Hi Robert,
 
All stings hurt even after all the many that I have had.  My advice to
new beekeepers is----
Get stung twice.  Once USUALLY tells you how bad a reaction you are
going to get.  And
USUALLY the second is not as bad.  That is how it works for most
people.  If I work the bees
and don't get stung I will grab a bee and get her to sting me.  I feel
that that is how I keep my immunity up.  (helps my arthiritis too)
 
If you keep getting the same bad reaction you might want to try a new
hobby!
Mother Nature gave the bees a wonderful thing---------- HONEY!!!!
She also gave them a way to protect that good stuff!!!
 
billy bee
 
----------
> From: Robert Watson <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: A Lesson Learned
> Date: 25 juil. 1997 17:12
>
> I wrote a while ago about getting stung several times in my left hand
> while hiving a swarm, this May.
> My hand swelled up rather large, and by the next day the swelling was
> going up my arm.
> I was convinced by some people that I should get some medical help.
> I was give Prednisone.
> The swelling went down eventually - I wondered if the drug made any
> difference.
>
> Anyway, today I got a sting in my left wrist...first sting since the
> multiple ones in May.  I went immediately to the nearest Walk-in
Clinic,
> in case I was going to have a bad reaction... I didn't!  So I never
got
> out of the car,  just drove back to the beeyard.
>
> But as the day progresses, I'm finding the pain and swelling is
> increasing....I took one Benadryl (over the counter
antihistamine)..and
> all it did was make me fall asleep.
>
> The swelling is moving slowly...in three hours it has crept about two
> inches up my arm. So now the area from my wrist to 3/4 up my arm is
> slightly swollen and achy.
>
> If it keeps moving I will go to the Clinic again... but I don t want
to...
> I feel that my body has to learn how to deal with this without a
major
> sort of drug that takes over for your adrenal system!
>
> I dimly recall getting stung by some kind of insect as a child, in
the
> finger...the pain  (i dont recall swelling) moved up my arm all the
way to
> my shoulder over many hours... My parents (perhaps rightly) took us
out
> shopping and I just got better on my own...
>
> ...sorry to go on ... just the concerns of a new beekeeper who aint
> accustomed to stings quite yet.
>
> Rob
>
> Robert C.L. Watson
> [log in to unmask]
> pipe organ technician    organist - choirmaster    early woodwind
player
> hobby beekeeper    homebrewer   tenor