the bee story

My son is allergic to bees. We say "bee" as a general term, because we are not exactly sure what stung him. It was a beautiful fall day last September. My husband was working on our front porch and the younger kids were outside with him. Suddenly I heard Kyle crying and complaining that he had a bugbite. Well, we do try to teach our son that he needs to be tough. We did acknowledge that it probably did hurt, but he just needed to shake it off. Down to the swingset the three of them went. Daddy, Kyle, and Megan. They were gone about ten minutes and came back for a drink. I looked at Kyle and exclaimed "what happened to his face?" When my husband said nothing, he was just swinging, I knew right away we had a problem. I stripped him naked in the kitchen and saw he was covered in hives. I knew he needed Benadryl. I knew I had Benadryl. I just was trying to remember where it was. Then, as the answer to the whereabouts of almost anything is in the summer, the answer came to me. "It's in the camper," I say as I sprint out the door, grabbing the phone as I go. I called my normal medical emergency people, and they did not answer. So, I called our family doctor and explained the situation. By now, poor Kyle is writhing in pain and really turning into one giant hive. The nurse calmly says "if you're not comfortable monitoring his breathing at home...." excuse me? I have spent the last 8 years monitoring my children's breathing. Each night, and especially when they are sick, this is just what a mother does because we are moms. But, when someone instructs me to do it, it makes me a little nervous. So off to the Emergency Room we go. I make a few phone calls to connections I have at the hospital, and they prepared for the worst case scenario. Half way to town, his screaming quieted, and naturally my heart rate leaps, but then he blurts out "Mommy, bears eat fish!" Yes, buddy, they do.
       We survived that ordeal, but now we carry an Epipen Jr. We are insistent that he does not need to be afraid of bees, but he does need to tell an adult right away if he gets stung. I carry an Epipen with me, and there is one at his school nurse's office. I was apprehensive with him going to school anyway this year, then we get notice that the kindergarten class is going on a field trip to a farm. So, I call the school and talk to the secretary, the teacher, and the nurse. I'm told the nurse will always accompany any child with an immediate medical need, and if that isn't possible, then the parents will be notified in advance so that one of us may go with him, and bring the Epipen. Last night I was up half the night worrying because he brought a note home saying his class was going on a leaf walk throughout our small town. Should I call the school and make sure his Epipen is going? Should I just show up and follow his class around town (with my 2-year-old and the Epipen in hand)? Should I slip a single-dose of Benedryl in his pocket? Sometime in the night, it occured to me that my husband works 5 minutes from the school, and Kyle's teacher knows his allergy, so if anything happened, Daddy would swoop in for the rescue.
       All of this worry over a tiny little bug..........it seems so unnatural. I very often feel as if I am being way overprotective. Most allergies are more of a nuisance than a fear, but we deal with what God gives us.