It's a horrible feeling to think you could almost lose a child....

We love you Katherine Williams....

Although this posting is not on the topic of Photography, it felt it was important to blog about it in order to create awareness of this potentially life-threatening condition that many people have never heard of - Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis.

Two years ago, at age 15, our daughter Katherine, while at school in a PE class, was running laps outside in the early spring with her class. Katherine has always been very physically active. She was a cheerleader for years during middle school, participated on a competition cheerleading squad, participated in gymnastics for years and could easily run for long distances without an incident. However, two years ago, while running in PE, she began to experience tightness in her face which began around her eyes. Within only minutes, the tightness escalated to severe swelling and itching of her arms, legs, and torso. Her face, neck and throat area began to swell uncontrollably and her breathing was labored. The school immediately called 911 and then called Chuck and me. No one, including Katherine had any idea of what was happening to her.

Here's my original post on FB about that episode....Please read this - Awareness may help save someone else's life

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=7467598505

Flashback to yesterday....

Yesterday afternoon, my phone rang. It was Katherine. I was in Carrollton with a friend at another Prom Dress Sale. Chuck was downtown in Atlanta at a Team In Training Function for the Leukemia Society. Katherine was in Hiram with her friend Brittany and Brittany's mom, Melisa. Melisa is a teacher and they had taken her fourth grade class skating at Sparkles in Hiram.

When I answered the phone, Katherine said "Mom, I think I'm having another allergic reaction". I told her to hang up with me and call 911. I spoke with Brittany, reminding her of the name of the syndrome that Katherine has "Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis" so that she could tell the 911 operator. I stayed on the line as they called 911. Luckily, there was an ambulance in the immediate area and within seconds, I could hear the sirens as I listened intently from the other side of the phone.

The paramedics literally arrived within 2-3 minutes. I spoke with the Paramedic in charge and told her what was going on. She, like many medical professionals had never heard of this. Most people think we're crazy when we tell them that Katherine can have an allergic reaction to exercising. (i joking tell people that she get's it from me! haha)

Katherine's face around her eyes had begun to swell and her arms were itching and broken out in hives. The paramedics said that they were going to transport her to the hospital and that they would meet me there. We decided to transport her to Tanner-Villa Rica medical center, which was 1/2 way between where I was in Carrollton and where Katherine was in Hiram. The paramedics said that her condition was not bad enough at this point to administer any medications and that they would watch her during the ride in the ambulance and would treat her if the swelling escalated.

Luckily, Katherine had stopped skating the moment she noticed the tightness in her eyes. She realized that she was on the verge of having another attack. We believe that this prevented this particular episode from escalating to the point that it did last time.

I met her at the hospital and when I saw her I immediately flashed back to that time two years ago when we could have lost her. From the looks of her face, it was clear to me that she was well on her way down the road to another attack of Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis. As I spoke with the ER nurses, none of them had ever ever heard of this. It's a strange feeling when you are talking with medical professionals and they look at you like you're making something up. The ER doctor came in and same thing....I told him what was happening and he said "well i've never heard of that". I told him to "google it". :)

Here's some information about Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis...

http://dermatology.about.com/cs/hives/a/exana.htm

There is also a Facebook Group about it that was started by a girl whose college roommate had this same thing happen to her:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=ts&gid=2212396929

The nurses in the ER looked it up and found it. The head nurse said to me..."Well I guess I learned something new today".....The fact that they did not know about this had nothing to do with the hospital that we were at...every doctor that Katherine has been to, with the exception of the Allergist that she sees at Piedmont, is not familiar with EIA.

My hope is that by writing about this, more people will be aware that this is a very real, life threatening syndrome. Most people look at you with a very questioning look when you tell them that someone can be allergic to exercise. Just doesn't make sense, does it?

Thank you to Brittany Crider and Melisa Crider for being with Katherine yesterday when this happened and to Brittany for riding in the ambulance with Katherine to the hospital. Thank you to Lisa Kerley and to my sweet friend, Miranda Hull who were with me and kept me calm when I got the call. Thank you to Chris (our son) and his girlfriend, Ariana Hull, whom we love and adore, for rushing to Tanner to be with Katherine.

Thank you to some of Katherine's best friends...Bailey Reeves, Shelby Thompson and Thomas Moore, who all got together, called me, jumped in the car and drove to Villa Rica to be with her.

Thank you to my sister, Nancy and her family, who were on standby waiting to come if I had needed them.

Thank you to Carla, whom I couldn't reach but I know you would have been there if we needed you.

Thank you to my Dad who I know was watching over us all from Above.

And to my Mom, (whom we didn't tell until this was all over with) who would have prayed for Katherine ever second and who is the most amazing Mom and Mimi in the world. We love all of you guys so much!

And thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read this -- you may be able to help someone else one day.

Katherine, we love you more than anything in this world. Thank God you are okay.