A few years ago my son had a severe allergic reaction after being stung.  His
body became quicly covered with red spots, he had  an intense fever and he
almost fell unconscious.  By the time we got to the hospital (about 30 minutes)
he was recovering.  The reaction was so bad that I felt that I had to something
about it in a very urgent manner or quit beekeeping. A doctor proposed us to
have him follow a desensitizing program.  This was involving many trips to a
remote hospital.  The whole treatment was supposed to last for many month and we
first had to go trough a long waiting list.
I read about bee venom allergy quite a bit.  I read in some IBRA publication
that in the two weeks following an allergic reaction, a person would not have
another allergic reaction. My wife and  I decided to capture some bees and
bring our son near an hospital where we would voluntarily sting him.  That's
what we did.  Our son had no reaction  at all.  Then we kept stinging him at
every two weeks, every month and so on.  We now sting him only 3-4 times a year.
He now seems to be desensitized.
 
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' JEAN-PIERRE CHAPLEAU                         eleveur de reines/bee breeder '
' Chapleau & Courtemanche enr.                                               '
' 1282, rang 8, St-Adrien, Quebec, Canada, J0A 1C0                           '
' [log in to unmask]                         tel./phone (819) 828-3396 '
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