Debra
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Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Just a heads up reminder for us with children....
None of my 3 "children" 31, 26 and 11 have I ever known to have allergies....(except) when my 31 yr. old was 5 she got stung by a bee, she swelled up
pretty good and it was a friday evening (old days, better safe than sorry with the weekend coming) so I took her to the clinic....they treated her and
told me that that reaction could turn much worse, so to keep Benadral around at all times for her.....fast forward 25 yrs....., 3 days ago my 26yr.
old son was mowing his lawn and was stung, he thought no big deal until he couldn't breath.......he was rushed to the ER in antifalatic shock, airways
shut off, ....the whole thing. They gave him a shot and he's fine. But, they told him to keep an "Eppy Pin" at all times.......so, I'm thinking "is
this a wake up call?" I took Brendan to the Dr. today for a counsel......knowing in Baja it could be hours for help....sure enough, the Dr. told me
that even if it hasn't happen before (Brendan has been stung) it could happen at anytime with the family history, and the venom can add up in the
body. We were sent home with an "Eppy Pin" and Benidral......
I looked at Camp Gecko's site a couple of days ago and Doc. mentioned that the bees of May were still hanging around and this, with my older son's
trip to the hospital got me a bit concerned so I thought I should pass it along.....as I said, better safe than sorry.
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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Good advice. We always carry benedryl and added an epi pen to out first aid kit a few years ago.
Years ago I came home from dinner with an old girlfriend. We parked the car in the parking lot after dark and started the walk to her aparment. On the
way she complained of a sting or prick in her sandled foot. When we got into the apartment a few minuted later, she started having trouble breathing.
She was a dentist and tried to treat herself by taking some benedryl and getting into a cold bath. When she passed out cold in the bathtub, I wrapped
her up in a blanket and drove the 1 mile to the hospital. They shot her with an epi pen before we even got inside and she was fine a few hours later.
She had never had a previous reaction and we didn't see what bit her.
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
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So I walk up to the counter and I says "I need 20 bottles of the Benedril 55 milligrams" I realized later that I was headed for big trouble when I
filled out a form asking personal questions, just for post-nasal drip I thought. The pharmacist sure took his time and he asked me "why do you need
all those pills" I didn't care, I told him they were for my customers. He said " at your restaurant?" I nodded.
The next day a couple of gentlemen were sitting at the food bar and asked "do give out pills to your customers?" I said "why do you want know?" Well,
we are detectives they say and they received a curious call from a concerned pharmacist. They again said "are you giving drugs to your"customers?" I
explained to them how many stupid people there are going to seafood restaurants with seafood allergies. Therefore in order to protect myself we hand
them out like dinner mints. It's insurance if you will. 
---------------------------------------
Oh yeah, by the way, I lied. I made that story up. It's based on my opinion of people who compromise others with their stupidity.. Not a bad idea though! 
[Edited on 7-9-2005 by Sharksbaja]
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Debra
Super Nomad
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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EEEGADS!
Your story reminds me when I finally got to Chula Vista, Aug. 2001 with a broken back from an accident at Punta Cabras......I was in a "waiting room"
for 8 /12 hrs. until they finally looked at me (what, I was "drug seeking?") until they saw my X Rays) by that time they said....."oh, oh, you need an
MRI....gave me a shot for the obvious pain , then came back and said, the MRI people have gone home, you need to come back tommorow.......HUH!? Seems
that all they would have had to do was check my medical records (or taken CARE OF ME!) , (they had them) to see that drug seeking isn't my
history......but, no! And to beat it all, they hounded me for their "pay" which I spent over a year writing letters and sending my insurance company
records, and, my insurance company sent them letters......showing the payments! Seems, that somthing is missing in the Health field?
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Marie-Rose
Senior Nomad
Posts: 894
Registered: 10-2-2003
Location: Victoria, B.C. and Todos Santos
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Mood: Worried...
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When we were camping at LaPerla last year we had a swarm of bees park themselves on a tree a couple of campsites away. I had never experience bees of
this nature. We all got bit at least once. They were very aggresive!!
Good warning Debra!!
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Debra
Super Nomad
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Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Update:
My son Dustin (the bee sting guy) came over today and told me more of what happened. Seems he wasn't going to go to the ER (he was worried because
he doesn't have insurance, and of course he is "tuff") His friend that was there at the time saw fluid coming out of his ears and said "OH YEAH, you
are going!" Scooped him up (not easy to do with a 6'9" guy!) and thank God that the ER was only 15mins. away......by the time he got to the ER his
breathing had almost totally shut down, he was swollen beyond recognition (head, to his torso) they gave him a shot right away of straight adenlin
(sp?) and then pumped in him 2 IV drip bags of what he thinks was Benidral...they told him he would probably be dead right now if he had goten there
even 10mins. later. This happened 4 days ago and he's still pretty sick. We had had no history in our family. Or so I thought, the Dr. told me that
a sure sign of a danger of developing a severe reaction is even if you get a red spot where you have been stung, and not just with bees, any
insect....and it can change from one bite to another.
So everybody PLEASE....we travel to such out of the way places, you might want to take a trip to your Dr. and bring this up. Ask if an Eppy Pin
might be in order, or at least throw some Benidral in you first aid kit.
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
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Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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thanks Debra real good advice for everyone.
If any one coming down could bring me a couple of those Eppy pins I would gladly pay for them and buy you a beer. I shuld have that in my first aid
kit .
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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bajalera
Super Nomad
Posts: 1875
Registered: 10-15-2003
Location: Santa Maria CA
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That's helpful advice I intend to take--thank you, Debra!
\"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest never happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.\" -
Mark Twain
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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I have run into more swarms of bees
in the last 2 years than ever in my life. Kinda sounds like muffled hail and you sure don't want your wind wings sticking out. Probably 5 swarms not
including the butterfly flocks? swarms? herds?
And, on the property in the hills above SanBartolo, I used to hear what I thought to be a small plane flying low. I would hear this heading down the
arroyo in the morning and up in the evening.
Then, I realized it was a huge swarm of bees taking off on their gathering rounds and then returning to their rural home in the evening. Quite
impressive to be sure.
Great advice Debra. Maybe these would be a good thing for the clinics to carry down south if anyone has connections for this kinda stuff?
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Debra
Super Nomad
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Eppy Pins are by perscription only (at least up here in the States) Also the dose would have to be figured for the person. This medication is
nothing to play with (share) I'm told when you get the shot it causes your heart to race (Dustin thought that was going to kill him!) it's adrenilin I
guess and can be dangerous in it's self, and it not the end all, you still need follow up care and meds. The first line of defence with a sting or
bite should be the Benidril (Diphenlydramine) , this is the over the counter stuff we all take for sneezing, itchy nose/eyes and such, the adult dose
should be 50mg, every 4 to 6 hrs. 25mg for a child age 6 to 12yrs. of course this would very with weight, (helps with the itching too) under 6 it
says to ask a Dr. but, if your kid is in trouble and you can't ask I'd give them 1/2 a pill. only if that doesn't work, then the Eppy Pin. (disclainer
here: I am not a Dr. and give no medical advice, just passing along what Brendan's Dr. told me.) It's just meant to keep you alive until you can get
to a Dr. I'm sure the clinics in Baja carry them, but, how fast can you get to the clinic if needed?
Last summer the kids and I went over to San Rosilitta (sp?) and ran into a swarm, I yelled at the kids to get on the ground as it passed by the second
time. Also last May at Camp Gecko there was a swarm looking for a place to hive (according to Doc.) they had already been there for a week, which
Doc. said was very unusual, he said that they usually only stay a few days. On his web-site right now he mentions that they are still there.
If you do decide to add an Eppy Pin to your first aid kit, watch the experation date, they don't last forever and will have to be replaced. Also a
concern I have looking at the care instructions, storage needs to be 56f to 86f (just how I'm going to pull that one off, I'll have to figure out.)
And know how to use it before you need it!
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
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Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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Wow it sounds like I would need a deferent one for each member of the family. Is that correct Debra ?
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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RJM
Newbie
Posts: 23
Registered: 7-2-2004
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Debra, good information! Last May after I met you and Mike at the launch ramp; I took a sip of beer and was immediately stung by a bee on the bottom
of my tongue. The bee left its stinger in my tongue in one of the little blue veins and I had to remove it with tweezers. I took 4 Benadryl and
watched as my tongue got bigger and bigger. I made arrangements to be driven into town if my breathing started to be effected or my tongue got so big
it started to choke me. As you probably remember; "Doc", wasn't around and I wasn't sure that anyone would be at the clinic in town. After about 2
hours I knew I was going to be all right.
I believe the large dose of Benadryl did the job and I will not be caught without it in the future. That bee swarm stayed around our cabin at Gecko
for most of one morning. I tried to give one of the stickers to Pompano that you gave me when I traveled through Mulege; but I couldn?t make contact
with him by radio.
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
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Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Kids and allergies
Twenty + years ago, one of my sisters and her family were visiting us and her young son (8) was bitten by an insect . Her husband captured the insect
and came to me with the kid, whose arm was swelling at the bite location and asked me how dangerous it was. I said "beats Heck out of me, I've never
seen one before". He asked my advice and I responded "It's up to you, he's your kid. I'd just wait it out. To begin with, I have no idea how good
any of the doctors in town are and if it's really bad, you won't make it over the border in time". The kid was eventually OK, but they never came
back down.
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Debra
Super Nomad
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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Bruce, I belived they come in 2 dose strenghts Adult & Junior check with the Dr. They gave Brendan the Adult dose, he weights 85#s.
Rjm, and others......do as all knowing Baja Kids do, turn you pop-top on your can of soda (or cervasa) around, no bees can get in it. OUCH! that
must have hurt.
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Fatboy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 716
Registered: 6-28-2005
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Epi Pens give us a piece of mind. Our 7 year old daughter is extremely allergic to Peanuts (and many other things) and we carry the Pen with use
everywhere almost. Remember to speak to your health care provider. In our case if she comes in contact with peanuts and starts to show any signs we
are on the way to the hospital, in a severe case our doctor told us the pen will gives us about an additional 15 minutes before it becomes life
threatening. So if you have one it is not a cure all and medical aid should still be sought. I have been stung many times by bees with no adverse
reactions so everyone needs to find their own risk exposure before stocking up on Epi pens and slapping one into someones leg because they were stung
by a bee or having a food reaction. On the other hand it can kill quickly, after many trips to the emergency room and two very close calls with our
daughter, before we found out the cause, we now realize how quickly it can happen so don't ignore it.
You know the problem with getting older? You start learning the many ways this world is attempting to remove you from the gene pool.
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