Bee Stings for the Win!

Once upon a time, I was a little girl who had been stung by bees five separate times.

Each subsequent reaction was worse. The last of those stings was on the front of my ankle, and for a week my foot and ankle were nearly doubled in size.

In the retrospect of later years, I realized that I was allergic to bees. It was confirmed through testing that I was definitely allergic. With worsening reactions, I was advised to carry an epipen during warm weather for possible anaphylaxis.

Do you know how much those things cost? A lot! And how much stress I had around bees? A lot!

Years later still (and just last month), my current doctor recommended bee venom therapy to kick start the immune system and augment the functions of my other current therapies (I think?). I explained my history with bees and that I was allergic.

"Have you ever had throat swelling?" she inquired.

"Well, no."

"If you try this and do have an anaphylactic reaction, we have epinephrine ready. But know that no one I've ever given this to has had anaphylaxis. Pain, swelling, and itching, yes, but no throat swelling."

Aw, what the heck, I thought. "Go ahead." The worst I could do is die, which doesn't really intimidate me anymore, ha!

She injected bee venom under the skin of my lower back. It stung and swelled just like I remember with real bees. But I sat through some IV therapy in the office after that, and guess what! I didn't die!

NEAT.

I had three more injections of bee venom today. (We're working up to ten per session.)

And I didn't die--again!

You guys, this peace of mind is sa-WEET!! I love it! No more epipens. No more surges of alarm when a bee hovers around me (well, actually, give me time to work on that). Bees and I can be friends! We could maybe get a beehive, aaaaaw!

After that first injection, my back was swollen, but I felt at ease. I sat next to my alyssums, marigolds, and herbs as dozens of bees bopped around the countless blossoms. For the first time ever, I was happy those bees were there. Next year, I'll plant even more flowers for those bees to enjoy because I no longer need to avoid them. My lifelong fear of bees is gone!