I am lucky to be alive!

[RichardT]

The Parametics just left 15 minutes ago. I had a little yellow jacket land in my hair and sting my scalp. I have never been allergic before so I figured it would just hurt and go away. 15 minutes later I was in full blown shock. My wife called 911. I had hives all over my body and was swollen up bad. My face looked like I had rubbed poisen ivy all over it. My chest hurt and I had a difficult time breathing, I iched under my arms and my groin and more. My lips felt like I got punched hard. The paemetics showed up and took my pulse and could not find one. The monitor showed my pressure was extremely low. They gave me a shot of epinephrin and a shot of benadril. It took a little while but I started to get a little better. Now I am just ugly (from hives) and a little stiff but I am getting better. I decieded not to got to the hospital as all they would just monitor me. If anything gets worse I will call 911 again and go to the hospital.

I am lucky to be alive.
I never knew I could be allergic and if my wife was not here I probably would have layed down and died.

RichardT

[TomW]

Glad to hear you're okay, Richard.

Thanks to your wife, it looks like you will make it Rivet Master!

Tom

[zoeb nj]

wow--what a lucky break that your wife was there!


It's an interesting thing about allergies that they can start up at any time--I was listening to a researcher discuss them on NPR yesterday and that was one of the points--also they don't know why one person has a sensitivity and another doesn't.

When I was a kid I used to take money at camp to sit in poson ivy--never a sign of it--then suddenly in my 20s I started getting it terribly--an still use this as an excuse to not cut grass.

[driftwood]

RichardT,

What a scare. Your description even had me breathing hard.

Glad you're all right! I wish you a rapid recovery.

Besides, Tom's correct ... gotta make Rivet Master.

[sarmimi]

A possible prevention for the "next time" (which, hopefully there won't be one!) is to try acupuncture. My father had very serious seasonal hayfever allergies for about 15 years - so bad that he couldn't go outside in the spring and even had to wear a mask indoors. After trying all that western medicine had to offer at the time, he tried an acupuncturist. After spending a lot of time discussing his allergies, the acupuncturist worked on my father, and voila! he had no more allergies for about a year. My father simply goes back about once a year for treatment and has been allergy free for 6 years now. Of course, each of us is individual so what works for him may not work for everyone, but it is worth a try!

Glad to hear your are safe Richard! Speedy recovery to you!

[bdogz]

from your doctor. If any of this comes back on you later today, they may give you steroids so sit tight, stay on the benedryl and don't hesitate to go to the ER or call your regular doc.

From now on, you will need to keep an Epipen on you or with you at all times. This is a self injection syringe/pen with epinephrine so you can inject yourself in an emergency.

Kudos to your wife for swift action.

[str8strm]

I am surprised the paramedics let you stay at home, the epinephrine can wear off rather quickly and you could end up in worse shape then you started. You should go see your personal MD and get a couple of epinephrine pens that you can keep various places and teach your family how to give you a shot. ( you should learn too!) glad you are ok and were near by medical help

[john hd]

get your doctor to give you a scrip for an epi-pen and keep it with you always.

i had to give a coworker a shot after we got into some hornets under a transformer. not pretty as you well know.

keeping genaric benedryl in your trailer's first aid kit may not be a bad idea either.

john

[Alden Miller]

I second the motion for a presctiption for an EPI Pen! My wife works in an allergist office, tells me stories all the time. Now that you have had that kind of reaction you need to make sure you have one of those available!

-Alden

[summerkid]

Rich, don't scare us like that ... we'd miss you. i wonder whether i need to take first-aid measures since i keep bees & can't stay away from insects in general. i've been stung a dozen times in one bad outing but just found it to be a nuisance. and i react less to wasp stings than to mosquito bites. could that just change in one scary instant?

oh, and zoeb, poison ivy is an allergy that builds. despite individual tolerance levels, everyone eventually develops a reaction after enough exposure. and it has the half life of nuclear waste. i've read that the single biggest workers' comp payout by the forest service is for firefighters who inhale the smoke from burning poison ivy. think how horrific THAT must feel.

[maxandgeorgia]

Glad you are with us, Richard! We have had a similarly scary situation. Our oldest son, who has some disabilities and lives with us, kept bees when in his teens. He has always been fascinated with and fooled around with them. About five years ago, to support his interest and activity, we had 2 hives set up on the edge of our woods. One day, who knows why, I was moved to head home immediately after school was out rather than waiting til later as I normally did. I got home, could not find Steve, but finally did find him out back by the hives, one side of him covered by the bees who had become angered when he opened a hive. Everything runs together in my memory, but I recall getting him up to the house, hosing and smoking the bees off, getting him out of his clothes and in the house, picking out the stingers, and then noticing how labored his breathing became and how blotchy red his skin had become. By the time I called 911, he had gone into shock. We have since gotten rid of all bees, he leaves them alone now (!), and we have the Epipen for any return problems. Best wishes! This allergic reaction is unpredictable, but once you've had it, stay prepared. ~G

Richard, very scary! My son is also allergic to bee stings. Don't know for sure but drop for drop I hear it's more potent than rattle snake venom. Glad to hear that you're O.K.

[Ken J]

Richard

Glad to hear you are Ok - had no idea you get such an allergic reaction.

Stay well!

Ken J.

[2airishuman]

i agree get a couple of epi pens and keep them in different locations. ALSO carry a script for more dose's so you can get more should the others be damaged/dated and for travel.

whille the paramedics cannot make anyone go in, if you have any other health problems not going in "just to be monitored" is really dangerous.......ok i'll say it.....stupid. i know lots of folks are affraid of the hospital or don't want them to find other stuff, or can't afford it, but........while it would be an effort for you.....expecting the medics to respond again....is just expensive, dangerous (maybe they'll be delayed) and keeps them from helping others....ok i'll stop preaching.

poison ivy is not an allergy in the same way that most allergies manafest. but the body only has so many ways to react and the reactions look similar....inhaled burning poison ivy is more like mustard gas exposure than an allergic reaction.

stings to the head/face/neck very often produce these dramatic reactions even if no previous history of bee reactions. a single sting to a more distant part may or may not be worse now....but keep the epi pens nearby.

using them should not be automatic in older folks or if you have other health problems....so see your regular doc soon.....of course if you HAD gone in they may have given you more meds, the pens, the scripts and so on.....

i learned and included accupuncture in my western medical practice.....so i know it's value, but the idea that this bee sting could be treated or prevented with more needles......well that's silly.

reminds me of a far side cartoon on the history of accupuncture. a cave man threw a small spear and brought down a mastodon.......his partner said "woaaaaah dude we better remember that spot!"

cheers
2air'

[juel]

The Epi Pen is your best defense. Get the scrip from your doctor and keep the pen or pens near you "always". Also keep benadryl on hand and take two 25mg caps the minute you get stung by anything in the insect family. This may give you time to get to the phone or get someone to call 911 for you. Epi pens are a little scary and can have side effects, so get some good instructions from your doctor and read the instructions that come with the pen carefully. Don't be shy about using the pen when or if the time comes.

[Towster]

Richard,

I had the same thing happen to me about twelve years ago. Even if you don't go to the hospital - go to Urgent care or call your regular doctor for a consultation.

They put me on decreasing course of cortisteroids (sp?) over eight days to help deal with the after effects of anaphylactic shock. (Swelling, hives, rash, etc.) I felt and looked like I'd been hit by a truck. Besides an epi-pen, I also carry liquid benedryl everywhere I go (liquid absorbs faster) and a venom extraction kit. I do alot of gardening and all these things have saved me several times over.

Also, when you get stung - TAKE ANY RINGS OFF IMMEDIATELY!!

Virginia

[robandzoe]

RichardT, I'd also not get rid of any more of those horseshoes.

Glad to hear the wife was nearby...

Maybe it's Bee Cave...not Bat!

Stay healthy!

Rob

[TomW]

Originally Posted by RichardT

... If anything gets worse I will call 911 again and go to the hospital...

I'm about ready to hear from the Bat Cave again. {imagine a "concerned" emoticon here}

Tom

[Over59]

So that wasn't much fun. Good thing your lungs were cleaned up. Fact is allergies can increase of decrease when you stop smoking. For most the grass ones decrease alot. Whiteface hornet stings late August are about as bad as it gets and they are real aggressive now. Lots of those heartattacks on the Golf course are in fact from hornet stings when they stand on or near the nest. Do you have the pens yet. Also get a medic necklase. You were very lucky. Must be all that Karma

[sd90mac]

Richard,

I'm sure glad you are ok, but I agree with getting to the Dr. and getting a prescription for an epi-pen.
Our body and it's chemistry changes as we get older, so what you may not have been allergic before, but may be now.
Feel better soon.
Marie