‘The Butterfly Effect’ warned me about unintended consequences
Too much physical exertion landed Ladybug in the hospital after an HAE attack
In “The Butterfly Effect,” the character played by Ashton Kutcher learns that attempting to avoid negative situations doesn’t necessarily lead to better outcomes.
Dissatisfied with the circumstances in his life, he discovers that when he reads his childhood journals, he can travel back in time and inhabit his younger self’s body to alter the tragic circumstances of a moment he is reliving. But when he returns to the present, he realizes he’s only made things worse.
I haven’t yet mastered the art of time travel, but I did end up creating a similar problem just a few weeks ago.
My major miscalculation
When our oldest daughter, whom we lovingly call Ladybug, was diagnosed with hereditary angioedema (HAE), it took an entire school year to discover that too much physical activity was a trigger for her. The occasional running and jumping that kids do didn’t hurt much, but excessive exertion, such as fitness tests and flag football games in gym class, was a setup for a lengthy hospital stay later.
Even as Ladybug learned to pace herself — something we’re still working on — it became glaringly obvious there were some things she just couldn’t do.
We have learned that pre-treating Ladybug with Berinert (human C1 esterase inhibitor) before extensive physical activity yields positive results; however, because she’s not a fan of needles, she will instead opt out of participating. This frequently leads to my little teenage extrovert feeling socially isolated, however.
But I had the perfect solution.
Recently, on the heels of her 16th birthday, the organization I work for held a conference for creatives and entrepreneurs. It boasted three days of workshops, performances with Ladybug’s favorite gospel artist, and a fireside chat with one of her favorite celebrities. As the logistics manager, with an all-access pass, I thought it would be an excellent idea for my daughter to shadow me, giving her something amazing to do and at a pace she could handle. I wouldn’t even have to pre-treat her.
To date, this has been one of my most significant miscalculations as a caregiver.
On my first night running the conference, I logged 15,000 steps in about three hours. On the second day, over 19,000. And my “shadow” was right there with me.
Did she get to meet her favorite celebrities? Yes. Did she get to add this to her list of volunteer opportunities? Sure. But by day three, her HAE symptoms were raging, and, after doing all we could at home, she eventually needed a short hospital stay. My simple solution to “fix things” had unintended consequences.
As her caregiver, even seven years after her official diagnosis, I’m still learning. It doesn’t happen often, but my attempts to make things easier sometimes backfire. I didn’t realize just how much walking I actually do, but not skipping the pre-treatment step might’ve prevented what happened to Ladybug.
As I’ve learned and the movie showed, tampering with the execution of specific outcomes may not lead to the best circumstances. Sometimes, you need to stick with what you know.
Note: Angioedema News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Angioedema News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to angioedema.
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