Packing up - as of now!

[thebhoy]

Hi John,

sad to hear you had such an experience and I am sure you will view life differently now - such a bad way to find out you need to make such life changes - positive news is that you recognosed the need to act as you did rather than just waiting for it to 'get better'.

From a personal view - your post gave me a fright - I was stung at 8 o'clock this morning walking to work - the little B*? sneaked up behind me and got me on the back of the head - still sore - got the stinger out quickly and continued walking to work - could feel my head getting bad and my neck feeling tighter - after reading this I am pleased to find out that I am NOT so allergic to them and suffer no more than the irritation - thankfully.

A valuable lesson from your post and hopefully all members of the forum will take time to read it.

Very best wishes and hopefully your bees will go to a very good home.

thebhoy

 

[DrNick]

So sorry to hear this John, it is really shi**y to have to give up something you love, the scary thing about this is the way in which we have to find out if we are allergic, it's like putting a gun to your head and pulling the trigger to see if it is loaded.

Best wishes for the future.

In time you will find something to replace beekeeping, trust me.

 

[OXFORDBEE]

Hi,

I'm really sad to hear that you've had such a traumatic time. I can't add much to the comments everyone else has made other than to wish you the very best and congratulate you for coping so well with what must have been a very frightening situation.

With very best wishes for the future.....

All the best,

Steve.

 

[DulwichGnome]

Hi John, sorry to hear of your plight and good to hear of your recovery. Strangly I had the theme for 'Black Hawk Down' going in my head since reading you post.

Good luck for the future and don't forget those of us who are still out there.

Mike.

 

[Heather]

So very sorry- but you found out in time- and another door will open- trust me-
Just hope your bees find a good home- and will be safely looked after.
every good wish for a healthy future.
Heather

 

[FenBee]

I too am very sorry to read about what happened to you! May I wish you good health and better luck with a new hobby.

 

[oliver90owner]

Very sorry to hear that any beekeeper should have to give up for that reason. Without a doubt you have no choice.

Was this the first actual bee sting you have had?

If so, and even if not, the advice of getting stung before taking up beekeeping is probably the best advice to all potential beekeepers. Better to find out sooner than later.

Beekeepers will be stung from time to time. I swell up from bee stings so I am very careful in the neck area. I wear 3 layers to prevent stings - hot, I know, but better than getting stung or giving up. Other people worry about the swelling more than me.

Glad you survived. I read somewhere there were 18 fatalities in a year (recent report) mainly from a single sting. I don't think there are usually as many deaths due to lightning strikes each year. Maybe someone can find the true statistics?

Any plans, yet, for an alternative hobby?

Regards, RAB

 

[user 382]

John, sounds like one hell of a scare, but glad you are on the mend. Maybe you ought to take up a safer hobby... like sky diving or stock car racing. Only kidding!

However, your experience does point out the importance of having a mobile to hand or possibly another person with you during an inspection should the worst happen. And this goes for experienced beekeepers as well - I read the other day that even after being stung many times before you can suddenly become sensitised to stings and have a reaction such as yours.

Anyway, take care and hope you find another enjoyable and as rewarding hobby.

Steve

 

[Geoff]

I have read recently that 4 people die on average from bee and wasp stings in the UK so what happened to Planbee was very rare. He is indeed very unlucky to have such a reaction and i thank god he survived it.
I am not so sure I see why a neighbour having bees is going to increase the risk of someone having such an attack. A single sting will trigger such an attack and could be triggered by a single foraging bee. Bees seem to spread out over a large area to forage rather than concentrating near the hive, so the bee could come quite a distance. Perhaps people would be better not to grow flowers that bees visit. As a gardener I know that the way to increase the number of bees in the garden is to provide the right floral attractants.

 

[Baggyone]

I took at least six stings to the head on my first association open apiary and got a fairly bad headache from that but nothing compared to heart stopping. Thats gotta stop you in your tracks and think about life a bit.
I hope that your recovery continues and that you will still stay with us if only to remind us of how bad the reaction can be every now and then.
Do not mourn the loss of bees, celebrate life.

Chris

 

[shonabee]

What a rubbish thing to happen! Am glad to hear you're on the mend/mended now, though.

 

[johnvalentine]

Went to my bee's on Tuesday afternoon, and took a small "ding" on left ear.

I've always had severe reactions to stings, but never been stung in head area.

An immediate reaction this time, within four minutes, I'd thrown the roof back onto the hive, got out from the tree's, under two fences, into the open where I could be seen, removed suit, and rung ambulance, then collapsed.

When paramedic arrived, my heart had stopped, apparently, and they got me going.

Then a Heli-vac ride to the North Staff Royal Infirmary, [which I know nothing about, a great shame!]

Came to about 3 hours later, I won't describe the effects, except to say that it's not nice - and they catheterized me, which isn't nice, either, had that once before, but under anaesthethic, but not this time.

Came out yesterday, complete with loads of tablets, including steroids to get fluid from lungs, and a pair of "Epi-pens".

Next two jobs - get rid of all bee's and gear, and get medi-bracelet!

I'm in mid Staffs, if anyone is interested, I need to shift the bee's and hives first, [you will - I'm not going near them].

They are at two sites, each within 2 miles of Stone, Staffs.

The other bits and pieces from my shed, will have to wait until I get back on my feet properly, sometime next week.

If anybody wants to PM me, I'd be pleased to discuss things.

John

hi John
I pm,d you re any gear left over.
I can collect have own van
john

 

[Geoff]

I really must sympathise with you Planbee. It really is a sad thing to happen. I wonder whether i can ask you something as you have experienced something that none of us have experienced and i suppose you have learnt a lot of new things recently, as you do when these things happens. Me - I am an expert on heart disease and clinical depression!
Will you be allergic to wasp stings as well? I just wondered because while researching about such reactions I came across the treatment for wasp stings and bee stings. As it was different it seemed to me that the venom was different. sorry to ask but compared to the rest of us you are the expert on this now.