Prick Or Treat

CAN YOU IMAGINE?

Your doctor pricked you with a sharp needle.

He told you that he's treated you.

PRICK OR TREAT?

No school today.
Mom had to take you to see your doctor instead.

You had a hard time breathing.
Your eyes were watering and red as cherries.

Your tongue felt like dry leather.
Everything you ate tasted like. "YUCK."

You left the playground early yesterday.
You left your friends there playing fun games.

You went home feeling like, "BLAH."

You didn't even feel like playing video games,
or watching TV.

Your skin had a scaling red rash.
And, "BOY," did it itch.

"Mom, I just want to lie down," you purred.

"Mom, I,"...SCRATCH-SCRATCH, "don't feel,"
SCRATCH-SCRATCH, "so good."

WHAT"S COME OVER YOU?

Doctor, Feel Better can tell you.
"You have an allergy," he says.

He is your Allergist.
He knows how to help you feel better.

"Your allergy means you are sensitive
to something around you that other
people around you are not," he tells you.

"It makes you feel sick, but it doesn't bother them.
There's something around you that you are allergic to."

"Before I can help you feel better,
I must first find out exactly what that something is."

"It is not always easy to find out what you are allergic to."

Doctor Feel Better knows how to find out.

When he does, he knows how to treat you
so that you will feel better.

This is why he is called an Allergist.

First, your allergist had a talk with Mom.
He asked her a bunch of questions.
They talked about stuff that sounded
like grownups???

AFTER THAT...

Your allergist needed to take a test
to find out more about what he needed to know.

This test is called a blood test.

"Yes." You've guessed right.
This means that you have to get a needle.

GREAT?...NOT!

NOW FOR THE FUN PART.

Your Allergist took blood from your arm
through a sharp needle.

You squeezed your eyes closed,
as tightly as you could.

But you somehow managed to see Mom
shiver, and squeeze her eyes closed too.

"There, we've done it," your doctor said.

Your eyes popped open.You started breathing again.
The easier to cry real loud.

Mom started breathing again too.
But her crying sounded like a whisper.

And she kept her eyes closed.
The easier to not see you cry.

The blood your doctor took from you
is called a blood sample.
From this blood sample your Allergist
can find out what you are allergic to.

WOW! HOW?

What you're allergic to can be found in your blood.

Your allergist also took a urine sample.
He knows urine as a liquid waste matter from your kidneys.

You know this waste matter as pee.
What you are allergic to can also be found in your pee sample.

A laboratory is sometimes called the lab.
It's a place where they can find out
what's in your blood.

The lab had your blood test
and your urine test results ready
for you and Mom in a short time.

You had a hard time breathing.
You were wheezing and panting and
trying to catch your breath because...

"You have asthma," says your Allergist.
"It was cased by your allergy."

"You are allergic to your cat.
You are also allergic to peanuts,
and you are allergic to chocolate."

UH-OH. So long to your favorite treat,
Reese cups. And digging your fingers,
in the peanut butter jar.

And your huggable little kitten, "Puffie,"
has got to go.

On the brighter side,
you're allergic to broccoli and carrots.
Yep, and peas too. No more peas please.

Your skin rash was caused by another allergy.
You're allergic to your bath soap.

NO! DON'T EVEN THINK IT."

YES. You'll still have to take your baths,
and put up with that horrible suds monster
who's been trying to drown you in the bath tub.

YES. That one. The one that doesn't like you
because you take too many baths.

Your allergist will let Mom know which soap
you should change to.

And Mom will help you clobber that old monster
again, finish your bath and come out squeaky clean.
No more rash to be seen.

Your allergist told Mom
that he had the antidote for your allergy.

This simply means that he had medicine that you'll have to take.

You know, that yummy stuff. Smells great.
Tastes delicious. Easy to swallow.

The medicine has antihistamine.
Antihistamine like you.
It's your friend.

Antihistamine fights germs for you,
that caused your allergy,
and chase them out of your body.

So...close your eyes, and open wide.
Let your antihistamine get inside.

Time for medicine came much too soon.
Mom poked a glob of it under your nose on a teaspoon.

This is called taking your medicine orally.
You took it in your mouth.

GREAT? WAIT.

There's more fun to come.

Sometimes you'll have to take your medicine intravenously.

This simply means that you get it inside of you by
getting a shot.

You're right. You get your medicine through a sharp needle.

So...roll up your sleeve.

Let's get down to some serious business here.
Now, you feel much better. Right? Right.

You're back on the playground in no time flat.

GREAT?...HOT!

CAN YOU IMAGINE?

Your doctor pricks you with a sharp needle.

He tells you that he's treated you.

You decide.

"PRICK OR TREAT?"

"OH YEAH."

Don't forget to thank your nurse
for the lolly-pop, and the stickers.