20 of us. We were actually two groups that decided to hike together. The only problem, as we found out after a very short time, is the hiking abilities of the groups were very different. We are good hikers, taking-on challenging terrain and we very long hikes. The other group, as we found out, was not in par with us. In the middle of the hike they had enough and decided to send the drivers for the cars and bailed out. But our group had a very good time as we continued our hike. We had few new people that I really like and the atmosphere was great. It was such a great way to start the New Year - by celebrating our beautiful country and loving every inch of it with our feet.

The only thing that dampened the experience was a phone call from my daughter in the middle of the day that she lost her EpiPen. As I am sure you know by now, she had a very severe allergic reaction few months back, where she almost died and since then she is developing new allergic to many things. The problem is that if your body ever did an anaphylactic shock you have a 50% chance of another as a reaction to an allergen, it learned that dangerous path. And if it takes that path, the only way to make sure you will make it alive to the nearest hospital is a shot of adrenaline, hence the EpiPen, which is a shot of adrenaline in a device that enables a non-professional give a good injection.  So losing an EpiPen is very scary. It can be the difference between life and death. We have to put it in perspective, of course, you don’t get an allergic reaction for no apparent reason, if you don't touch or eat anything that is unfamiliar, but it is very unsettling. I was in the middle of no-where and could do nothing to help or change the situation, I just emphasize to her to be extremely careful and try to look for it (as if she needed any of that, as if she was not all stressed anyway). Only at the evening upon my return home, I could take some actions to mend the situation. I contact the doctor who treated her and got a prescription for a new EpiPen. The story had a happy ending - two hours later she called me, the EpiPen was found.

Still, this was a very important wake-up call for us. We have to have two reserve EpiPens; one with her and one with me. She cannot be again in a situation where she has no recourse if a severe allergic reaction will star. Only few weeks ago a young woman, my daughter age, died from an anaphylactic shock because she ate something that had nuts in it without her knowledge and she didn't have her EpiPen with her. A severe allergy is not something one can take lightly. And my daughter is serving in the military now and can be far from a hospital. We have to make sure she is safe.

I am thankful for this wake-up call. I have to admit it was a very stressful afternoon, until she found her device, and I am very thankful that nothing happened, just some anxiety. I also very thankful for a very pleasant hiking trip today; the weather was great, the company even better and the landscape… I am so thankful for such a great way to start the New Year.