Birthday Party Disaster

In 2nd grade at age 7 I attended an in class birthday party for a classmate. The treat was simple. Chocolate chip cookies. Not a problem because the whole class knew about my peanut allergy.

During the party I ate my cookie, it felt hard to swallow, like I was swallowing a Hershey kiss whole. After class my mom noticed I had developed a Minnie Mouse voice. Then I threw up. I was having a reaction to the cookie.

At home Mom gave me an oatmeal bath for my hives but my nasal passages had swollen shut. My mom immediately called the pediatrician's office and drove me across town for a shot of epinephrine. We had never attempted to use an Epi-Pen before.

It turns out I had accidentally received a peanut butter cookie, one of 3 that were substituted into the order of chocolate chip cookies.

After that day Mom and I learned how to administer an EpiPen. Today I give demonstrations on how to use one.

Word of advice, be prepared for birthday parties and consider a safe food as you never know what could happen