TO ALL...
SATURDAY I GOT STUNG AT LEAST FIVE TIMES BY YELLOW JACKETS AS THEY SWARMED ME WHEN I WAS SEARCHING FOR SOME AUTO PARTS IN A STORAGE TRAILER IN AN AREA THAT RARELY GETS ANY HUMAN TRAFFIC.
I BEGAN TO ITCH BADLY EVERYWHERE, JUMPED IN A COLD SHOWER AND SCRATCHED EVERYWHERE WITH A HARD BACK BRUSH. I THEN CALLED MY FRIEND WHO OWNS THE RANCH WHERE I LIVE AND WHO JUST BOUGHT A HOUSE FIFTEEN MILES AWAY AND HAS MOSTLY MOVED HIS STUFF OVER THERE. SO I WAS ALL ALONE. I THEN CALLED 911. THE FIRE STATION IS ONLY FOUR MILES AWAY BUT THERE IS TWO MILES OF GRAVEL ROAD OFF THE PAVEMENT TO GET TO THE RANCH.
I WENT ON THE INTERNET TO CHECK OUT THE SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT FOR THE STINGS.
THE 911 LADY STAYED ON THE PHONE WITH ME AS I BEGAN VOMITING. DIARRHEA HIT ME QUICKLY. BOTH SYMPTOMS OF AN INSECT BITE.
IT WAS HARD TO TALK TO THE 911 LADY AS SHE ASKED ME MANY QUESTIONS AS I WAS GAGGING AND FEELING TOO WEAK TO MOVE OFF MY BED.
THE AMBULANCE FINALLY ARRIVED AND TOOK ME THE 25 MILES TO OUR LOCAL HOSPITAL. THEY GAVE ME SEVERAL SHOTS AS I BROKE OUT INTO HIVES ALL OVER MY BODY AND TURN LOBSTER RED.
I HAD EPIPHENEPHRINE, BENADRYL, STEROID SHOTS AND WAS ON AN IV DRIP OF SALINE AS YOU GET VERY DEHYDRATED.
THE STINGS CAUSE YOUR BLOOD VESSELS TO DILATE WHICH MAKES YOU HAVE THE DIARRHEA. IT ALSO TRIGGERS A BLAST OF ADRENALINE WHICH MAKES YOUR HEART BEAT INCREASE AND MAKES YOU VERY WEAK AND SHAKEY.
MY FRIEND WAS GOING TO PICK ME UP AT THE HOSPITAL, BUT HIS TRUCK BROKE DOWN ON OUR GRAVEL ROAD WHILE HE WAS HAULING HIS FURNITURE TO HIS NEW HOUSE. WHEN HE FINALLY WAS RESCUED BY HIS BROTHER WHO FINALLY CAME DOWN THE ROAD ( HE LIVES ON A NEIGHBORING RANCH) HE TOOK HIS BELONGINGS BACK TO THE RANCH AS HIS VEHICLES DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPER LIGHTS AND IT WAS NOW DARK.
HE DROVE HIS BROTHER'S TRUCK TO HIS NEW HOUSE AND A FEW MINUTES AFTER HE ARRIVED THERE, THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR EXPLODED AND BURNT TO THE GROUND. IT TOOK THE FIRE DEPT AT LEAST 20 MINUTES TO GET THERE. NO ONE WAS HURT BUT THE HOUSE IS A TOTAL LOSS.
HIS BROTHER FINALLY PICKED ME UP AT THE HOSPITAL AROUND 11:30PM PLUS A HALF HOUR DRIVE HOME.
I STOPPED AT THE DRUG STORE TO GET SOME BENADRYL AND TWO EPI PENS YOU SHOULD ALL HAVE AVAILABLE FOR SUCH EMERGENCIES.
I HAVE BEEN STUNG BY BOTH BEES AND YELLOW JACKETS BEFORE (SINGLE STINGS) BUT HAVE NEVER HAD SUCH A REACTION. THIS TIME INVOLVED AROUND FIVE STINGS IN CLOSE SUCCESSION.
THE YELLOW JACKETS ARE VERY AGGRESSIVE THIS YEAR AND CAN KEEP STINGING YOU MULTIPLE TIMES. BEES LOSE THEIR STINGER AND DIE BUT THE STINGER KEEPS PUMPING ITS VENOM INTO YOU SO YOU SHOULD SCRAPE IT OFF OF YOU. NEVER SQUEEZE IT AS YOU WILL PUSH MORE VENOM INTO YOU.
I FEEL MUCH BETTER TODAY BUT STILL HAVE LARGE RED AREAS AROUND THE STING POINTS.
THIS EXPERIENCE IS THE CLOSEST I'VE COME TO DYING OTHER THAN THE TWO TIMES I CRASHED ON MOTORCYCLES AND ALMOST BLED TO DEATH BOTH TIMES.
IF I HADN'T CALLED 911 IMMEDIATELY, THE SPEED WITH WHICH THE SYMPTOMS CAME ON COULD HAVE EASILY KILLED ME AS I MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DIAL 911 IF I HAD BECOME UNCONSCIOUS.
AT LEAST I DIDN'T HAVE A RESTRICTION OF MY AIRWAYS.
NEVER MINIMIZE WHAT THESE LITTLE INSECTS CAN DO TO YOU.
USE MY EXPERIENCE HAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND HAVE BENADRYL AND SOME EPI PENS ALWAYS CLOSE BY AND READ ALL THE DIRECTIONS BEFORE YOU NEED TO USE THEM.
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