Hello group,


Let's see where do I start? My name is Sarah, 33 I live in Chicago
IL USA. I was stung on 05 August 2003 in Chattanooga TN. while on
vacation. That day radically changed my life forever. My husband,
myself and another couple took a long weekend break in Chattanooga.
The first day we toured the mountains , the second day we did bumper
boats and go carts, it was that evening that I was stung. After
supper we headed back to the hotel and took a swim.

It was about 6:30PM. we got out of the pool for a smoke then a few
minutes later a lone Red Wasp came out of nowhere. I have had
reactions in the past but none as severe as this day. I remember
hearing a crunching sound on my neck swatting the wasp and stepping
on him with my flip flops. I said to my husband who was still in the
pool "I just got stung" He said " do you need your needle?" My reply
was "no, I don't think so". Within seconds I said "GET MY NEEDLE"
Then I told my friend to call 911 and told her husband to get me a
coke. It was a mess, my husband panicked as did my friend. Her
husband stayed calm and fortunately had some training from when he
was in the Army.

Well me being the rocket scientist that I am (not) left my needle
in the hotel room on the fourth floor. So my husband had to run about
a city block to the door of the hotel then run up four flights of
stairs, as kids were playing on the elevator. Once he got in the room
he just dumped my purse contents on the bed until he located my epi-
pen. Ran back down the stairs and back to me. In the meantime Diane
was still trying to get the front desk clerk on the pool phone to
call 911.

While all that commotion was going on I, at this point had already
passed out. The last thing I remember was asking for a coke then
seeing the pool deck , which I landed on my forehead.

Shane, Diane's husband told me he turned me on my left side and
held my head because I started having seizure's and began to foam at
my mouth. I did this he said for about one minute he also told me I
said before I stopped shaking I said "tell Rodney (my husband) I love
him" Then I stopped. Shane could not get a pulse. About 30 seconds
after my heart stopped my husband gave me my injection to have no
response. The paramedics arrived at this point. Once the paramedics
arrived they difibulated me twice then injected more adrenaline. My
heart was beating again. They lifted me on the gurney but before they
got me on the gurney they dropped me on the back of my head. I was
very slippery since I was wet and had sun lotion on.

I was touch and go in the ambulance. I remember smelling nail
polish remover. I later found out they remove nail polish to check
some vitals by your nail. The medics told me I said "I can't die I
have not had kids yet". I do know I want children , I guess I really
want them if that was what was on my mind.

Upon arriving at the hospital, my heart stopped again. I was told
doctors worked on me for about 15 minutes until I was stable. Later I
remember waking up with the bed tilted my head was pointed towards
the floor and doctors rushed in. The bed was tilted to help bring up
my blood pressure. I went unconscious again. Later I remember asking
if I was going to die and a nurse said "no baby your going to be
ok" , I asked her to stay. Later I woke up again I heard somebody
say her temperature is up to 87 degrees Fahrenheit and blood
pressure is 20 over 40. I went unconscious again. Several hours had
passed and I finally woke up from this nightmare. I felt like I was
hit by a truck. With in six hours I was discharged from the hospital
with instructions to follow up with a heart doctor.

After picking up some prescriptions at the drug store we went back
to the hotel. The next morning I got up and everybody wanted to go
home but I insisted that we go to the aquarium since I wanted to see
the seahorse exhibit. What was I thinking? I was completely exhausted
after the aquarium then we went back towards Nashville Tennessee
where our friends live.

Now I go for weekly desentization treatments of venom protein for
yellow jackets, white faced hornets and wasps. This treatment for
most people lasts eight weeks then followed by monthly boosters.
Well , I have been going for 18 weeks and I am only on week six,
since my sensitivity is so severe. I had bad reactions in the
beginning of the treatments and still have had some in the past few
weeks, they seem to be getting worse. I get so sick to my stomach for
a few days. My blood pressure drops and I get intense itching and
swelling to the point where my arms look like thighs and my breathing
gets difficult. Also all of my joints get really stiff and ache. I
have had several delayed reactions where the prescribed me steroids.
I am confident with my treatments, their office is equipped with all
the life saving needs but I am still fearful. My biggest concern is
what happens if I get stung again? Everything happened so fast , will
I have time to use my pen? Do I have to have a "babysitter" in the
bee season? I am an outdoor person will I have to be holed up in my
house from March to October? I love my garden and the outdoors , what
if the treatment doesn't work? There is hardly any information out on
the net. Are there alternatives to the shots? The worst feeling is
the uncertainty of what happens if I get stung again. I feel like a
big baby when I think about this stuff.

It is hard for me to talk about this with other's who don't quit
understand. I had a huge wake-up call when this happen to me. I re-
evaluated my life and where it was going, I knew I needed to take
advantage of my second chance. I do not do anything bad but I needed
to make some major changes. A little reminder fell out of my truck
the other day and I have not stopped thinking about it since. What
happened was when I opened my door a huge wasp fell out of course it
was dead or hibernating since it is winter but it was huge like a
ping pong ball. It looked like a yellow jacket but was way to big. I
am afraid to talk about what was going on while I was unconscious for
fear people will think I am nuts. Have any of you had
an "experience"? I have been wanting to write a thank you for saving
my life note to the paramedics and doctors but I can't really talk
about it. This is the first time I have actually sat down and wrote
the whole thing. I am grateful there is this website out here to help
answer some questions. I do apologized for this being so long, I
just wanted to give a background. Thanks for your time and I look
forward hearing back from people.

Sarah