Allergic to bee stings and anaphylactic shock
By mentalward
@mentalward (14690)
United States
August 21, 2012 11:49pm CST
Not me, my husband. He was cutting the grass that hadn't been cut in two months because he took so long to fix the lawn mower and ran over a ground hornet's nest that had apparently just recently been established. I had mowed that lawn for five years and never had an issue with ground hornets.
Well, it turns out that he is allergic to bee venom and, since he got stung at least 15 times, he went into anaphylactic shock. I had to call 911 to get an ambulance here because there was no way I could get him to the hospital in time and we had no idea that he was so allergic to bees. He had spent most of his life avoiding anything outdoors.
So, we spent most of the night in the emergency room while the meds they gave him kicked in. He's home now but complaining constantly. Apparently, he caught his pants cuff on the gas pedal of the mower and fell flat on his back as he tried to get away from the bees so now his back is swollen and causing his legs to go numb. But, he won't go back to the hospital to have his back looked at. (I didn't know that he fell until we were on our way out of the hospital.)
Do you have a serious allergy to bees or anything else?
Have you ever gone into anaphylactic shock?
What do you do to prevent it from happening again?
The doctor wrote him a prescription for an Epi Pen (epinephrin, a.k.a. adrenalin) to carry on him at all times for the rest of his life because it could just save his life BUT I could bet money that he won't carry it around with him.
Have you ever had to use an Epi Pen?
Do you know any men as stubborn as my husband?
How was YOUR day?
5 people like this
15 responses
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
22 Aug 12
i probably live with one exactly the same. hes a drunk also. my daughters bf. except hes likely worse since hes dopey also. 
hes very stubborn about what he wont do and daughter takes up for him. wish she'd admit his short comings like you do
@lynboobsy11 (11343)
• Philippines
22 Aug 12
It happened to me last time I was also here in mylot when It happened and seek some health advises from friends here. I don't know if you also respond to it. It is just I don't know that thing on my slipper that make me itch all over my body. I took some antihistamine while going to the doctor and he give some shot of anti allergy to get rid of the itch.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63614)
• United States
22 Aug 12
I have loads of allergies, some even pretty serious, but never to the point of anaphylactic shock.
I do have a friend who has had shock, to any kind of pepper/nightshade foods. Even tho she's not a man, she's kind of bad about NOT carrying her epi pen
2 people like this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
22 Aug 12
What a horrible night for you both! Worse for you since you have to put up with his grousing around feeling sorry for himself and refusing to help the situation.
I've been blessed with no allergies other than the pollen of a few plants--and cats, which I love but there are very few that don't close up my bronchial tubes and send me to the ER. I have known people with many allergies and although they've adjusted to a life of caution I feel sorry for them. I would hate to live that way but I guess you adapt to conditions that you have to.
1 person likes this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
22 Aug 12
I'm not the sort of mother, (or grandmother) who runs to the doctor with every scraped knee or bloody nose. It is really not necessary and is counterproductive to a child. He needs to learn how to deal with life's little accidents. That being said there is a time when doctors and hospitals are necessary. So, when my daughter-in-law called me the other day and asked me what to do if a child was stung I asked her who got stung and how many times. It was my nine year old grandson and he had gotten into a nest and was stung over twenty times. They were surprised when I told them to call an ambulance. They had my car which is the only car in the family and my son had the engine dismantled because it needed some work. I knew he couldn't get it back together in time.
Fortunately, he was not allergic but that many stings in one so young could have been fatal on their own.
And, oh yeah, I know several men as stubborn as your husband. I think they are born that way. 
1 person likes this
@dismalgrin (2604)
• United States
22 Aug 12
I don't want to take the chance of being allergice to bees or wasps. The first time I got stung I was in a treehouse my brother built on the back of our shed and there was a wasp nest inside the shed. He knocked over the ladder when he got down from the treehouse and meanly told me if I couldn't climb up down the ladder then I shouldn't be in his treehouse. The whole nest of wasps came out and stung me while I was just sitting there. I jumped down and ran across the yard screaming with the wasps flying behind me and stinging me. My mom grabbed me and pulled me inside and rubbed meat tenderizor on it and that helped it heal faster. The second time I got stung I was running my hand through my baby sister's hair and there was a wasp in her hair and it stung me. My mom put meat tenderizor on that too, but still my whole arm swelled up from it. They say it's the second time you get stung that you show an allergice reaction to the sting. So, that was scary enough I don't really want to take the chance a third time.
Once when I was kid, I was at church and a wasp landed in my lap. I jumped up and down screaming in the middle of the service. Caused quite a commotion and everyone laughed because they thought I was screaming because of the service. I was so embaressed!
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
29 Jan 13
I have never experienced or know anyone who has experienced an anaphylactic shock. This must be a horrifying experience because even after the problem had subsided you are left with the knowledge of how easily it can reoccur. It is possible to avoid most scenarios, but in the case of such a strong allergy there is very little that you can do to ensure your safety. Unless you seal yourself in a bubble during the whole summertime then the likelihood of being stung will be constantly present. This has to be a very unnerving experience.
@GardenGerty (160777)
• United States
23 Aug 12
We really have not had enough moisture to have yard work. I have been trained to administer an epi pen at one job I had. I am not very allergic to anything. I guess this is the end of him ever mowing the lawn again. He needs to wear insect repellant and watch what he is doing.
@AmbiePam (93317)
• United States
23 Aug 12
I thought you weren't going to call 911! 
My dad had to get an Epi Pen. Weirdly, he developed an allergy to shrimp in his late forties. One night after attending a conference out of town he went to dinner with friends. They had shrimp. He face and throat started swelling up. After trying to avoid going for 30 minutes he finally went to the ER and found out it was an allergic reaction. He'd never ever had a problem before. But it wasn't just a one time thing. A couple of times he went to a restaurant that served shrimp. He did not order it, but you know how things comes into contact with each other. He had a partial reaction again.
My dad had to get an Epi Pen. Weirdly, he developed an allergy to shrimp in his late forties. One night after attending a conference out of town he went to dinner with friends. They had shrimp. He face and throat started swelling up. After trying to avoid going for 30 minutes he finally went to the ER and found out it was an allergic reaction. He'd never ever had a problem before. But it wasn't just a one time thing. A couple of times he went to a restaurant that served shrimp. He did not order it, but you know how things comes into contact with each other. He had a partial reaction again.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
15 Oct 12
I am allergic to some type of bee or wasp and honestly, I don't know what. I was probably about 8 yrs old when I was travelling somewhere with my parents and a bee was in the car. I got stung on the arm and instantly began swelling up to a degree that concerned my mom. My parents found a hospital and got me in the emergency room where they gave me a shot of something. It's a vague memory really. I do remember carrying around some gray and orange little pills forever and getting them renewed over the years. I never even paid attention to what they were called and I never got stung again....still haven't. I never renewed them once I got on my own and they expired. I know now that's pretty risky but honestly..I have only been stung that one time in my life and I don't think it was as serious as your husband's because we were out of state and my parents had time to locate a hospital and get me there. That was the days before 911 and cell phones. Oh and men as stubborn as your husband? oh ya...most of them. I'm a woman and I'm pretty stubborn also.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
22 Aug 12
my day is fine m entalward. I have an epipen too in case I ever get MSG in my food or get stung by tiny ants,. I am highly allervic to MSG and always ask before eating at an y cafe.i was weeding my moms driveway when i accidentally stirred up an ants nest,. I had twenty stings on my hands and could barely breath ,my retarded sister was not sure what to do so she called my doctor who did make house calls and told him i was almost unable to breathe as my throat was swelling,. he gave me an IV of some strong antihistamine and stay ed til the IV was over and I was breathing normally, then he told me I was very allergic to ant bites so gave me this epipen to keep on me at all times.I have never had to use it bu t it is with me just in case.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
25 Aug 12
I had a pretty bad allergy to bees when I was younger but the weird thing os that I grew out of it. The doctor told me that I still have to be very careful though because the allergy can come back as quick as it left. Weird. I have never had an Epi-pen but they are certainly lifesavers.
Day is just starting for me so we shall see. I am supposed to keep my cutie patootie today for a while so I am thinking it is going to be a pretty good day.
My b/f is pretty stubborn too.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
23 Aug 12
Wow! What a drama! 
It seems to me that you are pretty frustrated with your husband right now!
Who can blame you really. He needs to take better care of his health I think, particularly now that this allergy has been discovered. Looks like you might be back to mowing the lawns now.
I cannot even remember the last time that I was stung by a bee. I got a few stings when I was a kid, but I would have been ten or younger I think. I love bees, they are so important to us but they are nowhere near as plentiful as they used to be. 
It seems to me that you are pretty frustrated with your husband right now!
Who can blame you really. He needs to take better care of his health I think, particularly now that this allergy has been discovered. Looks like you might be back to mowing the lawns now.
I cannot even remember the last time that I was stung by a bee. I got a few stings when I was a kid, but I would have been ten or younger I think. I love bees, they are so important to us but they are nowhere near as plentiful as they used to be. 
@Rick1950 (1576)
• Lima, Peru
5 Sep 12
Well, my day was nothing special as yours, but I live in an apartment and I have not any grass to cut, although I think is a great exercise.
Your husband had misfortune by cutting the grass. It should be horrible to be attacked of such insects. Luckily your reaction was quickly and your husband could be helped on time. I expect that he doesn't have again such experience. Anyway he has gotten properly advice from the physicians.
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
22 Aug 12
He'll always need his epipen. He's lucky to be alive. I have the same reaction to wasps.
