Little Miracles

This article is making the rounds in the food allergy community today:
Peanut-tainted blood triggers boy's allergic reaction, and I'm counting my blessings.

Last January when Caden had all those complications following his scope he lost so much blood he was admitted to the ICU for a blood transfusion.  As I sat holding my limp boy and waiting for the paperwork for the blood order to go through I was inspired with the thought that Caden might react to food proteins left in the blood from the donor.  When I quizzed the doctor about it he responded that although it was theoretically possible to have an allergic reaction to the blood, no such case had ever been documented.  I still insisted he be pre-dosed with Benadryl before the blood was administered.  Partway through the transfusion Caden started to have a reaction and further medication was administered.  My son was well cared for and the reaction was minimal, but I believe that was because everyone was on high alert and Caden's body was prepared to fight the reaction with the help of the Benadryl. 

As I look back on that weekend and recall all the craziness of the scope, the bleeding, the ICU, the lengthy healing process that all culminated in his EE/EC diagnosis I am so grateful that the Lord in his mercy saw fit to spare us from having to go through a life threatening reaction similar to what the young boy in the article experienced.