bee sting

Newest Member of an Unhappy Club

What happened to you? I was stung by bees.

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On your face? No, my left hand. Then what happened to...? Hives.

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And the tongue? Anaphylaxis. Ana-what? Quit making fun of me!

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I should have known something was wrong on Wednesday. Both mower batteries ran out right when I got near the garden. Then the string trimmer ran out of string. Did I take the hint and retire for the day? No, I re-threaded the trimmer, charged the batteries and powered on…into a nest of ground bees.

It didn’t take long before I was at Urgent Care getting prednisone and Benedryl injections. The photo is what the Benedryl shot did to me.

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Now I am the latest, unhappy member of the Epi-Pen Club. I know I’m not the only one out there, but this is all very unfamiliar to me. I’ve had anaphylactic reactions before, but no one has taken me seriously when I talked about them. This time the doctors actually saw it, and I think their responses are freaking me out.

I picked up my pens at the pharmacy today, and I was surprised at how large they are. I’m trying to picture me carrying them everywhere I go. And then, where do you keep them so they are easy to get to? How do you know for sure when to use them? If anyone would like to share their experiences, I would be happy to learn.

For now the pens are still in their pharmacy bag sitting on my desk. I mean, if I ignore them, the problem will go away, right?

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I’ll guard the door. No bees will get in here!

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Murphy has been very attentive to me this week. I think he realizes I don’t feel well.

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Sick Puppy

Yesterday was a day or horrors for my little guy.  For the second time in a month, Toby stepped on a bee.  Well, I’m presuming it was a bee.  We were walking in some grass, not even near clover or other flowers, when Toby jumped and started waving his paw around.  As soon as he got stung, he started vomiting and having diarrhea.  I filled 6 bags full of puppy stuff before I could even get him turned around to head back home.  He suffered like that for 4 – 4 1/2 before he finally fell  asleep.  It was not the day either of us had planned.

I stepped on one of these creatures about a year ago.  Whatever the stinging thing is, it hides under the grass and gets you when you step on it.  Most would say these are ground bees, but my understanding is that ground bees live underground, not that they hide in the grass. 

The good news is that Toby seems to be feeling better today. He is a bit tired, and his appetite isn’t quite what it normally is, but he is much more chipper. I was just wondering if anyone knows what stinging thing might be lurking in our grass. Or, what ( if anything) can you do for a pup who is having a reaction like this. My human doctor seemed to feel that the only bee sting reaction you need to worry about his anaphylaxis.  Is the same true for pups?

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Dream Our World

To find out what Toby likes to do when he is not suffering from being poisoned by nasty critters, pick up a copy of Dream Our World! Inside, Toby ad his big brother Geordie explore the world of art from a canine perspective and enjoy a day of unsupervised fun.

Dream Our World, and other fine gifts, are available from my shop at L Bowman Studios.

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Sox on the Beach

Are you wearing socks at the beach? No, that's a tan line.
Nerd!

For heaven’s sake, I go bare-pawed. Why can’t you?

I stopped going barefoot years ago because I always seemed to step on bees. A friend convinced me to try “earthing” to try to connect to the power of the planet through contact. Well, I connected alright – with a bee. I guess it’s back to nerdy socks and shoes.

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L Bowman Studios

Perhaps you have a kitty named Socks and would like her portrait done or have a friend with a birthday coming up and need a unique gift. If so, stop by L Bowman Studios to see examples of pet portraits I have done as well as sizes and pricing.

Pet portraits are also a loving way to pay tribute to a pet who has passed.

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Qap

What happened? I got stung by a bee. Yikes. You sure can't cover that with a mask. Aagh! Call Patrick Stewart! The Klingons are coming!

I’ve been getting a lot of “Third Eye” comments lately too.

Young cairn terrier looking over his shoulder.

Don’t try to kid yourself. You always look like that.

In case you were wondering, “Qap” is Klingon for “The Bee Sting”. Believe it or not, if you go to Google Translate, you can translate words into Klingon.

Cover of the book Dream Our World

For an adventure that needs no translation, pick up a copy of Dream Our World. Inside, my two boys go on an adventure of the imagination in the art museum of their dreams.

Dream Our World is available both from my shop and from Amazon.

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Where’s Robert Redford?

Trying to look on the bright side after my fall, I told myself that my enforced sedentism would allow me to catch up sewing or drawing or maybe even blog posts. Instead, the lack of adequate exercise has left me unable to focus on anything and eating way too much.

Last week I was finally able to hobble out to the garden and plant some bedding plants my folks had bought.  I had forgotten just how peaceful it can be in the garden, focusing on one small task at a time when – wham! – some stupid bee stung me.  Twice.

I got stung by a bee while working in the garden.

As always, my boys are completely unconcerned with what happened to me. Toby in particular has been miserable to deal with because he hasn’t had enough exercise.  The two of them jump on me and tip over the trash can and steal my books.  Toby has discovered the bag I have ready to go to charity.  No matter where I put it or how I secure it, he figures out a way to grab something and run.

Enjoy your naughtiness now, little puppy for one day I will be better. On that day, you’ll be in trouble…

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