Terrified mom...please help!

[maureen73]

Hannah is 23 months old and has suffered from eczema, respiratory problems and allergies since birth. At one year old, she was given a blood test which showed a reaction to egg white. Recently she has had two life threatening asthma attacks triggered VERY suddenly by a simple cold and was hospitalized. Her eczema has improved with the holistic approach taken by myself and her DO pediatrician who is fantastic. After she was released her pediatrician said, "Mom, it is time we start a low dose steroid even though we don't want to because I am very worried about Hannah's life." I reluctantly agreed and will do anything for my daughter. She referred us to a pediatric allergist and asthma specialist who was very aggressive (steroids) and wants to do a skin prick test for allergies next week. Both the pediatrician and specialist feel it is better to identify all triggers sooner than later. I am terrified that she will have a horrible reaction to the skin prick test. The day she was there another child went into anaphylaxis and though it all turned out okay it made my fear a million times worse. Has anyone else gone through this? I am so scared that I can't stop crying and worrying about my daughter. Thanks.

[Porcelain Interior]

The best place to have anaphylaxis happen is in the care of medical professionals. The risk is small, but don't be scared. They will know what to do right away. Seriously, it's better to figure this out, than be out to dinner with friends a year from now and have her throat swell shut because she ate something she was allergic to.

Being informed is the safest route for you and your child. Don't be scared. I've gone into anaphylaxis 30 minutes from a hospital with no epi and survived.

It's going to be ok!

[lil_miss_understood]

None of the allergies in our house are anaphylactic, but I can understand your fear. I agree with the pp that the best place for an anaphylactic reaction to occur (if one should) is in a room filled with medical professionals who will recognize the symptoms immediately and act accordingly. I doubt that would make it any less scary, however.
All I can really say is that I will keep you and your daughter in my thoughts and hope that things will go smoothly for her during her testing.