July 3, 2015Sasha

Got any Bee Killer?

Just don’t be saying, “I Told You so!”….

About a month ago, I got bee stung at a birthday party and my leg swole (swelled?) blew up to a beautiful heart-shaped red whelp and when I posted that lovely sight (sorry about anyone who looked at that close up picture and said W. T. H.??), 99.99% of y’all said, “WHOA~you are allergic and need to get an EpiPen for the next time”.  The .1% agreed it sure was a pretty heart.  (If you weren’t able to view that beautiful sight and would like a visual, here’s the link: here)

So last night when Mac suggested we go out to dinner (what? Cereal wasn’t a good option?), I was ready, willing and able. We chose a place downtown that had outdoor seating because the weather was perfect and we could get a table.

After eating and paying our bill, I leaned back in my chair and promptly felt a sting right above my arm pit. The little bastard that stung me had flown up in my shirt and just as quickly flew away after the sting.  And thanks, Mr. Bee…right above my arm pit is a GREAT place.  Can I tell you how happy I am that I shaved my pits today?

I turned to Mac and said, “I just got bee stung”.

I put my hands on the table, realized they were feeling funny and told him I didn’t feel too good. Because we live in 2015, he whipped out his phone and looked up the symptoms for ‘allergic to bee stings’.

Maybe 1 minute had passed, and he said, “Oh I don’t think you’re allergic, because you would have gone into anaphylactic shock already.”

After I stared at him for 2 seconds, I said, “I need to go to the E/R, I feel really funny.” Luckily for his future, he agreed.

I stood…walked 2 steps away from the table and went down like a 10 pound sack of Southern Flour. Mac managed to catch me and because we were in a very public place, I am told many people rushed over to help. Mac dialed 911, and since we were less than a mile from a hospital and the fire station, EMT’s were there in about 4 minutes.

When I woke up, a very nice lady was holding my hand and talking to me. There were lots of faces hovering and, an ice-cold cloth on my head and offers of Benadryl and an expired EpiPen (declined…because Mac was on the phone with 911 and they said, NONONONONO).

The EMT’s arrived, and did the stuff they do. Because of the confusion, they thought maybe I had tripped, but someone finally said, “BEE STING”. Which prompted a search for the bee sting, and in hindsight, that was pretty funny. I said “ARM” and they began that search. I wasn’t really coherent yet so was absolutely no damn help except to gesture to Mac who was standing there pretty wide-eyed, but was able to point out where the little bastard stung me.

After hoisting me into the stretcher thing and taking me to the ambulance (my FIRST ambulance ride at 52!), they started an IV, gave me some Benadryl, pain meds and oxygen. The numbness in my feet and hands was a concern, and off to the hospital we went.

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, asked me what kind of bee it was.  I had no idea.  The stinging kind?   Finally I just started saying, “A Bastard Bee”……  So now I’m wondering if I’m the only one on the planet that doesn’t know how to identify bees.  Dayum….I need to put that on my list….

After 4 hours in the E/R, and many, many more drugs, we got home at 1:00 am this morning, with a prescription for pain meds and an EpiPen, but first I need to see my regular doctor, so I’ll have a clue as to what to do next time.

In the meantime, if you need me, I’ll be inside. With a can of Raid and Wasp Killer beside me. And a shot of Whiskey just in case…

And now, I’d like to say a few words to some people I don’t even know:

  • To the lady that was RIGHT there when I woke up ~ Thanks. You were very pretty and had beautiful eyes. And soft hands….what lotion do you use?
  • To the lady I know from business meetings but haven’t seen in a while ~ Thank you for comforting Tater and standing right beside her until Mac and she left for the E/R. Whatever it is you sell, I need to buy some of it.
  • To the EMT guys ~ Thanks for laughing when I answered “old and fat” when you asked if I had any other medical issues. But that ride you’re driving is rougher than a wagon on a washed out dirt road. Just sayin’….
  • To the E/R Staff ~ Thanks for being there and doing what you do. Every Damn Day.

PS ~ There aren’t any pics for this post because I was too out of it to even take ONE.  And you KNOW that’s bad!

33 comments

  1. Thank goodness you’re OK. But your style and humor through ALL the things that pop up in your life are priceless! Thank you for sharing them with us 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  2. Oh my goodness! I am so glad you are okay!!
    We were at a holiday bazaar and a bee landed on the middle finger of my left hand and since my other hand was holding a beautiful glass vase I had been admiring I started waving my left hand up and down to shake it off. I guess he wanted to hold on tight, so he promptly stuck his ‘stinger’ in!!
    Holy moly that hurt so bad (quite a few colorful words came rushing out if my mouth) Someone used a business card to scrape off the venom sack and stinger. Some vendor gave me an ice pack and I wandered over to the nice fireman/EMT’s who had a booth set up and had them take a look. Thank God I didn’t have a reaction, took benadryl for a couple of days…still don’t like to be around bees! Keep that epi-pen close by.

    Like

    Reply

  3. That is scary and yes, you need an Epi-pen with you at all times. Don’t be foolish–keep one in your purse, one in the glove compartment of your car, a couple in your house. In other words, have several. It is entirely possible you might never have a problem again, but you just never know. Many years ago we were at a cookout with friends, our older son (was 6 or 7) was outside standing with the men who were doing something (whatever men do when they are standing around with beers in their hands!!). At any rate, someone stepped on a ground nest of bees. The host was stung probably 15 times as they went up his pant legs. Others were stung as well. About 10 minutes or so later my son’s face started to swell, his tongue was swollen and we rushed him to the hospital–he had ONE beesting. No one else – even with multiple bites – had a reaction. He had been stung by bees before and nothing had ever happened. What made that different? We never knew. But from that point on, I was like a maniac with the epi-pens. Had them everywhere. Funny thing was he was stung a few times later on over the years with absolutely no reaction. He is 44 now and I would bet big money he never takes precautions anymore. I used to get him to at least keep benedryl with him at all times……….but now?

    Like

    Reply

    • Cyn ~ Holy Crap!! Yes, I will keep it with me at all times….I am already scared enough! And that would have FREAKED me out to have it happen to my child. And everyone keeps telling me you just never know, the next one could be fatal or at least much worse. Thanks for your story…and can you sneak an Epipen in that now grown man’s stuff?? 😀

      Like

      Reply

  4. Wow, thank goodness you were with Mac and others when this happened. You would not have been writing such a great blog post if this had happened elsewhere. I don’t usually comment but sure do enjoy your FB posts and blog posts so felt the need to let you know, so you will keep an up-to-date epi pen with you AT ALL TIMES.

    Like

    Reply

    • Mary Jane ~ Yes. I am a little scared thinking if it had just been me and Tater. Of course, if we were in public, someone would have called 911, but they might not have known I was stung and I don’t know what they would have done with her!! And that EpiPen will ALWAYS be with me!

      Like

      Reply

  5. I got stung twice on Tuesday morn, then 3 times on Wednesday morn. Bastard wasps! I’m now carrying “death wasp spray” every time I go out to feed critters. Really glad you’re ok Sasha!

    Like

    Reply

    • CJ ~ Thanks. AND thanks on the site ~ I like it, too. It’s still a work in progress and I have someone working on it, but I wanted to change it and see how I liked this format! Much cleaner to me and easier to read!

      Like

      Reply

  7. Dang sistahgirl.. you cant even do bee stings in a quiet demure way! lol
    Glad it all turned out well, but dang.. what a night! And no, ambulances (ambuli?) are not known for comfort, which is exactly what you want when you are strapped to a gurney dying, or wishing you were dying. You’d think by now they’d have fixed that problem!!
    #thankgodformac

    Like

    Reply

  8. Glad you’re okay, but you might want to consider a different perfume for bee season, clearly they like yours a little too much!!

    Like

    Reply

    • Mary Ellen ~ I LOVE my perfume, and I hate to think about NOT wearing it but if you say….Hey, that might kill you…Yeah, I can let it go. 🙂

      Like

      Reply

  9. Please tell me you had a margarita, so the bee/wasp little snit had alcohol to kill it!!!! Glad you are better! 🍹🐝🍹

    Like

    Reply

  10. So glad you are ok!! It is silly to think that you would have taken the time to examine and know what bit you!! Glad you got much help!!

    Like

    Reply

  12. That’s really scary! I’m glad you’re better and got the help you needed. Stupid bees!

    Like

    Reply

  13. So glad you are feeling better. I’m going to knock on wood as I have never been stung in 72 years😜
    In a couple of days I am sure Tater will be sharing her experience with anybody who will listen.

    Like

    Reply

    • Me, too!! And good for you…I hadn’t been stung in years either, the first time in a lONG time was last year on my toe. Then I’m 2 for 2 this year and hope it’s the LAST!! And oh yeah…I can just hear it now: My Sasha passed out while we were having dinner. Yeah, I think she had a margarita…. 😀

      Like

      Reply

  14. I am so glad you are ok and right away I was wondering if Tater was with. Also happy someone was there to comfort her. Boy you must be a pretty tasty woman for the bees to bite you this summer!

    Like

    Reply

  15. Glad you are better! I got stung last year under arm above the pit. I made it worse by trying to dig out the stinger. found out later a wasp does not leave the stinger!

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment