Eunice,
I have noted your comments to the Bee-L for some time, but now you are
commenting on bee stings.  Although I am a retired scientist and NOT a medical
physician, I do have something to say relative to your question to Peter, i.
e., "where wisdom ends and paranoia begins".  Unfortunately, many readers are
going to disagree with me, but surely not alter my opinion.

The "general run" of allergists might be great for treating "hay fever", but
know precious little about honey bee stings.  Some do not even know the
difference between apis mellifera, bombus, and vespula, and even refer to all
three as BEES.
Treating of hay fever or itching is "where the money is" and not the
aggravation of
desensitizing a person truly allergic to honey bee stings.  I "found out" the
"hard way" forty years ago.

I started beekeeping in 1933 and had 65 colonies in 1963, and was getting
relatively few stings, maybe only 5-10 per day of bee work.  One late
afternoon, I
was making an artificial swarm and had thousands of bees on the grass, and I
was dressed only in shorts and tee-shirt (my hot-weather bee 'outfit").
Suddenly, I received about 30-40 stings particularly around my face.  I was
driven to a hospital
who gave me a shot of adrenaline as a precaution, and the doctors suggested
that I give up beekeeping.  I consulted some local allergists and soon
discovered that their knowledge of bee sting venom was quite limited.  Then,
I was informed that there
were two FAMOUS honey bee venom scientists at Johns Hopkins Hospital in
Baltimore, just 50 mile away.  I made an appointment with Dr. Golden, and
later Dr. Valentine, both quite famous now for their study of honey bee venom
action on humans, and how to DESENSITIZE a person.  I did NOT want to stop
beekeeping, nor did I want to wear a lot of protective clothing.  They could
and would desensitize me with a series of about 200 shots of an increased
dosage of venom with each shot.  However, Dr. Golden just happen to say that
I was NOT getting enough stings
each year to maintain a histamine titer that would essentially immunize me to
stings.  That was 40 years ago, and I still keep bees, but only 20 colonies
now due to my age and having suffered 5 strokes during the last 12 years; but
I get stung ON PURPOSE 2-3 times every week INCLUDING WINTER when I open a
hive and grab a bee
and force it to sting me.  I have not swollen or had welts in 40 years even
from those rare times when I have gotten 20-30 stings all at once.

You too, can be desensitized to honey bee stings, by a KNOWLEDGEABLE allergist
you specializes in this.  I think both Dr. Golden and Dr, Valentine are
either retired or dead now, but Johns Hopkins should be able to tell you if
they have anyone to replace them.

I am NOT going to answer those readers who want to argue with me, tell me
that I am crazy, or their allergist is the Number One Allergist in the
country.  I know what happened to me, and some other patients of Drs. Golden
and Valentine, and we
all have continued to keep bees WITHOUT ANY STING PROBLEMS after
desensitizing.

I hope I have helped, and you can be relieved of sting fear by a COMPETENT
allergist who really understands honey bee venom action.  The problem is
finding them.

George Imirie
Certified EAS Master Beekeeper
Ending my 70th year of beekeeping near Washington DC
Past President of Maryland State Beekeepers
Member of American Association of Professional Apiculturists
Author of George's Monthly PINK PAGES
Author of semimonthly Hobbyist Tips for American Beekeeping Federation News