We have been getting stung now regularly for the last 6 weeks, usually yellow jackets but an occassional hornet. The hornet sting feels like getting shot and swells much worse. Three weeks ago we got stung multiple times and laughed afterwards saying we guess we weren't allergic. I counted 19 bites and my friend, Teresa, 11bites. The next week Teresa gets stung about 3 miles from the trailer, gets mad and rides to the front saying she is sick and tired of always being last and getting stung and down the trail she goes. I catch up to her and she has her helmet off itching her head and says she wonders what lice feels like. I was laughing until I get beside her and look at her, her lips were swelling and everywhere she itched was whelping up. I realized she was having a reaction and started yelling for my other friend who is an ER nurse but she is too far behind us to hear me. I got her to the trailer poked 4 benadryl's and 1 loratadine down her and am leaning on the horn trying to get Cindi, the nurse, to hurry up. By now she is having trouble breathing and I'm wanting a NURSE. She finally arrives and we start for town trying to get into cell phone coverage. I'm really surprised my horses get willingly into a trailer after that incident the way I drove. By time we get out of the mountains she is starting to lose consciousness and Cindi wants to know if I have a ball point pen, seems we may have to poke a hole in her throat if it gets much worse. Now I'm officially worried! Finally get 911 and they start an ambulance towards us. I make it out of the mountains and we were doing 95 when ambulances converge on us. I now know how long it takes to stop a fully loaded trailer at that speed. Too long. Cindi jumps out and since we have our choice of ambulances she wants to know which ones are EMT's and which ones are paramedics. Seems there is a big difference if your life is at stake. Cindi winds up starting an IV on Teresa and getting her the medicine she needed and rides with her to the hospital, I slowed way down and took all the horses to their various homes. So, now we are all worried about Teresa and carry those epi-pens, as the doctors say it could happen faster next time. So last Thursday she gets stung again, once again out on the trail a long way from hospitals. We decided to wait it out and guess what? Nothing! Sure makes me wonder how many people are running around scared to death of bees and worried the next attack may be their last. Linda Norton
