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"Ain't found a way to kill me yet" Revisited.

Bassbob

Bassbob

Emissary
This could be a long post, but I'll try to condense it as much as possible.

A little back story:

In my life I have been hit many, many times by many, many things that should have stopped me or at least slowed me down. I have been in 3 car wrecks that should have killed me, in which I walked away without a scratch. I have been stabbed a few times, shot at multiple times, hit in the head with baseball bats and a crowbar with a 12" length of chain welded to it and once I was on top of a guy beating the hell out of him when I was hit from behind, in the head with a claw hammer. I saw stars for a second and I thought I had gotten shot. I turned around and looked at the guy with the hammer and told him he was next. He ran into his house and I continued what I was doing. I was in a hole about 7 foot deep when the shoring gave way and should have been crushed. I dug my way out with my hands and went back to work. When my first wife left me it devastated me. I spent 6 months strung out, living in a truck with my dog and self medicating with drugs I will not mention here. I still went to work every single day and dug myself out of the funk, met my current wife of 20 years and carried on. I have been in more vicious fights in my life with guys that should have been able to stop me and the fact is I have lost very, very few of them and I have never in my life been rendered unconscious. Here I said I would condense this eh? Let's just say I am notoriously hard to stop.

Now, I have been stung by wasps hundreds of times in my life. I was once stung several times on the hand by ground hornets and my hand swoll up so bad I had to cut my wedding ring off with an angle grinder because my finger was turning blue. I have a recurring issue of red wasps on one of the corners of my house. Last year I was stung by one or more of them at least 3 times. Same reaction every time. Small welt, a little topical pain for a brief period, then back to normal.

Yesterday I was weed eating out back and I was stung on top of the head by a single red wasp. I came in the house looking for wasp spray. The wife told me I didn't have any. So I decided to leave the back alone for now and go start on the side yard. My wife hears the weed eater fire up and after a few minutes shut down. Then it doesn't start back up and she comes outside to find me laying by my trailer in anaphylactic shock. It was like a never ending headrush on steroids. I couldn't see straight or talk and I was coughing and having an extremely hard time breathing. I was shaking like Jerry Lee Lewis. My heart was beating so hard it made my chest feel like I was being repeatedly punched in the lung with brass knuckles. My wife figured out pretty quick what had happened ( she is allergic to wasp stings and has been in anaphylaxis before). My brother in law lives across the street and works for Pfizer so he has epi pens on hand. Problem is he wasn't home. So she goes inside and gets some fast acting, Benadryl gel caps and makes me chew them and swallow them. After about 15 minutes my breathing has improved a little and her and a neighbor get me up and into the house and put me down on the couch. She starts trying to talk me into going to the ER, which I refuse and then I laid there and slept for about 6 hours. I probably should have gone to the ER, but I would probably still be there now sitting in the waiting room. I was in a complete daze last night and I am still shaky and fuzzy right now.


I received my 2nd Pfizer shot on July 25th. I had no real side effects. I was a little blah for the rest of the day after the first one, but other than that, nothing. I have heard of people, including Eric Clapton, who have had issues with their immune systems after being vaccinated. Now I'm not saying this is what happened to me, but it could be. It could also be that after 53 years I somehow magically developed an allergy to wasp venom.

So the universe has finally figured out a way to stop me. Looks like some epi pens are going to be part of my strategy going forward.


 
You can be impervious to wasp venom one day and then be terribly allergic the next. Previous encounters with the venom can cause your body to become highly reactive to future encounters. You have had multiple encounters so your body is probably locked and cocked to react to future stings. On the other hand, you may not react to future encounters. I know this because I have relatives who must carry epipens when outdoors during stinging insect season to guard against exactly what you went through. You are fortunate. I would contact my physician and describe what happened. You probably should be carrying an epipen in the future.

Glad you are feeling better. I also suggest you change your screen name to "Lucky". Best Regards. 😉
 
Wow, just WOW! I know with age, we can develop or become susceptible to symptoms of allergies and such.
I haven't been stuck with the snake oil, no plans on it either. Same with the flu shot of the day.
I think i may have mentioned this before. I have a suspicion, just a suspicion, no proof. I think that there may be something that gets mixed in with the vaccine which is totally necessary. Unfortunately, I believe that it may react with 1 in a million. That one in a million may lose his inhibitions or conscience or something. It has always concerned me that when they push to vaccinate against this strain or that, all of a sudden there's a mass shooting or some other kind of tragedy. The neighbors always say the same thing, good guy, kept to himself. Model citizen, sponsored little league, stuff like that. Then , poof, just flips the switch and goes full on bonkers. Too me, the risk is too high. If I'm wrong, no harm (by me) I get sick, fine. I won't go hurting other people as a result.
I know, pretty far out, huh? But that's what I suspect.
Most importantly, you recovered from that situation. Would've been too easy to give in to panic and lose. This goes without saying, but i think you owe your bride a very special night out or something.
 
Welcome to the club buddy 😏. As kids we use to step on bee’s Wasps and hornets as a dare. I was stung multiple times with only normal reactions. Then in 2005, I was cutting my lawn and pushed the mower under a ground hugging bush, and next thing I knew I was being stung by several yellow jackets. I was stung several years before by some, and my leg swelled up to twice it’s size, but this time I went into anaphylactic shock. Severe hives, every time I stood, everything went white and was about to lose consciousness (Fortunately my throat never swelled up, so I could still breathe). I called 911, and was on Benadryl drip for 2 hours. They (medical personnel), were all saying these cases usually meant an overnight stay, but I recovered quickly and took a taxi home.
I was tested several days later an was determined to be allergic to bees, wasps and hornets. I started immunization shot ever week, then every two, and so on, until currently every 5-6 weeks. I was tested a few years back, and I’m no longer severely allergic to bees and wasps (been stung since with no severe reaction to wasp sting), but still allergic to hornets require venom shots from three different types. Since then, I‘ve also become allergic to tree nuts and peanuts, apples & cherries (those last two I can eat if cooked), fortunately not an anaphylactic reaction though. I ate theses foods fine until a few years ago, and don’t really avoid prepared foods that may contain or be cooked in peanut oil etc. I haven’t had any reactions known, so I’m just avoiding eating peanut and nut snacks and such.
Yup Bob, carry some epi-pens around with you. I try to buy generic brand types to lower costs. Back around 2005 I could get a 2 pack for $40. Now two are over $600 and their generic are $300. There are other companies that offer cheaper generic ephedrine auto injectors, so I ask my allergist for yearly prescriptions to those.
 
BET7 said:
Welcome to the club buddy 😏. As kids we use to step on bee’s Wasps and hornets as a dare. I was stung multiple times with only normal reactions. Then in 2005, I was cutting my lawn and pushed the mower under a ground hugging bush, and next thing I knew I was being stung by several yellow jackets. I was stung several years before by some, and my leg swelled up to twice it’s size, but this time I went into anaphylactic shock. Severe hives, every time I stood, everything went white and was about to lose consciousness (Fortunately my throat never swelled up, so I could still breathe). I called 911, and was on Benadryl drip for 2 hours. They (medical personnel), were all saying these cases usually meant an overnight stay, but I recovered quickly and took a taxi home.
I was tested several days later an was determined to be allergic to bees, wasps and hornets. I started immunization shot ever week, then every two, and so on, until currently every 5-6 weeks. I was tested a few years back, and I’m no longer severely allergic to bees and wasps (been stung since with no severe reaction to wasp sting), but still allergic to hornets require venom shots from three different types. Since then, I‘ve also become allergic to tree nuts and peanuts, apples & cherries (those last two I can eat if cooked), fortunately not an anaphylactic reaction though. I ate theses foods fine until a few years ago, and don’t really avoid prepared foods that may contain or be cooked in peanut oil etc. I haven’t had any reactions known, so I’m just avoiding eating peanut and nut snacks and such.
Yup Bob, carry some epi-pens around with you. I try to buy generic brand types to lower costs. Back around 2005 I could get a 2 pack for $40. Now two are over $600 and their generic are $300. There are other companies that offer cheaper generic ephedrine auto injectors, so I ask my allergist for yearly prescriptions to those.
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I have one in my lunch box now and will be calling my doctor Monday and getting a prescription. I may ask about these treatments you had as well. I'd prefer, if just for my own vanity, to once again be invincible.
 
Bassbob said:
I have one in my lunch box now and will be calling my doctor Monday and getting a prescription. I may ask about these treatments you had as well. I'd prefer, if just for my own vanity, to once again be invincible.
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No problem Bob, anything you want to know just ask. I can "Drone" (pun intended :rolleyes:), on and on about it :sneaky:. They start you out at a low venom dose (once a week), and gratually build you up, until the dose is about 1/30th of an actual sting (5-6 weeks). I use to get three shots at every visit (1 for bees, 1 for wasp and 1 for three different types of hornets). I hated going once a week, but it was on my way to work so it wasn't too bad. The problem is, that if you miss a shot (in my case between the 5 and 6 week period, currently), you go right back to once a week shots for building back up again. This happened once to me, and it was a pain starting all over again. When I got my two Pfizer Covid vaccine shots, they told me I couldn't get any type shot for the next week. Well I was scheduled for my 5-6 week venom shot during that period, and told the nurse "ain't gonna happen", as I didn't want to miss it and go back to once a week venom shots to start all over again. She told me to talk with my allergist and if he was OK with it, I could have that shot. Fortunately, the last day in the period was about 4-5 days after I got the covid shot, so I was able to get my venom shot and stay on the 5-6 week shot window.
BTW: Both Pfizer and Moderna covid shots did cause anaphylactic shock for some that had anaphylactic reactions in the past. Since that was me, I had to wait 30 minutes instead of 15, to ensure it would not cause that reaction in me (it didn't both times fortunately). They were very sorry that I had to wait longer, but I told them, No Sweat, as I have to wait 20 minutes in the waiting room each time I get a venom shot to ensure no severe reaction.
 
BET7 said:
No problem Bob, anything you want to know just ask. I can "Drone" (pun intended :rolleyes:), on and on about it :sneaky:. They start you out at a low venom dose (once a week), and gratually build you up, until the dose is about 1/30th of an actual sting (5-6 weeks). I use to get three shots at every visit (1 for bees, 1 for wasp and 1 for three different types of hornets). I hated going once a week, but it was on my way to work so it wasn't too bad. The problem is, that if you miss a shot (in my case between the 5 and 6 week period, currently), you go right back to once a week shots for building back up again. This happened once to me, and it was a pain starting all over again. When I got my two Pfizer Covid vaccine shots, they told me I couldn't get any type shot for the next week. Well I was scheduled for my 5-6 week venom shot during that period, and told the nurse "ain't gonna happen", as I didn't want to miss it and go back to once a week venom shots to start all over again. She told me to talk with my allergist and if he was OK with it, I could have that shot. Fortunately, the last day in the period was about 4-5 days after I got the covid shot, so I was able to get my venom shot and stay on the 5-6 week shot window.
BTW: Both Pfizer and Moderna covid shots did cause anaphylactic shock for some that had anaphylactic reactions in the past. Since that was me, I had to wait 30 minutes instead of 15, to ensure it would not cause that reaction in me (it didn't both times fortunately). They were very sorry that I had to wait longer, but I told them, No Sweat, as I have to wait 20 minutes in the waiting room each time I get a venom shot to ensure no severe reaction.
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So is this something you have to continually do for the rest of your life ?
 
Bassbob I know how scary your experience was. I'm glad you were able to get medical help quickly. Many people are not able to get quick attention and don't make it. About 10 years ago my blood pressure medication put me into full blown anaphylactic shock. I started out with hives and soon my tongue began to swell. Even after several Benadryl tabs things got worse. My wife took me to the emergency room and by then my throat and tongue were so swollen I couldn't hardly breath, and I having a hard time staying conscious because my blood pressure had dropped. They took me right in and I handed the doc a list of my meds that I keep in my wallet. I heard him say, "it's the lisinopril" and the staff began sticking me with epi-pens. The doctor called it a near death experience, and if my wife had gone to the hospital about another 5 minutes away I would have died. I have since learned that this is not an uncommon experience with blood pressure medication. I keep several epi-pens around the house, but I hope I'm able to get to one should the need arise.
 
Bassbob said:
So is this something you have to continually do for the rest of your life ?
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Maybe, but they'll test you ever few years to see if you're still allergic. Around 2011 or so, they tested me and found I was no longer allergic to bees or wasps, so I don't have to get those shots anymore. I was tested again for the hornets about 2 years ago and made it to stage 4 when I started to show reactions. Stage 5 showed I was still fully allergic to all three hornet venom's.
Testing consists of 5 stages where they usually test on your arm (depending on what you're allergic to, they may need both arms and back. My sister had some kind of allergic reaction, and since they didn't know what caused it, they used larger areas to test for a bunch of different known allergens). In my case, they knew it was hornets so they used my arm.
Each stage they prick you arm with a bit of venom and let it sit for 20 minutes. After which, they use a gauge to see it you had a more severe reaction. If not, on to stage two for higher dose and another 20 minute wait. In my last test, the nurse kept saying "so far so good", until stage four that was borderline. So they went to stage 5 to be sure, and as sure as my luck usually goes :cautious:, it was positive. I told her it would have been better if I showed positive stage 1, so I wouldn't of had to wait 2 hours for the test completion, but again, that's my luck looking good until the last few minutes and boom, no go 🤷‍♂️.
I don't have problems with shots and needles drawing blood etc. With the shots, I can get stung and most likely not have a severe reaction unless stung by many many hornets. Fortunately, there are no fire ants in my area (yet), but I'm thinking I'm probably allergic to them as well. They currently don't offer venom shot for those here, and there's no shots for peanuts/tree nuts other than avoidance (although I'm told they are researching different treatments. I did love eating peanuts etc. as snacks and such).
 
BET7 said:
Maybe, but they'll test you ever few years to see if you're still allergic. Around 2011 or so, they tested me and found I was no longer allergic to bees or wasps, so I don't have to get those shots anymore. I was tested again for the hornets about 2 years ago and made it to stage 4 when I started to show reactions. Stage 5 showed I was still fully allergic to all three hornet venom's.
Testing consists of 5 stages where they usually test on your arm (depending on what you're allergic to, they may need both arms and back. My sister had some kind of allergic reaction, and since they didn't know what caused it, they used larger areas to test for a bunch of different known allergens). In my case, they knew it was hornets so they used my arm.
Each stage they prick you arm with a bit of venom and let it sit for 20 minutes. After which, they use a gauge to see it you had a more severe reaction. If not, on to stage two for higher dose and another 20 minute wait. In my last test, the nurse kept saying "so far so good", until stage four that was borderline. So they went to stage 5 to be sure, and as sure as my luck usually goes :cautious:, it was positive. I told her it would have been better if I showed positive stage 1, so I wouldn't of had to wait 2 hours for the test completion, but again, that's my luck looking good until the last few minutes and boom, no go 🤷‍♂️.
I don't have problems with shots and needles drawing blood etc. With the shots, I can get stung and most likely not have a severe reaction unless stung by many many hornets. Fortunately, there are no fire ants in my area (yet), but I'm thinking I'm probably allergic to them as well. They currently don't offer venom shot for those here, and there's no shots for peanuts/tree nuts other than avoidance (although I'm told they are researching different treatments. I did love eating peanuts etc. as snacks and such).
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Man. I don't mind needles or shots, but that's a lot of trips to the doctor's office. :(
 
Recusant said:
Bassbob I know how scary your experience was. I'm glad you were able to get medical help quickly. Many people are not able to get quick attention and don't make it. About 10 years ago my blood pressure medication put me into full blown anaphylactic shock. I started out with hives and soon my tongue began to swell. Even after several Benadryl tabs things got worse. My wife took me to the emergency room and by then my throat and tongue were so swollen I couldn't hardly breath, and I having a hard time staying conscious because my blood pressure had dropped. They took me right in and I handed the doc a list of my meds that I keep in my wallet. I heard him say, "it's the lisinopril" and the staff began sticking me with epi-pens. The doctor called it a near death experience, and if my wife had gone to the hospital about another 5 minutes away I would have died. I have since learned that this is not an uncommon experience with blood pressure medication. I keep several epi-pens around the house, but I hope I'm able to get to one should the need arise.
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I carry an epi-pen or equivalent in my pocket year round. it's now second nature to me to always throw it into my pocket when leaving the house (even if I go out side to do yard work). You had a more severe reaction than I, in the ambulance, they kept asking me, "can you swallow and is your breathing OK). They told me they'd have to cut a hole in my throat and insert a tube if I couldn't breath, fortunately it never came to that. My reaction came on so quick. 20 minutes after being stung, and I was losing consciousness if standing.
It's good your wife and you acted so fast and got quick medical treatment. My allergist told me he thinks many golfers that supposedly die of heart attacks on the golf course could have died of anaphylactic shock from being stung.
 
Bassbob said:
Man. I don't mind needles or shots, but that's a lot of trips to the doctor's office. :(
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Every 5-6 weeks isn't too bad. They're 20 minutes down the highway from me, with some LGS close by. So after my 20 minutes, I sometimes check out the local firearm merchandise (why waste a trip, right ;) ). When you get to be my age, you might be seeing doctors (and labs) more often, so I'm use to it
 
Bassbob said:
I've used golf clubs before. A driver specifically. Almost never for golf though. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
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Some of my clubs, somehow ended up in the water 🤷‍♂️. I wonder how that happened :unsure:

choppa-golf-mad.gif
 
Glad you're OK, @Bassbob !!!! :eek:

HayesGreener said:
You can be impervious to wasp venom one day and then be terribly allergic the next. Previous encounters with the venom can cause your body to become highly reactive to future encounters. You have had multiple encounters so your body is probably locked and cocked to react to future stings. On the other hand, you may not react to future encounters.
Click to expand...

^ Yup, this is often the way severe allergic reactions come on, for those of us who did not have that allergy to begin with.

It's can be disconcerting and even scary, even when it's not an anaphylactic event!
 
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