Published: Thursday, 25th June, 2009 11:38am

Woman hails "miracle" after fish supper nearly kills her

Comments (0) | Print | Email

Pic by: Dunfermline Press

A WEST Fife woman who cheated death by five minutes after suffering an allergic reaction to a fish supper has described her harrowing escape as 'a miracle'.

A day out to celebrate the longest day on Sunday turned into a nightmare for Anne McDonald (55), of The Byres, Rosyth.

Her husband Colin had gone to the famous Anstruther Fish Bar on Sunday night – but things started to go wrong when they tucked into their meal.

She told the Press, 'We sat in the car to eat our fish and chips and while eating I felt my hands start to itch but I didn"t think anything about it. I have had fish before and I have been fine.

'When my husband went back into the shop to get us ice-cream, my glands started to swell and I started to feel a bit unwell.

"But I thought it would just pass and when I had the ice-cream it would cool me down. I just had no idea.'

The couple then headed home but decided to turn right onto a B-road heading towards Crail rather than left heading towards Dunfermline.

Anne continued, 'We were only a few minutes into the road when my tongue swelled up and I couldn"t breathe and I thought, I am in absolute serious trouble.

"It had never happened to me before and as we were driving along I thought maybe I was having a heart attack.

"I was absolutely terrified – my whole body was shaking.'

Despite her difficulties, Anne did not say anything to her husband, as she knew 'he would panic and we were miles from anywhere'.

She said, 'I tried to keep it from him but as soon as he realised what was going on, I could see the terror in his face.

"But then out of the corner of my eye I saw an ambulance by the side of the road and that"s when I told him, you need to stop, I"m in trouble.

'I didn"t realise the severity of my situation until the ambulance guys told me five minutes more and I would have been dead. They caught me just in time.'

Anne was given treatment but her condition was so serious an airlift was considered.

However, she recovered sufficiently to be taken to Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, by ambulance.

She said, 'The doctor said it was very unusual to get such a serious first-time allergic reaction – it"s usually nuts but fish is known for it as well.'

She is now getting tested for allergies and has been told to carry anti-histamines with her.

Calling the experience 'a miracle', Anne said, 'I was told it"s not often at all they are called out to that area – they were there that night to attend to a gentleman who had food poisoning.

'The fact that we took the right turn and the fact that the ambulance was there – it"s just fate.

"I am lucky to be here today.

"I never got a chance to thank the ambulance guys. They do an amazing job.'