August 22, 2010

Anaphylaxis

I just found out the hard way I have a negative reaction to getting stung!  I was biking and as soon as I stopped to move a log that had fallen in the trail I got mobbed.  I think there was a yellow jacket nest near by or maybe under the log, and boy did I piss them off!  I got 4 or 5 stings (scalp, chest, and both legs).  This makes 8 stings in 2 months, with the reaction from each sting being progressively worse.  I kinda knew that 4 stings all at once would be a bad thing, so we went straight to the hospital. 
In the 20 minutes it took to drive there, my ear canals started swelling up badly, then my face (which went quite numb after a while), then a slight throat swelling, but luckily that never progressed much further.  By the time we were at the hospital I had full body hives/rash that itched like I had been rolling naked in a bark pile.  I didn't have to get epi-penned, but got a SERIOUS dose of steroids and benadryl to help stop the swelling.  I did get an epi-pen for the future which is good, but I am not excited about AT ALL!  Now I have one more thing I have to remember to carry everywhere, grrr...        Stupid bees.

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