- Liberia is one of the few countries that requires yellow fever vaccinations.
- Yellow fever is carried by mosquitoes, with which Liberia is well "blessed"
- Yellow fever has a vaccination (good)
- Yellow fever vaccine is incubated in eggs
- Yellow fever vaccine is therefore not recommended to folks allergic to eggs
- Angela is allergic to (raw) eggs (bad)
Some time later, after discussions between me, the travel clinic, and the allergist, it was decided that since the allergy is minor it really might not be a bad idea to chance it and get the vaccination after all. To be on the safe side, they would give me the vaccination at the allergists' where they could watch me. Thus went today: Angela
- takes Zantac (an antihistamine)
- picks up vaccine from travel clinic
- takes vaccine to allergist
- gets scratch test done, which shows some small reaction to vaccine
- takes some liquid antihistamine
- receives the vaccine in four doses, with watching in between
- is observed for a while to make sure all is well
- feels a little 'hoppy' from the antihistamine, but is otherwise fine
- heads to work
- eats lunch & works for a while
- starts feeling her throat swell
- is driven to ER by coworker friend Marie
- is put on oxygen and given an IV
- is dosed with IV/shots of benedryl, zantac, prednisone and epinephrine
- is pretty knocked out AND hoppy with that stuff, but the airway clears
- is told that the reaction was on the serious end, but should be ok now
- is discharged with heaps o' prescriptions (zantac, prednisone and an epi-pen)
- is taken home (after picking up prescriptions) by Marie
- sleeps like crazy
- feeling better!