How the polio vaccine almost killed me. So background is that I am in nurse practitioner school and about to start my clinicals, of note I work as an ER nurse in a relatively small town area. While uploading my vaccine record to the portal thing, I realized I can’t prove that I had the whole polio series as a kid, even though I probably did have them. And because I was waiting until the last minute the only option I had was to get the adult dose like that week. Important note for the story is while I was in nursing school I worked full time as an EMT on an ambulance in the same city. That’s a detail we will revisit later lol. So I made an appointment at the health department, took my dog to go get his vaccines at the vet, ran into the health department to get my vaccine real quick and I was going to be on my way. Get the dose, walk out, right past the sign (that I remember actually looking at) that says wait 15 minutes to make sure you don’t have a reaction. If that isn’t foreshadowing at its finest. But, I’m a nurse, I know, no one is going to have a reaction to the polio vaccine. It’s been out since the 40s. I’ll be fine. Turns out I was incorrect. lol. I got into my truck, drove literally around the corner, so we’re taking like 5 minutes max from the shot. My throat closed like someone slamming a door. No like funny feeling, or like itching, or slowly feeling like I can’t breathe. I mean fine one breath BAM no air movement the next. Totally closed. Well now I’m driving, I’m on the road not breathing at all. Well just down the road like a quarter mile is the ambulance I used to work at. I just hammer down for there. Hop out and just start beating on the door. My buddy we will call Brian opens the door and I’m squeaking out I need your EpiPen. He says are you serious? Yes I’m fucking serious get of the way. I pushed past him, grab the drug box, pop it open, drop my pants in the middle of the room and hit myself with the EpiPen. Starts to work pretty quickly, panic starts to fade, breathing comes back. All good. Generally speaking if you use an EpiPen the rule is you have to go to the ER to be monitored because it is literally a shot of adrenaline and can fuck with your heart. At this point I’m still thinking there is a chance I can talk myself out of this and be able to go home. They gave me a shot of Benadryl, some steroids, everything is going to be fine. Turns out for the second time that day… I was incorrect. lol. Sitting there catching up and chatting, like 15 minutes later the epi pen wears off. BAM slammed shut again. Can’t talk can’t breathe. So they hit me with EpiPen number 2. At this point they were like yeah you have to go to the ER, and no you can’t drive yourself. They were kind enough to keep my dog at the ambulance base while this gets sorted out. Whatever, you’re probably right, but this has to be over now at least. And for the third time in a very short amount of time, I was incorrect again. We make it to the hospital like 10 minutes away. Moving from the ambulance stretcher to the ER bed it happens again. BAM. So here comes EpiPen number 3. They load me up with more Benadryl, more steroids. And they are say alright, you’ve earned a 4 hour visit. After that you’re in the clear. 4 hours passes, get sent home with prescriptions for steroids and a couple of epi pens. Not like I’m going to run into the polio vaccine again, but nice to have around just in case. Sweet, time to go home. Go grab my dog, gratuitously thank my friends for taking care of me and him, and head for home. This ordeal is assuredly over by now , I thought to myself… again, incorrectly. There exists a thing in anaphylactic reactions where a certain percentage of people have this thing called a biphasic reaction. Severe reaction followed by remission after treatment, followed by severe reaction some hours later. So get I home, I’m home for like 45 minutes. BAM happens now for a 4th time. Welp glad I picked up those EpiPens. Hit myself with now the 4th epipen today, hop in my truck and hammer down for the ER because I know I have about 15 minutes until this thing wears off. Get to the ER, and get to see all my friends again! This HAS to be over by now, I’ve had enough epi to get a lame horse to win the Preakness. As you have probably guessed by now, that was also incorrect. They get me into a room and here comes number 5. Completely closed just as bad as all the rest. Here is just a constant epi drip until you have metabolized whatever it is you are reacting to. Thankfully the shots are done I guess. But there is no sane person in the world that thought I would be going home that night. So I admitted, we were able to titrate down and turn the epi drip off overnight and I got to go home the next afternoon. There’s not a great way to end this story other than just maybe wait that 15 minutes after you get a vaccine. submitted by /u/8645Gamble [link] [comments]
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