Last Night’s Trip to the ER

It happened again, an ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION.

As I sat on the couch scrolling through Facebook, my phone began to ring. I looked at the caller ID and it was an unknown number. I watched the first and second rings. I wasn’t going to pick it up because it was an unknown number. I didn’t want it to be another wrong number wasting my time. But something suddenly nudged me to pick up. I answered and heard a frantic voice through the line, “Mommy…Chinese food…I’m dying…Come!” I jumped up and immediately grabbed the EpiPen from the first aid kit and settled for loratadine as I was out of Benadryl. I sped down the street. As I approached the building, I saw three figures outside. I stopped, jumped out, and he rushed over. His face was swollen, he was unrecognizable. His throat was already closing, and he was struggling to breathe. I pulled up his shorts, injected the EpiPen, and yelled, “get in the car!” Then I rushed to the nearest hospital emergency room. At one point he was quiet, and I started to panic that his throat was completely closed. When he responded after the second attempt, I felt a sense of relief. Then he thanked me for bringing the EpiPen and administering it.

When we entered the emergency room, the welcome desk was unoccupied. I then searched for the nearest window with staff, the registration desk. I decided to knock on the window to get their attention and tell them that my son was having an anaphylactic reaction. She looked at her colleague and picked up the phone to call for help. He sits down and it appears to be worsening. My patience is waning at this point, so I started looking for other staff. Another patient informs me that there is a nurse in the next window over. I knock on the window and tell her my son was having an anaphylactic reaction. She dropped everything and rushed to his aid. She grabbed a wheelchair, brought him into the ER, and called for support to get him hooked up for treatment. She was so focused on getting him treated and she did so within minutes. I thank God for her. She understood the urgency of the situation and helped to save him.

This was a close call. Things could have gone left so quickly considering everything that was going wrong. He switched backpacks and didn’t have an EpiPen on him. His phone was not working so he called me from someone else’s phone. I normally do not pick up unknown numbers. Lastly, no one at the center called 911. Rapid identification and response is essential to ensuring positive outcomes for individuals experiencing anaphylaxis. Please visit the CDC website for additional information regarding identifying and responding to anaphylaxis. I thank God that I was nearby (3 minutes away), I thought and reacted quickly, and I kept my composure to get him to the nearest hospital (with the least barriers to access). I also thank God that the nurse was at the right place at the right time last night.

As stated earlier, we were here years prior. However, it wasn’t as severe. That previous visit served as the final push needed for the creation of CCOPharma. I left the ER that day with a script for an epinephrine injector (EpiPen). But what I didn’t know was that I’d be faced with a copay of over $300 to add to the ER copay of $300. I was literally all out of money, but I had no choice but to max out my last credit card. There was no hesitation on my part, it was my son. For my kids, I’d do anything. But the reality is that not everyone has a backup plan. What would have last night looked like if I didn’t have a credit card to max out? What if I couldn’t afford my copay? That night years ago, I had to figure that out. He needed an EpiPen onsite for everywhere he needed to be. But how was I going to afford over $300 for each box? I decided to search for copay cards and thankfully found a few. I wished I had thought of it earlier, but I was still trying to compose myself after what just occurred. I ended up using the copay card to fill the next prescription for the brand EpiPen and it eliminated my copay completely. I was so relieved.

Please if you are ever faced with a high copay, please check out the medication assistance page. If the drug is not already featured, feel free to send an email. Alternatively, you may be able to ask your local pharmacist for medication assistance resources. The last thing I want is for you or your loved one to forgo treatment due to affordability. Stay blessed and have a wonderful day!