Updated: Jan. 25, 2021
Originally Published: Aug. 26, 2016
My little boy had just finished a test, battling the padded examination table like a pro. His sniffles indicated relief, and we were eager to hear the results. After inspecting the grid of hives that had formed on his back, the nurse delivered the news: “Eggs are the culprit.”
“An EpiPen is necessary,” she declared.
Wait, what? I glanced at my partner, Rebecca, eyebrows knitted together in disbelief. “Are you sure an EpiPen is needed?”
“Absolutely,” she replied with a nod.
It felt excessive. Over the top. My child just had a rough encounter with eggs—surely we could skip the EpiPen and stick to avoiding eggs and taking some allergy meds, right? The thought of injecting him with a needle sent chills down my spine. I could barely manage brushing his teeth, let alone administering an injection.
Then the doctor walked in, clad in her white coat, explaining that my son had reacted in both his skin and digestive systems, which warranted an EpiPen. After she reassured me, I calmed down a bit, but it still felt like an overreaction. An EpiPen? That’s for emergencies when someone can’t breathe or is in anaphylactic shock. Surely my son was fine.
I was that person who made jokes about my cousin’s peanut allergy back in the ’90s, thinking it was just a phase. I now realize how misguided I was.
Once we returned home, Rebecca called in the prescription. I dove into research on children’s allergies, trying to prove the doctor wrong—classic stubbornness. But the facts hit hard: anaphylaxis is serious, even if it starts with mere hives and vomiting. It can escalate quickly, leading to low blood pressure and breathing issues. Even a bee sting or an egg can trigger it.
Finding out your child needs an EpiPen is frightening, but the cost is downright terrifying. The doctor warned us to prepare for sticker shock, with reports of prices soaring above $500. What?! I quickly confirmed those shockingly high prices online and learned that EpiPen costs have skyrocketed over 400% since 2008.
How can a device containing epinephrine cost that much? Epinephrine is a well-established medication, even listed among the World Health Organization’s essential medicines for children. I’m no doctor or pharmacist, but it seems ludicrous for a life-saving device to have such a hefty price tag. Seriously, it’s just a needle attached to a plastic injector filled with a decades-old drug. I hope you’re as baffled as I am.
It’s hard not to point fingers at the pharmaceutical companies that produce EpiPens. It’s one thing to charge a premium for a car or a gadget, but to exploit people for life-saving medication? That’s crossing a line. No ethics class is needed to see the wrongness of this. Really, 400%?
Thankfully, Rebecca and I have solid health insurance, which helped bring down our out-of-pocket costs. Now, we’re adapting to life with an EpiPen. We’ve discussed it with the daycare, stashed one in the diaper bag, and even let our son play with the tester pen to get him familiar with it.
In the near future, we plan to conduct a food test with our son to see if he can tolerate cooked eggs. Our doctor encouraged us to tackle this issue early, hoping he might outgrow the allergy. Fingers crossed—nobody wants their child to miss out on delicious omelets! And honestly, I’d rather not face the possibility of a life-threatening allergy.
This article was originally published on Aug. 26, 2016.
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In summary, discovering that your child requires an EpiPen can be a shocking experience, and the financial burden associated with it can leave parents feeling helpless. With the rising costs of essential medications, it’s essential to stay informed and prepared to handle such challenges while prioritizing your child’s health.