Spun the turkey for Thanksgiving...then the next night happened....ughhh

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clifish

Master of the Pit
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May 25, 2019
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Long Island, NY
So let's start with the good, Brined the turkey in Oakridge BBQ brine for 30 hours.
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Brought the 22 to Pa to spin it, rubbed with SPOG and a weber rub I had up there.
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I had some trouble getting good flame on the sides, it might have been the generic coals I used to start the fire so I ended up using the lid on and off.
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Finally got a better fire going with the splits, cherry on the right and red oak on the left. Starting to look good.
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I also fired up the electric with LJ cherry pellets for some belly burnt ends, used some Kosmos Q honey rub and finished with a Jack Daniels, butter, bbq sauce, Bee's Knees spicy honey mix.
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No plated pics but here is the spread, most people said the smoked turkey was the best turkey they ever had.
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That was the good, the next evening did not go so well for me. We went to the restaurant in the community where we have our house (been there many times). We order some drinks and decided to order some food. Being allergic to shellfish I preview the menu to make sure there was none on it. I also did my usual and approach the server with my " I am the problem child tonight" and was told they do not serve any fried shellfish. I took the rare opportunity and ordered fish and chips. I ate my dinner and was picking off my wife's plate (she ordered same).

I start feeling my whole mouth tingling, then my eyes started itching like I pet my cat and rubbed my eyes. I go into the bathroom to wash my eyes, hoping that would help. I get back to the table and my son says my eyes are puffy, then I feel it in the back of my throat and I knew it was an anaphylactic reaction coming on. I tell my wife to grab the EpiPen and call 911. Another family heard me (they have a daughter with the same condition) and they happened to have Benadryl on them. My wife shoots me up in the thigh and I take 2 Benadryl pills.

They are talking to me and trying to keep things calm, I am trying to talk and I can't even form a word, sounded like I was totally drunk. Throat is closing a bit, but luckily the shot and pills start reversing things. It is a good thing the wife brought the pen and someone had the pills. Being in East BumF___PA the ambulance took 40 minutes to get there and the nearest hospital was another 45 minutes away. Not sure I would have made it without those.

So something to be thankful for, and need to always be more prepared, more EpiPen's with Benadryl attached to them...oh and no more of any fried foods or fish from a restaurant. After speaking with management and the cooks the next day, the only conclusion we can come up with is the fish must have been pre- contaminated at the fish processing facility.
 
I have never had any life threatening reaction to food like you described and I am happy to hear you are doing well. I have gotten to the point where I abhor going out to dinner. A lot of times restaurant food doesn't sit well with me and my wife. I much prefer to stay home and eat. It is more for but more better. Again, glad to hear you are alive and kicking. God Bless.
 
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WOW, so conclusion is stick to your own food,

All kidding aside , nice spread of food

But good thing like you said , wife had the pen and other folks had the pills

Tough weekend for sure

David
 
Wow, glad to hear you are ok! Scary experience!

Your turkey and the rest of the food looks awesome!!
Thanks Bern, only the second time it has happened and the first time I made the meal myself. I was 47 and never had a reaction to shellfish before in my life.
I have never had any life threatening reaction to food like you described and I am happy to hear you are doing well. I have gotten to the point where I abhor going out to dinner. A lot of times restaurant food doesn't sit well with me and my wife. I much prefer to stay home and eat. It is more for but more better. Again, glad to hear you are alive and kicking. God Bless.
I agree (unfortunately the wife does not agree) I make much better food at home...I will use this as long as I can to not go out...lol
 
WOW, so conclusion is stick to your own food,

All kidding aside , nice spread of food

But good thing like you said , wife had the pen and other folks had the pills

Tough weekend for sure

David
Thanks David, we got complacent, the wife grabbed the pocket book with the pen at the last minute, otherwise might have been a different outcome.
 
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I'm happy to hear all is well in the land of Clifish. Great looking spread BTW. I've never experienced a real food allergy before, and I hope I don't. It sounds scary. Cliff is the wind that strong in PA that you need to put bricks on top of your electric?

Point for sure
Chris
 
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Great spread for the meal and a great place to have it .

Scary stuff on the allergy . I have Nephews that have nut allergies .
Witnessed the reaction when they were young . Good to have people around you that know what to do .
 
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So glad to hear everything turned out OK for you...definitely very fortunate!

Now that turkey...that is a thing of beauty!

Ryan
 
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Food Looks awesome.
Scary night with the fish. Glad you had your wife with the pen and also the Benadryl.
Glad you are here to tell the tale.
 
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Enjoyed your thread right up to the reaction part! Glad you had your pen and was able to get some benadryl in ya. And especially glad your not posting this from a hospital bed!
Hope you are recovering well.
Jim
 
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Scary sh*t! Glad you pulled through. I carry an epipen for bees/wasps. The reaction is ugly and fast And gets worse every time.

This reminds me to get more epipens before years end while insurance is maxed out.
 
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Whew! That was a close one. Drives home the point that you have to ALWAYS be prepared for a reaction. Sure glad to hear you made it through. Definitely a scary not-good-eats night out.
 
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Nice spread of food, Cliff.
Sucks getting ill around Holidays.

I am almost that allergic to something. Allergist cannot pinpoint. It was a freak combination of pollens that a beehive collected. It was only one hive in a yard of about 30-40 hives, too. Every physical we have the fight over an Epi-pen (I won't do it.)
You on the other hand need to carry. What would happen if you forgot to bring your wife?
 
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I'm happy to hear all is well in the land of Clifish. Great looking spread BTW. I've never experienced a real food allergy before, and I hope I don't. It sounds scary. Cliff is the wind that strong in PA that you need to put bricks on top of your electric?

Point for sure
Chris
Thanks Chris, the worst part is the ambulance took 40 minutes to show up and the nearest hospital is 45 minutes away.

Those are my splits I was using for the roto, just warming them up.
 
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Great spread for the meal and a great place to have it .

Scary stuff on the allergy . I have Nephews that have nut allergies .
Witnessed the reaction when they were young . Good to have people around you that know what to do .
Thanks Rich, was the first time I had an Epipen injection, luckily the wife stayed very calm.

So glad to hear everything turned out OK for you...definitely very fortunate!

Now that turkey...that is a thing of beauty!

Ryan
Thanks Ryan, ruined a good night of drinks but the turkey did turn out good. I will be doing this again.....the turkey anyway.

Food Looks awesome.
Scary night with the fish. Glad you had your wife with the pen and also the Benadryl.
Glad you are here to tell the tale.
Thanks me too.

Enjoyed your thread right up to the reaction part! Glad you had your pen and was able to get some benadryl in ya. And especially glad your not posting this from a hospital bed!
Hope you are recovering well.
Jim
Thanks Jim, 3 hours in the hospital under watch and I was sprung.

Scary sh*t! Glad you pulled through. I carry an epipen for bees/wasps. The reaction is ugly and fast And gets worse every time.

This reminds me to get more epipens before years end while insurance is maxed out.
That is what they tell me too, and the reactions are different. This one started with tingling in the mouth, did not have that on the last one 10 years ago. We are loading up on pens before next year, moving to a high deductible plan. The ER visit would be a fortune next year.

Whew! That was a close one. Drives home the point that you have to ALWAYS be prepared for a reaction. Sure glad to hear you made it through. Definitely a scary not-good-eats night out.
Thanks Matt, it really drew home the point that will stay a second house and not for retirement. My parents retired their and are 89 and 90. It is a real problem with the medical, nearest dr's are 45 minutes away and hospital you really want to be in is an hour 20 away in Scranton.

Nice spread of food, Cliff.
Sucks getting ill around Holidays.

I am almost that allergic to something. Allergist cannot pinpoint. It was a freak combination of pollens that a beehive collected. It was only one hive in a yard of about 30-40 hives, too. Every physical we have the fight over an Epi-pen (I won't do it.)
You on the other hand need to carry. What would happen if you forgot to bring your wife?
Not sure I would be posting this if she had not brought it, it came on faster and worse than the first time 10 years ago.
 
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Pretty scary thing, anaphylaxis, and it is dead serious, pun intended. Sticker shock comes secondary, with the Epi-pens. About 10 years ago it was $300 dollars for a two-pack, I can only imagine it's higher by now. Glad your wife had the foresight to bring it along, and that the kind folks next to you had Benadryl. you take care, ya hear?
 
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Pretty scary thing, anaphylaxis, and it is dead serious, pun intended. Sticker shock comes secondary, with the Epi-pens. About 10 years ago it was $300 dollars for a two-pack, I can only imagine it's higher by now. Glad your wife had the foresight to bring it along, and that the kind folks next to you had Benadryl. you take care, ya hear?
not sure what they go for now but I believe that is one of those meds that big pharma increased the price by 500% in 7 years, in 2016 they were over $600

That is pretty scary, Clif. Glad everything worked out okay for you.
Thanks me too!
 
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