I think it was a wasp that stung my finger, the second from the little finger on my right hand, yesterday. It might have been a spider or bee, it was in the grass.
I didn’t see it. It’s amazing how life intrudes. Here, I have avoided the Pandemic as Old Man At Risk (OMAR), but some wasp or bug can shut me down in a flash. And all I was doing was taking a photo of Zinnia.
Whatever it was, it struck me pretty good. It takes a bit of venom to cause that much swelling.
I know that my immune system is compromised, my blood and circulation does not like to be disturbed. Covoid-19, I am told, would have had some fun with me.
My hand didn’t swell up so dramatically until early his morning, and I did wonder if I would end up going to the hospital. It was intense there for a while. I love nature but have always had an uneasy relationship with the outdoors.
Here in the country, getting urgent medical care is never simple or easy. I know my immune system is compromised by my diabetes, tick and other insect bites often swell up and itch for days.
My basic rule is if I’m conscious and can stand up, I wait until Monday, where I can call the doctor if necessary. My heart was an exception.
I guess I’m used to bug bites, and my reaction to them, but this time, the hand was so swollen I couldn’t write and that kept my attention.
Maria and I decided to ride it out, there was no sign it was spreading up my arm, and experience suggested it would be several days before my hand would get back to normal.
As it happened, our friend Jackie Thorne, who is a nurse at Glens Falls Hospital, came by for our first pre-arranged social visit since the virus. We sat outside and on the porch, keeping our distance, talking easily and comfortably.
Jackie’s eyes widened when she saw my hand, and wondered if I ought not get to a doctor, but when I told her this has happened a few times although not quite so severely – she suggested taking some Ibuprofen, which I have been doing.
I told her I had a video appointment with my quite wonderful nurse practitioner on Wednesday, if it wasn’t much better, I’ll show it to her on my iPhone, that will be a first.
We had the nicest visit, sitting outside, talking. Jackie is like a sister to me, we always have fun talking, and she gets me and is not impressed.
The usual anti-histamines were not working. I went to the pharmacy and talked to the pharmacist. She suggested oral Benadryl, which I am also taking. The swelling is still there, and my hands are still stiff, but it is going down, not up.
Maria has been great and supplying me with ice packs, I am confident it will be okay, and as you can see, I can write again, although my fingers are stiff, my hand not normal yet.
I did get out and take some photos and am excited to share them. Tomorrow, a quiet day, a visit to the Farmer’s Market which is opening up, maybe a drive to Bennington for some Japanese takeout.
The medicine has made me drowsy, but that is a good thing. It is making me rest.
well, this second photo looks much better than the earlier one. Yikes! Severe histamine reactions such as this (I get them also with certain bites/stings) are real buggers to treat. As a years long medical person……I feel you are doing everything you need to do and can do……… may it be much improved tomorrow.
Susan M
Jon, Please consider mentioning this to your practitioner on Wednesday. I had an even more severe reaction that required an ambulance. That episode followed one much like yours. In the ER I was told that each time we are stung its like priming the ‘pump” which is the immune system so each time the reaction gets more severe. Time for me to keep an epipen handy.
I had a wasp sting my neck a few years back. I am allergic and immediately began wheezing. Fortunately, I was in a shop that also had a pharmacy when I was stung! The pharmacist immediately put a cold pack on my neck at the sting site, gave me Benadryl and ibuprofen. I recovered in 48 hours. You’re doing the right thing with Benadeyl and ibuprofen. Sorry this happened!
Jpn, I can identify and commiserate with you over this bite.
The week before last I had a series of bites on my left arm, cheek and the front of my leg above my ankle. I suspect it was mosquitoes. It isn’t unusual for me to react to bites, but one of them (on the inside of my left arm) was different because it had a hole in it and it kept draining. Additionally my left arm and ankle were swollen, especially my left arm with the draining bite. Fortunately I have two cousins who are doctors; one who is a head and neck plastic surgeon and his brother who is an ER doctor. As they are from age of technology they have taught me how to email photos which I did. The concern was the draining, swelling and redness. I was put on antibiotics, heat and betadine for a week. Benydril was added for evenings. Since I didn’t have a red streak going to my heart we decided that treating the bites this way was best. I survived, hooray! I still have a disappearing rash by the side of my ankle and the draining bite seems to have dried up, but I learned a lesson (one which I already knew but tossed aside in the warm weather). DO NOT GO OUT WITH THE DOGS FROM DAWN TO DUSK WITHOUT LONG SLEEVES, LONG PANTS AND SOCKS. I am now being extra careful and rush them along when they go out to poop and potty. At least the bites were not caused by the new killer hornets migrating down from the state of Washington and originating from outside the USA. Can you believe that in the middle of a pandemic I am going to review symptoms of West Nile Virus which is caused by those pesky mosquitoes?! We are seeing so many problems now and I find it hard not to believe that they don’t have something to do with climate change and our treatment of the planet. Knowing you always wear those long sleeve blue work shirts, I guess bites are just a luck of the draw. Keep on doing what you do to treat them. Take care and follow the doctor’s directions. The world needs you, Maria and all of the animals in the peaceable kingdom!!!!!