Dave said:
> Bee stings do nothing for my rheumatoid arthritis, or my wife's.

I understand your pain. My mother was crippled by rheumatoid arthritis and I
have an employee who's father is being crippled. Arthritis runs in my family
and my doctor has tried to pin some of my ills on arthritis but the tests he
gave me came back negative for arthritis. The doc said arthritis simply
jumped a generation in my family . My regular doctor is a close friend and
we made a bet and he lost. Doc said he can't remember when a man my age had
a negative test for arthritis.
I grew up with Horace Bell ( lifelong commercial beekeeper) and spent many
days as a child at his house and saw the arthritis problems with his father
& mother. We see each other often and we both are amazed at being free from
the pain of arthritis.
We both started getting stings at an early age and almost daily. I had a bee
yesterday crawl up my nose and sting me inside my nose. She had been walking
around on my face but I guess she thought my nose was the entrance to the
hive? No swelling.
I don't welcome stings in a few places (inner ear, eye  or eyelid for
example) but when you do not swell the reaction is minimal. We had our bee
picnic today and a member said he had one sting on the face when he was
working pulling honey and closed both his eyes and he had to lose a day of
work.
At times ( not always of course) around my house or Bell's you need a veil 
if visiting to get from
the car to the house.
So Dave all I can say is that commercial beekeepers which really do get
numbers of stings a season (which make hobby beekeepers cringe) and have
been taking these stings for decades *seem*  (no way to prove either way)to
be free of arthritis.
My employee who's father has rheumatoid arthritis used to really get upset
when he became stung years ago and doubted (personal conversation) he would
ever develop a full immunity but he has. No swelling at all.
I hope he can avoid arthritis in his old age as I believe the stings help.
I have read rheumatoid arthritis is cause by a nutritional problem but I do
not think doctors really know what causes the problem. Mine has said its
inherited and runs in families.(but skipped Horace & me)
I do know as a teenager I would hear my mother cry at night from the pain.
Sorry to hear of your and your wife's arthritis Dave!
I wish a cure could be found! I have a friend who's wife has rheumatoid
arthritis and he takes his wife for a infusion every few weeks which
Medicare pays for ($4,000 each treatment) and he says the treatment really
helps.
I donate to the arthritis foundation every year and hope others would 
consider doing the same!
bob

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