Didn't receive treatment for allergic reaction: Was I neglected?

by Ronald M.
(Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)

I am an adult male that was raised in an alcoholic home. When I was 4 or 5, I had an allergic reaction to penicillin. It caused significant swelling in my lower face and neck region. I was under the impression that I was taken to the hospital, but my mother told me I was mistaken. She told me she made several phone calls (one of whom she revealed was to poison control?) trying to figure out what to do. I asked why she or Dad didn't take me to the hospital and her response was when you were small, I had you to the hospital so many times, that if someone told me to, I would have taken you. That's word for word. I was told about a previous trip to the hospital on an unrelated matter a year or 2 before that resulted in a visit by Child Protective Services; the doctor/nurses suspected abuse. What do you think? Does this constitute a form of neglect?

Note from Darlene: Ronald, I owe you an explanation. Yesterday, after answering your previous question Is it sexual abuse when parents have sex in front of a child? and posting it live on my site, I inadvertently hit the wrong button in my submission library with regard to the question in this post. The end result was a built page on a question that I hadn't yet answered. I immediately deleted that newly built page since I was not in a position to provide you with an in-depth answer at that time, but I could not prevent you from being pinged through the automated notification process—I do not have access to this automated system. You could not find the answer because of my error, and I could not get back to you before now due to a sudden medical emergency. I'm very sorry for any inconvenience this caused you.

My answer to this Ask Darlene question "Didn't receive treatment for allergic reaction: Was I neglected?" can be found at Comments below this submission. Depending on system activity, there are sometimes delays in comments going live on my site; but rest assured, they do eventually appear. So if you don't yet see them, I hope you will return later to read what I, and possibly others, have written. I thank you for your patience and understanding.

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