Had to go to the ER for two bee stings last night.

I was working my hives and got stung in the thumb (my fault I squished the bee) then when I was done and took off my veil a bee came straight at me and stung me in the temple.

I have been stung a bunch, probably at least a dozen times this year (twice just last week) and had no problems but local swelling. Anybody else had a bad reaction? Did you have a bad reaction each subsequent sting?

Is the Thumb particularly bad spot? Direct route for venom?

I had a friend who was stung in the thumb by a yellow jacket. I happened to be late to work that day. He started having difficulty, drove him to the hospital (he passed out on the way). They had a priest give him his last rites, was in a coma for five days but survived. The ER doctor had just returned from a bee sting clinic the day before, so she had all the latest treatment techniques fresh in her mind. The clinical pharmacist was working stocking shelves and knew exactly where the bee sting meds were and was authorized to administer them. If I had not been late (which was one of three times in five years) he would have been dead before he even got to the hospital. A lot of things had to line up to save his life and I am glad they did!!!

That situation got me a little scared, so after I took my Benadryl and still felt chest tightness and throat swelling I went in!!!

Dirk, with age I have found lots of things change. When I was a kid I was litterally invinceable (as far as allergys and sickness) yes I spent many a summer day at the clinic being sewed up or splinted up. However I was rarely sick and never showed signs of an allergic reaction. If I got a sniffle my old man would pop a few cc's of Pen G in my backside (probably have CPS at the door these days for that lol) and I was fine. I attended a small 3 room school through the 5th grade and when the chicken pox came around it went through there like wild fire, my brother and I were the only 2 out of around 70 kids that didn't get it. I got the chicken pox at 30, liked to killed me too and its sort of been down hill from there. I'm fighting allergys even as I write this, itchy eyes and nasal congestion. I think when I was young we ate home cooking every meal and drank well water, we might have went out to eat 3-4 times a year. We were healthy because of that I believe so our immune system was strong. Still to this day pen doesn't affect me and I'm sure if I wanted to I could eat a poison ivy salad but the little things are starting. I would guess at this rate by 55 I will get everything.

I took 11 stings from yellow jackets a few years ago, ever since if I get stung the area blows up like a balloon and I am itchy for a week. From what I have been told it is our immune system over reacting.

It is an over reaction of the body's histamine that causes anaphylaxis. The reasons are still poorly understood. An individual can go for years with zero reaction to a stimuli but completely out of the blue the next exposure can trigger full blown anaphylaxis. I've known beeks of decades of experience without reaction suddenly develop life threatening reactions from a single sting.
What is known is that it is almost impossible to have a bad reaction on the very first exposure as the body first has to experience an exposure to form the antigens that will trigger the histamine response on later exposures. Also they may be other variables that trigger anaphylaxis as there are known cases where further exposures did not trigger the same serious reaction. Generally though it is assumed that one life threatening reaction is cause to believe any future exposures can be as dangerous or worse. This is why those who experience a bad reaction should carry an epipen.

Excellent topic Dirk! Outside of vehicle accidents, I think my next biggest concern is getting scratched or bitten and just shrugging

it off because it has happened so many times before. And Travis, as long as you brought up the chicken pox thing, I can't say this

enough, those that need it, GET YOUR SHINGLES SHOT !!

Same deal with Poison Ivy!

Both brothers carry a pen, when I used to be a landscraper (misspelled with intent) I received just about
all the stings from wasps I've ever had in 42 years, they loved the underside of juniper plants in pots
and I couldn't seem to slow down to look. While the first couple were just painful, eventually I had one
that gave me a feeling all the way up the arm and into the upper part of my chest. Never happened
again, but enough to make you stop and think (and plant slower!).

Now poison ivy! Just say the words and I start itching... Where I grew up in upstate NY I found every patch
I could to be sure I really experienced the worst of it! Remember getting it during winter too in my 20's cutting
firewood in the snow. Good times! Don't miss it!

Allergies are definitely no joke...

That's how my wife is HD, she's got it from doing my laundry before. My boy got it this summer and I almost accused my wife of messing around (joke). I said he can't be a real Wolford, I've never known one of us to get it ever.

I have been stung dozens of times with no problem, but got stung several years ago and had a very bad reaction. Itched everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Called the wife from work and by the time she got there I was having trouble breathing. Got to the hospital and the doctor said if I had waited another half an hour I would have died. He said the venom from the bee stings stay's in your fatty tissue and can have an accumlitive affect. Know I have to carry an epypen. Took a few weeks before I would go back into the woods, but just couldn't stay away.

Thanks for all the response!!! I guess age catches us all even though I thought I was going to be invincible forever!!!

Got my epipen two pack yesterday. $519, $349 with insurance, found a $100 coupon on line.

I will be back in my bees today, but I will be wearing my full suit and gloves this time.

Have a doctors apt too but I'm not getting rid of the bees til I talk with him and see if there is something I can do about this. I just started back up with keeping bees after about 30 years and I am enjoying it more than anything! I don't want to give up the bee work I've been getting either.

Wow, geez, sorry to hear that, Dirk. Glad to see yer OK; pretty interesting stuff.

Dirk; if you are eligible for treatment at the VA you can get the Eppipens for 8.00. I always keep them on hand but have never needed one. I think I smell to bad for the girls to want to sting me.

Histo,

Thanks for that info.

According to the Army I am a disabled vet. Though I argued quite a bit about it, they still decided I needed a medical separation.

In 2011 or maybe '12, went to the VA for the first time since I got out of the service, and they wouldn't do anything until I got a new Card. I still have the old one with the triangle on it and no pic. Well, turns out the person who issues the new cards was unavailable so I went back about a month later. Then I was told I needed to see a doctor for an eval before they would issue a new card. That was going to take another lengthy wait.

After sitting and dealing with the "individual" (to make this uncensored) who was trying to "help" me (and had fifteen air wick scent thingys in her office making me want to puke) I got fed up and left. Haven't been back.

However, if the Epipens are available for that type of price, as much as I hate to do it, I may have to suckle up to that government teat.

As noted in the news for a while, the VA has had it's share of admin problems. DO NOT LET THIS GO! If your service connected, You have EARNED the services of the VAMC. Make a special trip to the nearest VA Hospital and if anybody givs you crap instead of what you need, ask for the Patient Advocate, and the Vet Rep. They should be able to dig through the crap and get you help.

Dirk, I guess we were cast from the same mold. My hearing is pitiful and everyone says, "Go to the VA." I figure if I go, they'll

just give me the same stupid hearing aids that increase the background noise. Besides, I find "selective hearing" works really great

when the boss has a complaint that I really don't want to hear about. Like the fact that we have been married a lot of years and I

have never been able to remember the date. I am not a whizz-bang on dates but you would think that since our wedding was a rousing

success ( Her mother never showed up ) I would remember it. No way! I know that it was in August and that there was a 2 involved.

Other than that, I'm at a complete loss. If any of you were there, and can remember the date, let me know!

You guys were no help at all. Today was my anniversary and I missed it for the 46th year in a row. Now please try to remember it for next year; or do I have to call Poppy Montgomery on "Unforgettable?"

I can remember this date for ya Paul. Its my 2 cousins birthday, not twins just born the same day 1yr apart. Its been typical for me to be Alans savings account leading up to this date, for bail money just in case. Its had to be used more than once, kinda the family joke. So since he woke up hung over in the woods and not jail we have a bail money surplus if you need it!!! Unfortunately the dog house isn't jail, money won't get you out....well maybe a lot of it will lol

Travis, as hard as it may be to believe, I have never been incarcerated. Not that I didn't deserve it, it's just that I could run

really fast when the adrenalin kicked in. Anyway, a really new customer called today and knowing that he was actually older than me,

I relayed the anniversary story. Well, this guy and his bride look absolutely great and they have been happily married for 61 years!

After hearing the conversation, my wife added, "Yeah, and I bet he remembers the date, too."