Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Ask Not for Whom the Wasp Stings -- It Stings for Me!

Last Sunday, as I was walking to my car to go to church, I got stung by a wasp. For some people, that's about as serious as a mosquito bite; for others, it's a matter of life and death within minutes if no measures are taken. Me, I'm somewhere in the middle, probably leaning toward the needing-to-take-measures side without necessarily being a matter of life and death. I've always reacted to wasp and bee stings pretty violently, and it seems to be getting worse over time. Now, I take two Benadryl asap and don't worry about it too much.

Well, this time, I've felt sick more than I have with previous stings. It's right in my bad shoulder (the right one), and it's swollen up pretty well. I can feel the joint locking up whenever I try to move my arm. And of course, I have two rings of firm red skin. About an inch around the sting site is a darker red, and the skin has no give whatsoever. Until yesterday, the outer ring was not quite as dark, and the skin was taut but still slightly pliable.

Since yesterday, the fluid underneath the skin spread down my arm and turned the skin red. Just a few minutes ago (about 11:10pm Wed), I looked in the mirror, and the swelling has gone below my elbow. I'm 99% sure this is just built-up fluid moving through the body since I haven't had my arm elevated (maybe better down my arm than into my chest?). The sting site does feel better; the skin is slightly more pliable, so I'm pretty sure I'm on the mend.

At least I've gotten quite a bit of sleep through the ordeal!

1 comment:

claymonster said...

benadryl, the great and powerful wonder drug. Oh, and sleep aid.
Hope this thing clears up all the way, and fast!