On our way to the ER...

My oldest son, Justice was stung by a wasp yesterday at the park. It swelled up a little bit but with ice and baking soda, the swelling went down and all was fine.
Well, he woke up this morning and his hand is so swollen it's tight and he can't close it

So I called his Dr. and they said he's having an allergic reaction and to take him to the emergency room.

Can I have some vibes for him to get well soon?

I will update when we get back

Oh no! Poor kid! Many for him! I hate bee and wasp stings!

Oh no!!!

Lots and lots of

Poor little guy! I hope he's doing better now...

More vibes coming

That same type of thing happened to my son once. He was stung on his leg by a bee/wasp. He was fine at first, but the next morning the place where he was stung was swollen and had welts around it, also, his whole leg was swollen and painful. I was told by the hospital he had a severe localized reaction. I think a life-threatening allergic reaction will occur within the first 20 minutes after being stung.

Good luck and let us know how your son is doing.

Poor guy! Vibes for a quick recovery!

for your son, Alycia. and may there not be much more drama in your life. Keep us posted!

Oh dear, I hope things are ok after ER - that's scary!

I know how wasp/bee stings are. I've been lucky so far this year and haven't been stung compared to 3 stings at once last year and 7 stings all at once the year before.
I don't have delayed reaction like Justice did. I help he gets relief today with no lingering effects.

Hope you are feeling better .. good old chicken soup helps!!

We're back!

He's on prescription steriods for 3 days and they gave him prescription strength Benadryl at the hospital

But he has to carry an EpiPen with him for the rest of his life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epi-pen
They said it was a moderate reaction this time but he didn't go into anaphylactic shock because it was just his hand. If it was anywhere on his upper torso or head, he would have.

My mom has to carry the quick disolving tablets because she's allergic also.

His hand is still swollen and it will be for a couple of days but he's definatly feeling better then he was.

Thanks for all the vibes!

Did they show you and him how to use the Epi-pen?? WHen I was growing up one of the neighbor's had a severe reaction to bees (he was a strawberry grower) and always had the epi pen on him. Make sure the school nurse is aware of this and his teachers esp if there are field trips.

You'll probably want to make sure there's not too many things around your house that would attract wasps and bees (flowering bushes and shrubs), and just avoid areas like that if you have to be somewhere that has a lot of them - like a park.

It's strange though. I've had many times that I should have been stung, just a few weeks ago I had a wasp fly into and get tangled in my hair. I used to play with bumble bees as a child...
I guess when one is allergic or tries too hard not to be stung that's when it's going to happen.

I hope he gets to feeling better soon and doesn't have anymore run in's with wasps.

Originally Posted by GailC

Did they show you and him how to use the Epi-pen?? WHen I was growing up one of the neighbor's had a severe reaction to bees (he was a strawberry grower) and always had the epi pen on him. Make sure the school nurse is aware of this and his teachers esp if there are field trips.

Click to expand...

I am going to have to ask them if he has to keep it in the office or if he's allowed to have it on him.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

You'll probably want to make sure there's not too many things around your house that would attract wasps and bees (flowering bushes and shrubs), and just avoid areas like that if you have to be somewhere that has a lot of them - like a park.

It's strange though. I've had many times that I should have been stung, just a few weeks ago I had a wasp fly into and get tangled in my hair. I used to play with bumble bees as a child...

I guess when one is allergic or tries too hard not to be stung that's when it's going to happen.

I hope he gets to feeling better soon and doesn't have anymore run in's with wasps.

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That's where we were when it happened... At the park

Brandon is going all around the house this weekend and checking for any nests also

A tip for you. Several years ago I had well two nests in two different compost bins that I couldn't get the spray can near the small openings so a garden friend advised me to buy a turkey baster and the Sevin brand powder insecticide. You fill the turkey baster with the powder and the squeeze the bulb to get the dust in smaller spots. This worked well but this should be done closer to dusk and when its cooler as the wasps don't move around as much.

Originally Posted by GailC

A tip for you. Several years ago I had well two nests in two different compost bins that I couldn't get the spray can near the small openings so a garden friend advised me to buy a turkey baster and the Sevin brand powder insecticide. You fill the turkey baster with the powder and the squeeze the bulb to get the dust in smaller spots. This worked well but this should be done closer to dusk and when its cooler as the wasps don't move around as much.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip!

I don't want to sound like an over protective mother but now I'm paranoid to let him go outside

I mean what if he is too scared to give himself the shot?

Originally Posted by Dixie_Darlin

I mean what if he is too scared to give himself the shot?

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If he's old enough (maturity wise) to understand you tell him the honest truth as to what could happen if he doesn't..

Alycia I'm so sorry to hear that your DS has a venom allergy! I myself am allergic to wasps and hornets, and I must (should) carry an epi-pen during warmer weather. There are actually about 8 different types of stinging insect venom, and it's rare for someone to be allergic to all of them. I'm reactive to only two. If you can find out which ones he needs to avoid, then you can learn which ones to look for. I understand your fear of another reaction, but you can learn to deal with this AND let your DS have some fun!

The Epi-pen is one of those things you know you need to have on hand, but you hope you'll never have to use it. It's generally only used in a full-blown anaphalactic reaction, when swelling of the face or tongue or difficulty breathing is noticed. Did the ER staff give you or your son any instruction on how or when to use the epi-pen? If not, try calling back to the ER or calling your son's pediatrician to ask about an instructional video or a consultation. And definitely notify school personnel as soon as possible!!

FWIW, I was stung earlier this summer (in the armpit, as I was picking up my DD!), and did not have my epi-pen with me. Two things that were fortunate for me: 1)I was at a friend's home, and she had benadryl on hand, which I took immediately after the sting, and 2)it was not a species to which I was reactive. Even if it had been an allergenic sting, the benadryl would have helped slow an anaphalactic reaction and given me a bit of time to get to medical attention.