Infusion Queen is what you can call me if you see me in the streets. (Lol) really I am the infusion queen.
Before I explain what an infusion Queen is, I have to tell you what infusions are.
Infusions are really called intravenous therapy (IV) and it delivers fluids directly into a vein. The fluids are whatever treatment your Doc wants you to receive. For example, you’re dehydrated so you’ll receive fluids to help rehydrate and replenish electrolytes.
I’ve had all sorts of infusions:
Immunoglobulins
Blood products
Blood
Electrolytes
Plasma
Blah
Blah
Blah, you get it. I’ve had a lot of them.
One day my infusions had me messed up. Here’s the story:
I found myself sitting in this big ass reclining chair. There are already pillows with those hospital coverings over it in the chairs for patients. I declined the 2nd pillow because I only planned on being here for an hour or two max. The nurse introduced herself and handed me my premeds. They were 60 mg of Tylenol, 50 mg of Benadryl (to suppress any allergic reaction), and some amount of Solu-Medrol (steroids).
She waited 30 minutes for them to kick in and I felt it immediately. She still needed to place my IV. I’m so used to being stuck it’s sad. I feel like one of those plush pin holders that sewers use. She placed the IV perfectly On the first try, that’s why I love oncology nurses. They really know their shit and are good. She hung my treatment, Immunoglobulin IGg. For time purposes I won’t get into what this stuff does in detail, let’s just say it’s like liquid gold for people with autoimmune diseases. It helps tremendously.
The entire treatment ran and finally, me & Zina (my bestie from school took me to treatments that day) could leave. I got up and stretched my limbs. Definitely longer than I expected to be there. I walked to the bathroom.
It got harder to breathe. Do you know when you catch yourself actively trying to breathe? It was like that times 1000. My throat started itching like crazy. I walked to the restroom and scared myself half to death when I saw my reflection.
Hives.
Hives were on my face. Red, inflamed blotches appeared all over my body. I ran out of the bathroom to my nurse and calmly said: “I’m having an allergic reaction”. She looked me up and down and called the “lifesaving team”. They rushed to me so fast, next thing I knew I was sitting in my chair struggling to take breaths. There were about two or three sets of hands on me.
They were trying to check my vitals and get more anti-inflammatory drugs in me. The nurse yelled “pushing Benadryl fast”. Fuck. I felt my vain blow and the warm rush of fluids going into my IV. I began to feel better. I could breathe again *cues Toni Braxton*. I couldn’t believe I’d had an actual allergic reaction. Ya girl went full anaphylactic shock on thee people.
