I Thought I Was Coming Out Of the Woods 

“Mae, do you see something on my neck?”

“Yeah, it’s all red.”

I wondered if I’d reinfected myself, but it didn’t look like poison oak. I phoned the on-call doctor, who thought I might be having an allergic reaction to the antibiotics. I stopped taking them and went back to my regular doctor the next day; the rash had spread over my neck and chest.

The poor guy, he now had so many variables to deal with — along with the emotional and exhausted single, itching single mom who couldn’t sleep because the steroids had her so wired. This morning, he looked at the rash again — at its worst — and said that maybe I’m allergic to the steroids, or perhaps a preservative in the steroids.

When suggested another allergy medicine, I said, “Look, I don’t seem to deal well with all this medicine—”

Which is nothing new. I can’t even take a Benedryl, it makes me so panicked and edgy. So, he has cut my steroid dose in half, but he said that just to be extra cautious, he wants me to carry around an EpiPen in case I have an allergic reaction. To hear that kind of sent me over the edge.

I went to my local, crunchy, alternative pharmacy to see what they had to say. I was hoping the pharmacist would tell me, “An EpiPen? You don’t need one of those–”

But no. She said, “You should teach your daughter how to use one, too — just in case.”

One of my best single mom friends sent me an email this afternoon: “I’m starting to worry. Is there anything ‘natural’ that can help you? Instead of taking all those meds?”

Little did my friend know, at that moment, I dropping a load of money on acidophilus, as well as a homeopathic remedy for stress and irritability.

On my way to pick up Mae at school, I called one of my single mom friends who knows the EpiPen very well: her daughter is allergic to bees. I don’t think I’ll need it (I hope not), but just in case, I invited mom-and-daughter over this weekend for a lesson.

I don’t think that Mae has ever been in this position before — as my nurturer. It feels odd. She was a great helper before we boarded the plane home from NYC — she wrapped my arm with first aid tape over the gauze. She even said last night, “Mommy, I think I’d make a good doctor.” Still, I don’t want to worry her.

Has your child ever had to help you through something like this? Say, a health issue? Worse case scenario, did your kid ever have to call 9-1-1 for you? Or, run for a neighbor because you fell off the ladder?

I need some advice about how to stay cool, calm, and collected. Thanks.