lazy shooter, thank you! what would i do without you?
i am losing it......i swear i updated this thread with a post on april 3rd for my first 6 week monthly maintenance injections........
i received my first 6 week maintenance injections on wednesday, april 2nd. all went well, except i think that the r.n. mixed up the venom vials and which injections go in which arm. i know, you are all saying what? a reason for keeping these separate. because of the reactions i have always suffered from with the honey bee and wasp, these injections go in opposite arms. honey bee on the left, wasp and mixed vespid (never react to) in the right. instead, i believe i received mixed vespid on the left,(no reaction) and honey bee and wasp in the right arm. (very large local reaction).
so i believe i was given injections for the two i react to the most in the same arm.....i knew something was not right when i arrived home and within several hours, my r arm was swelling up quickly, and itching something fierce. by morning the swelling had extended beyond my elbow and to the wrist, with a slight numb feeling in my r hand and fingers. the discomfort and numbness lasted 4 days until sunday. the shot docs are to keep these 2 injections separate to keep this from happening. yes, i had a conversation with the r.n. about this, and reported the reaction. (required). the r.n, is usually a very precise and thorough person. she stated they went in opposite arms. if so, i had an extremely large local to the honey bee, then my concern is why did this happen and will this continue?
the amount of venom in my injections, i milliliter or 100 micrograms of venom for each injection is equal to 2 - 4 stings of each insect. so i am receiving venom equal to, for the 3 injections, anywhere between 6 and 12 stings total. some powerful stuff (venom) in these little bottles i tell ya!
on may 16th, i have an appointment with my doc to discuss my progress and my 2nd 6 week maintenance injections. will i be able to keep my bees? how and where is my immunity? the big question really comes down to this for me, at some point it is the first sting i will fear, whether it is now or later, or any sting, or perhaps stings thereafter. i have thought of this often now that i am in the maintenance stage of my injections. i have a great deal of fear. i have come this far and i will go with and follow the recommended advice, minimum 2 years before i can think about getting back into the bees.
ef commented about mr river. he has always been supportive, and has helped a great deal in the past, but nothing like he has had to do since i developed the allergy. hard to crash teach someone to keep bees, but he has done well under the circumstances. might have to fix a 'go pro' camera on his veil this season.....
several weeks ago, when we were cleaning out dead outs, i had him slip feed into the remaining hive. he was not going to wear a veil. hasn't been opened since last fall......
"what do i need a veil for, they aren't bothering us?"
"the bees won't like it".
"what do you mean the bees won't like it, they're not bothering us"
i said "hmm, do you have court in the morning or a trial?"
"no i don't, what does that have to do with me not wearing a veil"
"well, If you wear a veil, then you won't have to explain to the judge or your client why your eyes are swelled shut, and how you drove yourself to the courthouse." the veil went on.......
a few days after that he was trying to explain to a good neighbor friend why we lost the swarm hive. (captured late summer, made it all through winter to starve, ate themselves through a full deep). this could have been prevented, a 3rd deep of food stores could have been added, but this is part of the frustration of being allergic to bees and not being able to manage them as they should be. so the conversation went something like this between the two guys. my guy is trying to explain honey frames in the top deep, and starvation. the friend asks:
"well why didn't they just go next door and get some honey from the other hives?"mr river try's to explain the winter cluster. the friend says:
"
when the weather warmed up, why didn't they go next door to get some food?"
(he wasn't getting it). so mr river put's it in this context to him :
"
adam, the bees have homes, they know where their homes are. that's not their home. bees aren't like humans, they don't just show up at the hive next door univited for a beer and never leave, and if they do it's called robbing."
adam understood............
btw, anyone who is undergoing any type of allergy injections and carries epi pens for any allergy, your allergist is handing out the free cards for mylan's epi-pens. if they forget, just ask them for it.
ps, thanks to zweefer, offering to help me out he's just down the road from me....
what beekeepers won't do for one another!
