Jump to content
Peaches

Husband bee sting allergy just got a lot worse!

Recommended Posts

OH got stung 3 weeks ago and I ended up calling a ambulance. He didn't go into anaphylactic shock, but the para medic reckoned the next time, he probably will.... :( He's now investigating a de-sensitising programme - apparently there's one at Newcastle Hosp - but in the meantime....

 

I am in charge. And I am like Mrs Ten Thumbs when it comes to hives and bees. I hadn't noticed how over the past few years I had let him do most of the work and decision making and now I'm struggling. Luckily, though, when I get stung nothing happens apart from swearing!

 

This year I can't wait until they go asleep for winter .... I need to get back into bee-keeping training. Despite my moaning, we would be really sad to let the bees go. The problem is, the same day OH got stung and I took over, I accidentally brought back a bee into the house and it ended up in his hair ..... :oops: On Sunday, 4 bees got in. It's very stressful.

 

Anyone else been through the programme (for de-sensitising, that is)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Peaches - long time no read! (doesn't seem to be a waves madly smiley :D )

 

As you may/may not know my OH also discovered he is 'severely allergic' to bee stings and I ended up giving my bees to my co-beek. I have read good things about the de-sensitisation programme so if you are both keen to continue with bees, I'd certainly encourage OH to go for it. My enthusiasm was severely dented by the whole scary episode with OH in A&E so it has suited me better to leave the bees to somebody else, although I do go and help out.

 

I know what you mean about not feeling up to it, I always had the feeling the bees knew exactly what they were doing and I didn't even though we always used a very hands off approach with them anyway. I think I am better suited to animals where I can commune with them and have a vague feeling they are listening, even though I know they don't take a blind bit of notice :lol:

 

BTW both the hospital medic and our GP said if OH was stung again he could be fine or he could go into full anaphalatic shock, there is just no way of knowing. He carries an epipen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About 14 years ago my husband got stung on his little toe by a wasp. He drove himself to work - just a couple of miles away - felt a bit peculiar and stopped at Tesco Pharmacy saying he had been stung. They gave him Piriton. He continued on to work, felt worse and just parked up at the hospital, thankfully virtually next door to his office. By the time he got in he was having breathing difficulties and covered in a rash. So it was straight onto the adrenalin and steroids to counteract the anaphylactic shock.

 

He was offered the desensitisation treatment and he followed it over a couple of years I think, going from injections of miniscule amounts of wasp venom to the equivalent of two stings. He was monitored very carefully each time and the whole treatment was seen as successful. They said it was unlikely he would have a reaction unless he was stung by loads of wasps. Thankfully we have not had to test it out!

 

Sue

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many thanks for your encouraging replies Sue & Daphne. No, I haven't been on the board a while - once our last chicken died, I felt a bit of a fraud being on here. And with the bees, OH sort of took over as he was so much better at it than me. But I do look in occasionally, and finally couldn't resist posting again.

 

OH is very keen on doing the de-sensitising programme as he loves beeking so much (and won 2 x firsts and 1 x second in our local show on Monday night), but the incident has dented my enthusiasm for bees. We've been feeding - honey and sugar syrup - these last days, and I found some of the bees didn't get back into the hive when I had left some trays with honey on outside the hive. I felt really sick I had inadvertently killed them. Plus the pressure of not accidentally letting bees into the house.... :(

 

Lovely to be back on board, though xxx Fiona

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...