Hi, so sorry to hear about your ordeal, but welcome to the group, I was
also stung in July of 2003 and had a similar reaction, but went to the
ER as my blood pressure was so low, (60/40 after the adrenaline shot in
the hospital). I am also only allergic to wasps and hornets, not bees!
I started with immunotherapy in September and after 24 weeks am still
only at about 1/1000th of a sting. Left arm for wasps/yellow jackets,
right arm for hornets. I have had a lot of reactions, swelling,
feeling flu like, hives, rashes, etc. as I am sure everyone else has
had. I am a little nervous because I am heading to France next week to
go on a climbing trip for three weeks, and am hoping the little
critters aren't out there yet. Everyone with me knows how to say that
I am allergic in French, just hoping we don't need to use it!! I am
getting a shot the day I leave, at the same level as this week, and
then the day after I get back I will go back down a little, I guess 21
days is the limit for leaving you at the same level, and I think that I
am like 23 days. Wish me luck, I refuse to change my life for the
little vespid bastards!! I have 4 epis, and I know where the hospitals
are. Good luck to everyone as the season approaches! Carolyn
On Feb 28, 2004, at 1:50 PM, maxboots1 wrote:

> Hey Ya'll
> I'm so glad I've found You guys!
> I feel like I've been living in the 'twilight zone'. Like I'm all
> alone.
> True, I am by myself alot. My husband and I live in a rural area, in
> NW LA., on  3 acres of land.(no close neighbors) My husband works
> fulltime, and I'm a fulltime homemaker, gardener and momma of an old
> yellow dog and three ducks.
> I've always loved every part of nature, I feed the birds, have
> bluebird houses, and a purple martin house. I garden extensively, and
> have always loved it......Until.
> 24 July 2003...I was pushmowing around our pond, when extreme pain
> hit me. I knew what it was because I had been stung on the back of
> the hand the month before while pushmowing in that same area.
> This time however I knew something was Wrong.
> Yellow Jackets!
> They got me on the back of each hand(thru my gloves) and on the back
> of each leg(on the calf, thru my jeans).They were on my shoes. I
> stopped the mower, and slowly walked away. Trying to stay calm, I
> leaned against the fence and took one foot, then the other, to
> sweep/crush them off my shoes.
> The pain, something was so wrong. My hands and feet were hurting and
> then the itching started, everywhere! My eyes and top lip started
> swelling. The itching started feeling like more stings! I Ran to the
> house. I was about a football field away. I got there and in a panic
> started taking off all my clothes. I thought for sure 'they' were
> still on me. They were no longer on me but I had broken out into
> hives Every where.
> Swelling up everywhere, I figured I better call my DH at work and see
> if he could come home to help me. I asked him to stop at the
> pharmacy, for some benadryl(I knew my Mom took it for stings).
> Dumb me, I didn't go to the doctor until the next day.(course, I
> never did fall asleep, I think I was to scared)
> Thank God, I never did have trouble breathing! My Internal medicine
> doctor told me I was extremely lucky. He gave me shots of some kind
> in my hip. Gave me a 'scrip' for 2 epi pens, and advise me to Never
> get stung again! How nice of him!
> Thanks to the internet, I knew about venom immunotherapy, so I got a
> referral. Boy, I failed that skin test big time, the doc had all
> those vials ready and I only made it thru one round! The honeybee was
> my only friend!
> Sixteen weeks of a shot of wasp in the left arm, a fire ant in the
> left arm; and in the right arm is a 'cocktail' of yellow jacket, gold
> hornet and white hornet. Then we skipped one week, then two weeks,
> then three weeks, now I'm at once a month....Except for the fire ant.
> I'm on my 23rd weekly fire ant, and I still have 12 more weeklys.
> Early in the weekly therapy, every time there was an increase in
> venom I would get bad reactions. So the doc said 'we' would take it
> slow.
> Sorry this is so long.
> How do I deal with the Fear! I Have to be outside, but I find myself
> doing more 'house' work than ever before. Gardening season really
> never comes to an 'end' down here. I am behind in alot of outside
> work. It will be grass mowing time in March. I'm scared, and I really
> shouldn't be. There's not much of a 'winter' here. On sunny days, the
> honeybees and wasp come out, their kind of half a sleep and will land
> on you. You don't even hear them. I just 'freak' out.
> I'm up two stings in my therapy, so these guys can not kill me!
> Do I just need more time? It helps to 'hear' what ya'll have been
> through. I feel like such a 'wimp'.
> It just seems so unfair! I had no idea something like this could
> happen. I'm so mad but so stupidly scared.
> I will get through this. I Will!
> Thanks, Ya'll for being Here! Glad I found someone to talk to!
> Sincerely, Robin
>
>
>
>
>
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