Hey Carolyn
Best of luck to you on your trip! Sounds like a lot of fun. I was
stationed at a small air base in Germany l984-87(it's closed now) The
weather should still be cool in March.
Stay safe! and Have a Wonderful time!
:)
Robin


--- In insectstings@yahoogroups.com, Carolyn Taylor
<ctaylorphoto@e...> wrote:
> 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
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
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> >
> >