Fire Ants- Matai's Allergic

picture taken a week later-The bites look like chicken pox

Wednesday- September 8, 2010
I left the apartment with, Taima, Matai, around 3:20 pm to the mail box (Taima rode his bike), and then walked on over to the bus stop to wait for Sai coming home from school.  While we were waiting for the bus, I was trying to fix something on Taima's bike, and then heard Matai scream and cry in pain.  I turned behind me to see him standing next to a small tree with his legs covered in ants.  I immediately pulled him over to the sidewalk and quickly began to swat off the fire ants.  They were on his legs and hands.  I took off his shoes and kept swatting away until I couldn't find any more.  He was crying in pain.  Luckily, across the street were two lawn care workers.  One of them brought over two cold cups of water.  He said that it helps with the sting.  It didn't seem to be working.  At that point, I told him Thank you and then had Taima follow me to go back to the house.   Within seconds Matai was covered from head to toe in hives and his eyes were swelling.  Before I even got back to the house he had stopped crying and was then getting extremely lethargic.  I tried not to panic, and called his Dr's office, but they weren't getting a nurse on the phone fast enough, and then I thought Matai was having a seizure.  I hung-up with his Dr's office and called 911.  The lawn care worker, and the Maintenance Worker were both trying to help find some Benadryll. But when I called 911 the lady on the phone instructed me not to give him anything. I had to keep calling Matai's name and shake him to wake-up.  My fear was that he would fall asleep and not wake-up.  This all occurred in less than 5 min.

I felt like everything fell into place when I needed to leave so urgently with Matai.  Seeing my neighbor behind me- Kassie and her Husband out there when the ambulance showed-up was an immediate answer to my prayer.  I had no questions or second thoughts or worries what so ever in leaving Sai and Taima in her care.   When I saw my neighbor and the ambulance, I began to feel like I did the right thing in calling 911.  I've never had to call 911 before, nor have my children, me or my husband ever had any allergic reactions to anything.  

When Matai was in the ambulance, the EMT's and I were able to keep him somewhat conscious.  For a while he looked as though he didn't know me or what was going on.  The EMT's were great a great help. They also let me know the severity of the state that Matai was in and the fact that they couldn't find any veins to give him an IV.  They warned me of what they may have to do to help him breathe.  You think this would have had me screaming and in tears.  Uncharacteristically, I was calm in knowing what to expect rather than wondering.

By the time we arrived to Columbia (@ 20- 30 min. ride) Hospital, Matai was all red from Head to toe and shivering.  He looked sunburned.  Though is temperature was normal.  It took the nurses a while before they got any needles in him- he was really puffy.  I just continued to say his name and help him stay awake.  Eventually Matai began to look at me when I would call his name.  They informed me, with allergic reactions that are so severe like this occurs, the veins constrict, so as to use more blood around the chest area to help the heart and other organs.  Finally they were able to find one small vein near his wrist. It worked.  Soon after the IV went in with Benadryll, and other steroids, his color became normal and then he threw-up.  After that he slept for a few hours.  I was then able to see the ant bites and count them- 30+ bites.  They also did blood work and his blood came back normal.  They still admitted him in their upstairs pediatric wing.  Paki and the boys came to see us and Matai was by then becoming more himself and enjoyed the company of his brothers.  By 4:00 am he was much more normal.  We went back to sleep and then woke-up to eat breakfast.  Matai was hungry.  They finally discharged him at 1:00 pm.  

Matai is in normal condition and doing much better.  We're thankful that the situation didn't turn down hill more than it already had.  We're just thankful to have him home.

I will always have to carry around an EpiPEN; it looks like a big marker that has medicine and a needle to stick in Matai's thigh if he ever got bit again, and then race off to the ER.  Basically they said that if he ever does get bit again, his reaction to the ant bite(s) may be more severe than what he had just been through.

So, now we can say that Matai is allergic to something, and they also mentioned that it may be more than just Fire Ants- it could be other insects too.  He will still need to see and allergy specialist to run tests to see if there is anything else that he may be allergic to.

So much for the GREAT OUTDOORS!  We will have to come-up with a new game plan to help Matai and our family be more aware and safe.  Now I don't feel so bad if I step on an ant!