Anaphylaxis

In another episode of "you can't make this shit up", I am apparently now horrifyingly allergic to any and all stinging insects. About a month ago, I got stung on the crown of my head by a wasp putting feed in the chicken coop, thankfully on a weekend. I woke up with my face progressively more swollen for three days in a row, but after mainlining antihistamines, it mostly resolved. 

That brings us to the weekend before last - I was doing chores when I felt something sting my arm. I registered it and brushed it off, and went about my business (running water over the sting while I filled water buckets). By the time I went inside to shower off the grime, I was feeling a little queasy and itchy, but I chalked it up to the heat and dirt. It was not that 🥴 luckily I had the foresight to pop two benadryl before getting in the shower. 

By the time I got out of the shower, my entire body below my neck was covered in hives and I was incredibly nauseous. My lips were tingling and I couldn't feel my hands, so I went to find DH to drive me to the nearest ER - which just so happens to be 40+ minutes away, since our local hospital closed. 

One of the few "safe for the internet" shots 

By the time we got there I felt like my throat was closing - whether that was the anaphylaxis or whether it was just panic about the whole situation, I have no idea, but they bumped me to the front of triage, took one look at me, and immediately threw more antihistamines and steroids at me. Once it because clear I wasn't actually going to die and the drugs were doing their job, they sent me home with a script for an EpiPen. 

My husband kept telling me my face was swollen. After like the 8th time he said it I was no longer amused. 

These cost THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS 🫠

I already had an appointment set with my primary care doctor next month, so I'm supposed to talk it over with her and get a more permanent script for the EpiPen, but any time I use it I still have to go to the ER so this allergy is going to be very expensive 🥴

I bought a case to carry it in my purse, and have already warned my trail riding friends they might need to stab the shit out of me if we come across anything that stings on the trail - and there are emergency antihistamines and steroids in the bag, along with a device to suck venom out courtesy of DH (true love lol). He is on a mission to eradicate any nests we can find, starting with the bees in the flower bed in front of the barn that caused this. 

So.... Yay? I wanted to write a more upbeat post about all the good riding and the great work accomplishments and everything else fun going on, but the near death experience sort of took precedence I guess 🙃