Allergies: Nothing to sneeze at
My friend Taryn Thompson had her first ER visit for an allergic reaction last week. I’m sharing some excellent tips she has for anyone with anaphylactic allergies and for those who work in the food service industry.
“1. If you are experiencing an allergic reaction, remember that they can be highly unpredictable and just because you’ve had mild reactions in the past doesn’t mean you can’t have a serious anaphylactic episode in the future. Mine started with my tongue tingling after the first bite. I immediately popped a couple Benadryl and decided to head home before the Benadryl made me too tired to drive. I called my husband from the parking lot and he reminded me of the advice a friend had given me: Go wait out your allergic reaction in the ER waiting room so if it gets worse you can get help. I’m glad he did because in the few blocks it took me to drive to the ER, the reaction worsened severely. (As an FYI, many experts recommend using epi-pens as a first line treatment over Benadryl. Even as close as I was to the hospital, I probably should have used the Epi straight away and had someone drive me.)
“2. When someone is having an allergic reaction they aren’t always thinking clearly. Panic and fear of embarrassment can override common sense. Driving myself to the hospital wasn’t a smart choice. I always have this tendency to want to stay cool and make a graceful exit so I can go cough and wheeze in private, but that’s not a good idea. Tell your friends and family and colleagues how they can help you if you do have an allergic reaction. Keep Benadryl and epi-pens (always carry 2!) handy and make sure the peeps around you know where you keep them.
“3. If you work in any capacity in the food service industry, please educate your team. Allergies are life threatening. When someone says they have a food allergy, you need to understand that they aren’t just picky eaters. It’s a life-or-death situation and if you assure someone that you can safely accommodate an allergy, then you need to do your damndest to make sure your staff is trained to carry out that promise. For those of us with food allergies, eating food that hasn’t been prepared in our own homes and under our own watchful eyes can feel like a game of Russian roulette. It may be a while before I’m brave enough to go out to eat again
“Whether you have an allergy or live with someone who does or provide services to people with food allergies, I have found that FARE is an excellent resource for how to prevent and respond to allergic reactions. https://www.foodallergy.org/resources”
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Last year March came in like a lion riding the arctic express! This year March starts with little lambs frolicking in sunshiny temperatures from the mid-40s to 50s.
David and Marnie Fair once again are welcoming babies galore at their Chase Road farm. Already 23 little woolly bundles of joy have come into the world and at deadline there were nine expectant ewes in the wings waiting.
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What’s Happening: Thursday the Team Eddy Fundraiser at the Hagadone Event Center is from 5- 8 p.m.
Also on Thursday, “Historic Coeur d’Alene Homes, Then and Now” with Robert Singletary, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Coeur d’Alene Library Community Room.
CYT North Idaho’s final performances of Peter Pan take place Friday through Sunday at the Kroc Center.
Get a jump start on St. Patrick’s Day at All Things Irish on Saturday with the Soda Bread and Scones Contest, from 2-6 p.m. in downtown Coeur d’Alene.
Saturday from 5:30-8:30 p.m., the Mardi Gras Krewe d’Alene 2020 with the Arts and Culture Alliance is at the Coeur d’Alene Eagles featuring Best of the Best Cook-Off.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, the March Makers Market takes place at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.
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Happy birthday today to Brad Medlock, Tina Hough, Lauren McShea, Jeremy McComb, Carolyn Peterson, Peter Braunlich, Clara Hester, Sherry Wallis, Sunny Day and Ron Gonzales. On Thursday, John Darlas, Karen Cocoran, David Sheridan, Tawny Brown, Camille Hutchison, Steve Lux, Eddie Jerome, Hailey Pierce and Mary Herrick are celebrating.
On Friday Don Pischner, Bridgette Lowry, Dave Brubaker (60!), Gary Dagastine, Bob Flowers, Bill Reese, Al Telles, Maurie Bruce, Dean Walsmith, Allison Gerzina and Robin Gerzina take another trip around the sun. Leap Year babies born on Feb. 29: Boston Smock, Kris Helstrom, Dean Walsmith, Dr. Jim Anderson, Lana Johnson Fensky, Nancy DiGiammarco and Charlet Hannon.
Celebrating March 1 birthdays are June Goecke, Faye Griffiths, Preston Hill, Marina Otter, Lisa Tucker, Connie Chalich, Bud Kobs, Megan Aker, Karen Welts and John Billetz. On Monday LeeAnn Cheeley, Conrad Nelsen, Sharon Menti, Rhonda Shippey, Ginny Easterly, Alexander Endo, Randy Hurt and Nickolas Aker put on their party hats. March 3 is the birthday of Sari Walt, Rebecca Kilmer, Rich Henning, Jessica Coleman and Gail Kinloch (80!).
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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.