Written Monday: (New update below)
On the deck this morning around eleven a.m., cleaning up and trying to de-cobweb the back side of the house, I jiggled a light fixture with the broom. As the top portion of it fell, I reached for it and was stung on the fourth finger of the right hand by a yellow jacket. It hurt like a $#^%$!@#&*+# and I immediately made a paste of meat tenderizer and water and applied it to my finger. The pain eased off a bit, but it kept coming back. I noticed that every time I washed my hands, the cool water made it hurt more, and I wondered why.
I looked for a stinger, but the point of entry was not evident. Now and then it hurt, but didn't itch. I kept re-applying the paste of meat tenderizer and that helped a bit. Later in the afternoon, mr. kenju and I went to our health club to work out, and afterward, we went into the hot tub. I noticed immediately that the hot water did not make the hand hurt more (as cold water had), and I wondered why.
Now it is twelve hours later, and I am hurting like all hell has broken loose. The swelling, which had subsided earlier in the day, has puffed up again and now a part of my hand is also swollen. It hurts to move it or to try and flex it and the skin itches terribly. A friend told me to apply Ben*dryl cream, but I didn't have any, so I used the gel form.
I finally read a medical book to check out what to do and it said to ice the injured part. Fully realizing it is really late in the process to be doing that, I am alternately typing this and holding an ice pack on my hand, which really does hurt like hell. I took a Tylen*l and drank beer (which I know I should not do) and it still hurts.
I looked for a stinger, but the point of entry was not evident. Now and then it hurt, but didn't itch. I kept re-applying the paste of meat tenderizer and that helped a bit. Later in the afternoon, mr. kenju and I went to our health club to work out, and afterward, we went into the hot tub. I noticed immediately that the hot water did not make the hand hurt more (as cold water had), and I wondered why.
Now it is twelve hours later, and I am hurting like all hell has broken loose. The swelling, which had subsided earlier in the day, has puffed up again and now a part of my hand is also swollen. It hurts to move it or to try and flex it and the skin itches terribly. A friend told me to apply Ben*dryl cream, but I didn't have any, so I used the gel form.
I finally read a medical book to check out what to do and it said to ice the injured part. Fully realizing it is really late in the process to be doing that, I am alternately typing this and holding an ice pack on my hand, which really does hurt like hell. I took a Tylen*l and drank beer (which I know I should not do) and it still hurts.
UPDATE: It is now 6 am Tuesday morning. My itching hand woke me up an hour ago. Topical Benadryl has allowed it to ease off a little, and the application of another ice pack has helped a little, but not much.
Second Update: It is now 12:43pm. I took 2 Dr*mmam*ine about 6 am and slept until noon. It still hurts and itches! I just called my doctor's office and they are closed for the remainder of the day. What to do? What to do?!
Third Update: It is 10:17 pm. My hand is still swollen and it still hurts. Tomorrow morning I am going to call my doctor's office and see what she says to do. I'll keep you posted. For now, all I can say is keep away from the darn little buggers!
Second Update: It is now 12:43pm. I took 2 Dr*mmam*ine about 6 am and slept until noon. It still hurts and itches! I just called my doctor's office and they are closed for the remainder of the day. What to do? What to do?!
Third Update: It is 10:17 pm. My hand is still swollen and it still hurts. Tomorrow morning I am going to call my doctor's office and see what she says to do. I'll keep you posted. For now, all I can say is keep away from the darn little buggers!
27 comments:
Oh dear Judy, I hope you hand gets better soon, I hope u can see your doctor asap in the morning..if u cant see him today...maybe continueing to do what u have been untill then? But if your hand gets worse, u may have to go to an ER tonight..that totally bites, but if it keeps getting worse, u dont want to risk harming your hand more....have u called your local pharmacist? they may have some ideas also in the interum?
Please keep us posted.
Take another Tylenol and drink the other five beers in the six pack!
Pour white Vinegar into a bowl and immerse your hand in it. It will immediately feel very cold and take the sting out of it. It works for burns and also helps soften the skin and cleans the nails!
yikes! i hope the pain goes away soon, judy.
i am deathly allergic to bees and all other stinging insects.
Here's one from Google:
http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/yellowjacketst_scnl.htm
That last one was from me.
Isn't that always the way, when you need the doctor he's away.
If the pain and swelling doesn't go away soon, I would pick myself up and go to the ER.
So you'll sit there and be in pain instead of being at home in pain but eventually you'll get help.
Go girl!!
Whatever happens, hope you get out to dinner and celebrate your 44th!!
Isn't it enough that you have all those OTHER bees around?
Jeez, someone needs to send out an apiray newsletter or something.
Hope you get well soon, because ...ow.
Maybe just stay drunk until the pain goes away?
Or go to the ER and get a shot of epinephrine. You might be having a mild allergic reaction.
Keep us posted.
Thinking of you,
Pagan
Those yellow jackets are nasty. I got stung by one years ago and had a terrible reaction (I got all sick and feverish feeling). I hope you get into see someone soon and get it taken care of! {{{Hugs}}}
I thought it strange that you hadn't posted today. I'm really sorry to hear about your sting. Don't fool around with it.
I'm sure you have had a remedy by now but there's never any harm in taking Benadryl TABLETS. Ingested, they work a tad differently and I do believe their effects stay longer.
You could be mildly to moderately allergic. At least you have no other symptoms like breathing difficulty and such... in that case I'm sure you wouldn't mess around and would huff it to the nearest E.R.
Please feel better. Stings are just awful!
I can't believe you are typing with an ice pack on one hand. If it gets any wose you might consider going to the ER
Sorry to hear that! but you should get a blogging award, typing with an ice pack.
It definitely sounds like an allergic reaction to the sting to me Judy. Have you ever had this happen before? My mother use to have reaction to stings. You should just to to the hospital ER room to make sure. Do you have any redness running down your arm or your hand? Do you have any kind of rash? Make sure you take care of it before the 4th....when the hospital may be VERY busy. Keep us posted sweetie...
Wow, I thought I'd been bitten/stung by some ornery critters Judy but that sounds pretty bad.
Good news, your pics are back today so I guess its my internet or computer
Oh Judy, this sounds Horrible! And a bit worrisome, too! I know you are anxious to see the doctor and I will be very interested in what he/she says is going on...! It sure sounds like that Yellow Jacket had some bad stuff on the stinger...!
Oh dear, surely do hope you get some care for that sting soon. When I was on the east coast last Christmas I found going to a private urgent care type facility was really fast and quick with good care for my issue. Even have been frustrated out here with getting timely access to my new doctor, though I've had him several years (not like doctors used to be) and I've just hied myself off to one of our local urgent cares -- better than E.R. Have heard those yellow jackets can give a really bad sting. Do get better quick.
I am glad we don't have those little buggers here! I think I would go to A&E,
LOM
I HATE YELLOW JACKETS! I am so sorry and hope you are feeling better soon! Have you tried Benedryl pills? They always seem to help me more than the cream.
Oh my goodness. That sounds like an allergic reaction. Hope you got a medical opinion about it.
Ouch. Those yellow jackets are really annoying even in the best of times. Having a bad reaction to their sting makes it a whole lot worse. I hope you recover quickly, Judy.
I'm rather hoping we don't have them here. Hope you get relief soon
Has anyone ever heard of someone getting a yellow jacket stuck in their ear?I happened to me two weeks ago tomorrow and it still hurts. I had to go to the ER ( that I work at ) to get it removed. If he hadn't stopped stinging me on the way to the ER I'm not sure I would have survived. The pain was intense. The doctor assured me that it was dead even though I thought I felt it moving. I warned everyone in the ER that I screamed really load when it got anger and started sting. They got it out. When I got home with the evil one in a sealed cup it can back to life and lived 4 days. My ear bleed for two and a half day and it still hurts almost two weeks later. I tore my ear up with my finger nail trying to it out. The yellow jacket tore up my ear drum and had little bloody pieces of it stuck to it's feet. Not a day I'll soon forget.
Oh! I am sorry to hear that! I hope you will be better soon!
good Job! :)
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