Late Friday afternoon, Steve burst into our bedroom where I was taking a catnap and yelled, “Get up, get up! I’m about to pass out.”
When I just stared at him in bewilderment, he said it again, more forcefully. “Get up, get UP! I’m about to pass OUT!”
I immediately helped him to a chair and said, “What are you talking about? What’s wrong?”
He was pale and clammy and his breathing was shallow as he explained, “I was out cutting weeds when I was stung by some sort of flying insects. My nose is closed up, my lips are tingling, and my hands and feet are on fire. I’m going to pass out!”
I knew he was having a severe allergic reaction and I’d heard enough stories to know I needed to call 911. I gave him two Benadryl and told him I was going to go make the call. He said, “No, no. Don’t call for an ambulance. It will cost us too much money.”
In 39 years of marriage, I have rarely, if ever, countermanded his decisions but this was one of those times. I figured I could pay for an ambulance ride or I could pay for a funeral.
I stepped into the other room to get my phone and five seconds later I heard the thud of a body hitting the ground hard. I panicked, thinking he had passed out because he had stopped breathing. Racing back to his side, I found that he had fallen between two large pieces of furniture without hitting his head, which was a mercy. And thankfully, he was still breathing.
As I dialed the phone I could see that his face was swelling and he was growing paler. I heard the phone pick up at the other end, and then there was nothing. I dialed again. The same thing happened. It didn’t go through. (Our end of Roanoke Island is plagued with bad cell phone reception.)
I started running downstairs to find a place where the call would go through, finally ending up on the back deck. The woman on the other end of the line asked if Steve was breathing.
I said, “Well, he was two minutes ago, but if I go up to check, we’re going to get cut off.” She said, “Okay. Tell him help is on the way.”
Were there ever any sweeter words?
I made sure the front door was unlatched and then ran back up the stairs, breath short and heart pounding from exertion and anxiety. Steve was still laid out on the floor, flailing back and forth, saying how much pain he was in. I prayed with him and hoped out loud that the ambulance would hurry.
It was only about five minutes when I saw flashing lights and two emergency vehicles pull up. It was such a relief to be able to hand the situation over into capable, experienced hands. I was at my wit’s end, knowing things were going south quickly but not knowing what to do.
Five EMTs rushed into the bedroom with large cases of miraculous, life-saving supplies. They hit him with an Epi-pen, started an IV, ran more Benadryl, and hooked up heart monitors. I couldn’t see all that was going on at that moment but the woman in charge was calm and confident and never stopped moving.
She took Steve’s blood pressure and when she saw it was 80/50 she said, “Let’s go.”
Now let me pause right here and tell you something about Steve.
Whenever he is in a medical situation where people are very serious, he always feels compelled to lighten the atmosphere, no matter how bad he feels. (This post is another example of that.)
When he heard he was going to be taken away by ambulance he roused himself from his woozy state and said, “Is the ambulance a Ford or a Chevy?”
He didn’t really care one way or the other. It was just something to say to make people smile. (He’s a lot like his dad in that way.)
And then the shot of adrenalin starting kicking in and making him more talkative. He started saying, “Becky! You need to take pictures for the blog!”
If you think that’s a crazy thing for an ailing man to think about, you have to remember something. Steve has lived with a blogging wife for almost two decades and he knows I am always on the lookout for a story. In the middle of all of his trauma and suffering, he was just trying to be helpful.
By this time, I had worked my way through the maze of people to sit near his head. I assured him that all was well and that I would take a few photos to make him happy.
So I am posting a few photos here, but only because my dear husband so strongly suggested it. He was like, “Take pictures! Oooh, I hurt. Ford or Chevy?” Ouch, my feet are on fire! Take pictures! I’m going to pass out! I don’t feel good! Take pictures!” It was an interesting few minutes.
We don’t have a huge bedroom and seven adults (one on the floor yelling), a few large cases of supplies, and one small white dog on the bed made for quite the hullabaloo.
I was wondering how they were going to get a big stretcher down our narrow stairs but it turns out they used a canvas-type contraption and rolled Steve onto it.
When they got off the porch, they moved him to the regular gurney.
And then suddenly, after twenty minutes of nonstop drama and intensity, they were heading out and I was left in the house to gather up his things, gather up my equilibrium, and drive to the hospital.
As I was packing up, I noticed some gloves left behind by the EMT and I paused for a moment to give thanks for their dedicated, professional work.
And I noticed where Steve had pulled off his socks and boots before heading upstairs to find me. His feet were swelling so bad the boots became uncomfortable very quickly.
I know the word surreal is used a lot but it definitely applied to this situation. One minute, we were going about our day and in the space of a few seconds, everything just flew apart. Life can change fast.
When I was taken back to his room at the ER, I was surprised to see that he was much worse than when I had last seen him. His stomach swelled up so much he couldn’t even button his shorts. His entire torso–front and back–were covered with welts, as were his arms and legs. The doctor told us that Steve didn’t just have welts on the outside of his body, he also had them on the inside. I imagine that’s one reason for the pain he was in.
After his BP dropped more and he passed out again, they finally got everything stabilized and then kept him for observation for four more hours.
Steve asked the doctor what would have happened if we hadn’t gotten help when we did and he said that there was a very real possibility he wouldn’t have made it.
During all of last week, my plan had been to go to Chesapeake, VA on Friday where I had a number of errands to run. On Wednesday afternoon, I was glancing at my calendar and remembered that I had a hair appointment on Thursday afternoon. My salon is thirty minutes in the direction of Chesapeake and so I figured it would make more sense to change my Chesapeake plans to Thursday and only make one trip in that direction.
And it was because of that last-minute decision to altar my travel plans that I was at home on Friday. I was at home to dial 911. I was at home to get Steve the help he needed.
If he had been alone and fallen, he wouldn’t have been able to get back up off the floor and go downstairs to find his phone. And the ending to that day might have been very different, indeed.
When I got to my salon on Thursday afternoon for my haircut, my stylist said, “I don’t have you on the schedule for today.”
But for some reason, I had put it on my calendar that my appointment was Thursday. And that nonexistent appointment on that particular day made all the difference.
Bees. Mercy. Grateful.
How harrowing!! So glad Steve has recovered. ❤️❤️❤️
Lorrie,
Yes, harrowing is exactly the right word. And so is thankful!
Dear Becky and Pastor Steve, We are so thankful for everything that worked together for good to bring about a positive ending to this terrifying situation. Thanks be to God that Becky was present to be the hero of this story, for the EMTs and for Pastor Steve’s unswerving sense of humor!
Fred and Lucy,
Things working together, EMT’s and a sense of humor. You can’t go wrong!
Thanking the Lord for all the pieces he put into play well before the incident! How scary!!!
Epipens are an essential item in our house as well…never leave home without one!
Hope you are both feeling good today!
Suzanne,
“The pieces He put into play.” Such a good description!
Goodness Becky, what a medical year it’s been for the Smiths! And weren’t we all hoping we’d get a break from health related stress in 2021? Sigh.
Does Steve have any idea what kind of creature stung him and does all of this mean you’ll be trimming the weeds from now on? 🙂
Ellen,
We’re having pest control to come out and identify them and then get rid of them. He’s mown this lawn for almost 12 years without incident so he’ll keep doing that and just steer clear of weed whacking near The Spot!
So glad to hear that he is okay. So glad you were there and able to call for help for him.
Nicole,
Yes, indeed. Many glads!
Wow! Never a dull moment for you guys! So grateful for the outcome.
Thank you, Nina. Grateful a hundred times over.
Oh my goodness! How scary. Thankful that your week got rearranged so that you were home Friday and also that Steve was able to make it upstairs to you before passing out. Good thing you picked this time to go against his wishes and called 911.
I can just imagine my dad wondering whether the ambulance was a Ford or Chevy.
Glad to read that you have a couple epi-pens already.
Phyllis,
Because of course, it is VERY important to know the make of the ambulance, right? 🙂
Wow! Once again the Smith family guardian angels have done their thing!
So very glad that Steve is still with us, but no more scares, please, Steve!
EMTs really are amazing. Imagine living where you do and having to drive to the hospital for emergency treatment!
But… I can’t help wondering… could your hairdresser fit you in on Thursday?
Jan,
Definitely thankful for EMTs! We have a small hospital 20 minutes away but it was very necessary to get treatment started ASAP.
My stylist actually went ahead and did my hair that day; I just had to wait for about 45 minutes. 🙂
Thank the Lord that you disobeyed Steve and called 911. Thank the Lord too for working all things together for Steve – that you were home. Have a feeling he will be carrying around an Epi-pen from now on.
Sharyn,
Very grateful I was home. And yes, we shelled out $400 bucks for two Epi-pens, so we’re prepared!
So glad you were home to help Steve out. What an awful thing to go through! My father was allergic to bee stings, and this was before epipens existed. It is the second time one gets stung that is so dangerous.
The Lord was certainly holding you in his hand today.
Liz,
Wow. I can’t imagine being allergic before Epi-pens. That would REALLY be scary.
My goodness. How scary. Thank God Steve is ok now. So glad you didn’t listen to Steve and called 911. It sure could’ve been a different outcome.
Wendy,
Yes, it was definitely a case for 911! So grateful for those wonderful EMTs.
Yikes, how scary…did he have a known allergy to stings before this, or was this something new? Will he have to carry an Epi-pen now? Glad to hear all ended well!
Melissa,
No, he didn’t have a known allergy. And yep. We have an Epi-pen!
My goodness, what bit him? So glad he’s going to be alright. And what a guy, making sure that your content would be exciting this week!
I hope all is well and peaceful today.
Jennifer,
Yes, Steve goes to GREAT lengths to be sure I have a blog post for my wonderful readers each Monday. 🙂
Oh my goodness, that is terrifying. Praise God you were home, and Steve is fine. I would be having anxiety!
Just one question, Chevy, or Ford?
Suze,
It was a Ford. 🙂
Thanks be to God for his merciful goodness to the children of men…
This one in particular!
Ruth
Ruth,
Thankful, indeed.
Thankful that all worked out. Prayers for his, and your, recovery.
Patti,
Thanks for the prayers for us both. Definitely not something we want to repeat any time soon.
Yes, Steve has quite the guardian angekl.—YOU, Becky. Yes, you saved his life, quite likely. A mix up in hair appointment dates was certainly fortuitous for all. Sometimes it goes the other way too. I know too many wonderful people who were hurt or died because of some unfortunate mistake, last minute decision or change. None of us know for certain what is fare, free wil or chance, how much of life is predetermined and what is up to pure chance or up to us.
Catherine,
Those are definitely questions with unknowable answers, why some people are spared and some are not. I’m so thankful, in this instance, Steve was one of those spared.
God Bless Pastor Steve, he was definitely under attack from the enemy. 1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:12. I can’t believe that he maintained his sense of humor asking if the ambulance was a Ford or Chevy! So glad that you changed your Friday plans to Thursday. So thankful that God is involved in the details.
Gloria,
It’s hard to keep Steve’s sense of humor under wraps for very long!
Thanking the LORD with you . My husband lost an immediate family member to a bee sting, and it’s just always in the back of my mind . He tries to “ walk the lawn at dusk “ during mowing season occasionally to see if any bees, particularly yellow jackets , have built a nest. It’s so scary . A shout out to the EMS workers ! Just thinking out loud – might want to consider hiring a professional landscaping service to check out that shrub.
Thank you LORD!
Dee,
You’re right about checking out the shrub. We have a local pest control company coming in tomorrow to figure out what kind of flying insect it was and then eradicate their nest. Steve will stay far, FAR away!
Wow, wow, wow. Poor Steve and poor you. I imagine Epipens and benadryl are in his future wherever he goes. Make sure you are taught how to do it. You still have to call 911 whenever he uses the pen because it is only short acting. Its a PIA but other than starting allergy shots, after allergy testing for the mysterious biter, I don’t think there’s much else you can do. My son had one for wasps in his baseball bag, one at the school nurse and one at home. He did 5 years of allergy shots and is good now. Maybe get one for church that he could leave there. You cant leave them in glove compartments cause it gets too hot. So thankful you were there.
Lesley,
I didn’t know there were allergy shots for bee stings. Interesting!
Your guardian angels were definitely watching over Steve! So glad he is okay. Just curious, has he ever reacted to a bee sting before? I ask because I hadn’t reacted until last year and my arm got red, hot, itchy and a swollen area, I am wondering if my next reaction could be more severe. So glad you were home and he is doing well.
Kathy,
Yes, actually, he was stung about 3 weeks ago and had an unusually large reaction right near where the sting was. It’s still slightly swollen and painful from that first sting.
So in his case at least, his second reaction was MUCH more severe.
Thanks Becky, interesting information. someone had mentioned to me to be extra careful as the next sting could be worse. I will discuss with my doctor for sure.
Oh Becky so glad you were home and didn’t listen to Steve. Hope he is ok now. What a frightening experience to go through for him as well as you.
How are the newlyweds?
Take care,
Joy,
Not listening has to be done, sometimes! 🙂
Newlyweds are doing well. They just spent last weekend with Gage’s family and really enjoyed that.
I am so very glad Steve is OK, and God had a plan for the whole thing. Did you ever discover what kind of bug or bite it was? Lifting up a praise for y’all this afternoon!
Cheryl,
We should find out what kind of insect it was tomorrow. Will be interesting to know.
Wow! You Smiths don’t do thing half-way, do you?! 🙂 I rejoice with you at God’s hand of protection! Doesn’t the appointment story make you feel seen of God? What an Ebenezer for you.
I am sure the drs told you this, but Steve needs to have an Epi-pen on hand before doing any more weeding—and even if he isn’t weeding! It sure would be great to know what insect provoked that kind of reaction. I don’t think an Epi-pen would have stopped that severe of a reaction–you still would have needed to overrule and call the ambulance–but it would have helped some.
I have anaphylaxis to peanuts. Early in our marriage, my husband and I spent 2 months working at a mission hospital in Africa. One Sunday some of the hospital nurses who also pastored in their villages invited us to go to the villages with them for the day. Since the national dish is rice with peanut sauce, we decided it would be wiser for me to stay behind–partly because we didn’t want to offend if I didn’t eat what was offered.
That afternoon when my husband got back to the hospital compound, he found me at the hospital very near death—there were almonds in the cake I had eaten at the home of one of the missionaries….but they were heavily roasted in peanut oil (we determined later). Thanks be to God, my life was spared, like Steve’s.
Always good to hear from you—always good to rejoice!
DeLynn,
That would be tough to spend time in a country where the national dish is something you are deathly allergic to! And I’m sure you never thought to ask whether or not the almonds had been roasted in peanut oil. So thankful your outcome was a good one–it could so easily have gone the other way.
We never know what each day is going to bring. Makes me treasure my days (and my husband) even more.
Frightening for lack of a better word and grateful God revised your plans!
I’ve had severe reactions to stinging/biting insects and to antibiotics – I recognize that rash all too well. Thankfully, I’ve never become anaphylactic. I started itching when I saw the photo! Hope he gets some serious prednisone!
And, Becky, you handled it like a pro. Way to go! High 5!
Guerrina,
Prednisone and Benadryl are the two things he’s been taking. He feels SO much better–rash and swelling are gone.
So thankful for so many things today.
What a terrifying situation. How is he doing now? Thank God you were there Becky!!
Jenna,
He is feeling SO much better today. Thanks for asking!
Wow – what a scary situation! But what providence that you changed your trip for a non-existent hair appointment and could be there for Steve. I’m so thankful things worked out well. Sending hugs and prayers to all the Smiths, even the ones that are no longer Smiths.
Sue Ellen,
Thanks for the Smith hugs and the non-Smith hugs. Still hard for me to believe that Sarah’s last name is different!
What a terrifying experience to go through. So glad that Steve had the presence of mind and courage to come in and warn you. So glad that you were home, able to reach 911 and that Steve is doing alright. Never a dull moment at your home :). Take good care. Wishing you and yours a quiet and peaceful rest of the summer.
Sumathi,
Definitely grateful he made it in. He could have collapsed downstairs and I wouldn’t have heard him.
A quiet summer would be GREAT! 🙂
Oh my goodness how terrifying. Praise God that you were home to call 911 and get Steve the help he needed so quickly.
Praying that Steve is feeling better- take good care both of you!
Heather
Heather,
He is feeling much better but still not quite back to normal. That’s a lot of trauma!
My word. So thankful that you changed plans and that you didn’t listen to Steve when he said not to call 911. That is some allergic reaction! Chuck had one that looked similar when he took an antibiotic several years ago, but he didn’t have the swelling lips, closed airway, etc. Time to keep an epi pen on hand to at least get a head start if something like this happens again.
Pam,
We are now the proud owners of two (very expensive) Epi-pens!
God sure has you Smith’s in the palm of his hand! Glad Steve is alive and well…so scary. Has he had a reaction to bees before?
Monique,
He was stung a few weeks prior but just had localized pain and swelling. So this came as quite a surprise.
Oh my goodness! That is so scary! I’m so glad you changed your plans and had your non-existent hair appointment on your calendar for Thursday. Does Steve carry an Epi Pen? If not, he may want to start. And he should probably only do yardwork when you’re at home. So glad he was so fortunate to have you at home. God was watching over him that day!
Gayle,
We did get Epi-pens a couple of days ago and will have a pest company eradicate the nest tomorrow.
You’ve got some special guardian angels!!! Holy smokes–how scary! My brother got swarmed by wasps once years ago while mowing. They were underground so he had no warning that there was a nest! Steve cracking a joke made me think of one of my favorite stories of my dad. He was diabetic & really good about catching himself if his sugar got too low. However, he was driving once & for some reason his sugar dropped, he was apparently unaware (or maybe didn’t have anything with him to bring it back up?), and he wrecked his car. (Side note: He passed away at age 54 in 1999…this is relevant) Ambulance crew asked him the usual questions & when they asked his age he croaked “92”! Hard to portray the humor in typed words rather than spoken, but you get the gist! So thankful Steve is ok!
Emily,
Love someone like your dad who had a sense of humor even in the midst of a crisis. Sounds like a great guy!
Oh my! As a parent of two children with severe food allergies, I can confirm that watching someone in anaphylaxis is terrifying, great job ignoring his instructions and calling 911. What a story of God’s protection. One of the first things to go in anaphylaxis is rational thought, thank God you were there.
Erin,
And sometimes rational thought is a little hard to come by when things are unraveling so fast. I was glad to be able to do what needed to be done.
Bless you as you deal with the challenges of food allergies in your children. Our grandson, Grayson, has allergies, so Meagan is party of the Epi-pen Mama Club, too.
Becky, I know you appreciate a good deal. It is worth checking into Auvi-Q. It’s a fancy talking auto injector and if you are commercially insured, the company will cover everything that your insurance doesn’t cover minus $25. For us it is a huge savings vs the $380 for a set of generic epi pens, especially since they expire and need to be replaced annually.
Erin,
Meagan mentioned she has a talking auto-injector which sounds cool. Plus it’s cheap? Sign me up. Ours were $200 a piece!
Will definitely look into those.
Oh my, what a scary experience for Steve to go through! I pray he is recovering well. When Bill was admitted to the hospital, prior to his death he refused to get on the gurney even though he was capable of walking. They used the same sort of blanket type thing to get him in the ambulance, he wasn’t a cooperative patient!
Cindy,
Men don’t seem to like being patient patients, do they?
Oh my goodness..so scary for Steve and you. Hoping and praying Steve has a speedy recovery.
Michelle,
Thank you! He is recovering slowly; a little bit weaker than he was expecting but that’s a lot of trauma!
Wow! How horrible! I am so glad that everything turned out the way it did. God knows!
Lord’s Blessings to you both!
Krista,
Thank you for your encouraging words. Blessings back.
that was quite an allergic reaction…looks so painful. thankful that Steve is doing ok now.
Mrs. Pam,
Definitely painful. And all the reactions were so quick, like in a matter of seconds. That’s what amazed me!
Wow. Just wow. And thanksgiving. ❤️
Love, Deb
Deb,
Wows and thanksgivings definitely going on around here.
To all of the faithful readers is Smithellaneous, you can be proud of Becky’s cool, calm and collect demeanor during that episode. She was my Florence Nightingale to be sure. I’m so grateful for God’s providential care, for Becky’s love, for highly skilled medics and for waking up today.
I am so thankful you’re ok, and that Becky was miraculously home to assist you (and take photos!). Sorry, but I was kinda laughing between crying as Becky told of your comments while on the floor! Humor in a traumatic moment!
I hope you know what the insect was, and carry an EPI pen on you! Praying you are recovering well.
Jill,
Laughing is perfectly fine. I kind of wrote it that way to provide a smile along the way. 🙂
Hey there, glad to see that your spirit has returned. Yes, Becky is an angel, no doubt about that. Time to hire someone to do your yard or maybe Gage! LOL
And so we are! Glad you are doing well. Becky was your guardian Angel that day.
Steve,
As in everything else in 39 years of marriage, we made it through TOGETHER!
Oh Becky, that gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes, I am SO glad you were home and that you were able to call an ambulance….one of my neighbors is severely allergic to bees and brings an epi-pen wherever she goes, perhaps you could look into that if you haven’t already done so. On a lighter note, I had to smile when Steve said don’t call an ambulance, it’s too expensive. About 5 years ago, I slipped on some sort of liquid and fell at Harris Teeter. I tried to get up, but couldn’t, somehow with the help of some employees and by leaning on a cart, I was able to get to the front of the store, they said we will call an ambulance, meanwhile I called my husband and told him they were transporting me to Wake Med by ambulance and he said don’t do that, it’s too expensive, I’ll swing by and pick you up!!!
I forgot to add that I had broken my hip and needed a complete replacement…..not fun!
Dale,
What a helpful husband to “swing by and pick you up!” 🙂
That was quite the serious grocery store accident–incredible that it resulted in a broken hip. Ouch!
Oh my gosh…this just gave me goosebumps! I am beyond thankful and breathing a huge sigh of relief that Steve will be alright and that everything turned out OK!! The welts and rash look miserable though. Thinking of the alternative and ‘what if’s’ brings tears to my eyes. With a severe reaction like that, it might be a good idea to keep an EPI Pen handy….hopefully the doctor already prescribed one.
Lee Anne,
Thinking about the “what ifs” is sobering indeed. So thankful the what ifs didn’t come true.
So thankful that Steve is OK!! It is amazing how God works, same sort of thing with my family, my step father had an episode 2 years ago on a Thursday, went to the hospital, was sent home, told he was fine.. fast forward to Sunday evening, he complained of his elbow hurting… and my mom said we are going to the ER… they got there and back in the room, where as the doctor was checking him, he had a heart attack on the table, and flat lined… had my mom not taken him to the ER because of her “feeling”, he would not be here today… God is good all the time, all the time God is good… that is out mantra at our house!! Prayers for a quick complete recovery, and that he never encounters whatever that bug was again!!
Tiffany,
Wow. Never discount a mother’s/wife’s instinct! I would never have thought of a hurting elbow being a danger signal but she was right on it. So thankful for your family!