No, I am not talking about "white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants".
I'm talking about the vicious, flying insect that stung me. Saturday. On my big toe.
There I was, walking back to the church where I teach piano. I was happily sipping an unsweetened iced tea. Thankful for a little break between students.
I turned onto the sidewalk, through the parking lot, when suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my right big toe. It felt like I had been cut by glass. I stooped over and removed my sandal. Sticking out of the side of my toe was what looked like a miniature poison dart. I pulled it out, thinking it was a stinger of some kind. Then I saw the squashed lifeless, form of some kind of an insect, on the ball of my foot. I flicked it off. I should have examined it. Because I spent the rest of the day in agony. The pain was excruciating. But even worse was the fear. What was I stung by? Would I have a reaction?
I spoke with a few parents of students, as I limped about. Unanimously they agreed that it was probably a wasp.
I googled wasp stings. Most sites said that wasps do not leave their stingers behind. So, perhaps it was a bee. But I've been stung by bees before. Never before have I experienced such excruciating pain. And the itching! It drove me insane. I made a paste out of baking soda and water when I got home. I had already put hydrocortisone creme on it. But in the wee hours of Sunday morning, I found myself scratching at my big toe like a dog. In my sleep.
When I came to, it was bright red, and swollen twice it's size.
I should have taken a picture. But it was not pretty.
So I did some more research. Every site explicitly stated to resist the urge to scratch. Oy. But I found some home remedies to handle the confounded itching.
One recommendation was to soak the affected area in apple cider vinegar. So at about 2:30 a.m., Sunday morning, I filled the bathroom sink with apple cider vinegar. And stuck my foot in.
It helped a lot. But Monday I had to take the bus to Portland, and walk about in the heat before teaching in the cool basement of the music center. The itching was again getting the best of me. I think an itch could positively drive a person insane!
So I headed to Walgreen's after my classes. One of the sites I visited suggested topical antihistamine creme. I was not aware there was such a thing. They also suggested Calamine lotion. I have bad memories associated with Calamine lotion. I was 12 years old, and had come in contact with poison sumac in the woods behind my house. Apparently I am quite allergic. I broke out in a red, itchy, scaly rash all over my body. My face puffed out like a balloon. The doctor recommended Calamine lotion. I hated that stuff. And it did not help much.
So, I was very pleased to find Benadryl gel at the store! It helped quite a bit. It took away the itch, so I wasn't tempted to scratch. And helped me from going insane.
Today is Wednesday. Five days after my encounter with my stinging friend. And my toe is finally looking normal again.
I do feel a pang of remorse, knowing he had to die. But I probably won't lose any sleep over it!
Speaking of pests, our entire apartment complex has become infested with Box Elder Beetles. Apparently they are harmless. They don't bite, (sting!) or carry disease. But they are disturbing. Our whole balcony is crawling with these little varmits.
And we just learned that it is not advisable to kill them when you find them in your home, because the carcasses attract larger beetles. Aack!! They suggest vaccuming them up.
So, we got a notice from the apartment manager that they are scheduling a full exterior building treatment tomorrow and Friday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. We have to keep all windows and doors closed and keep the AC off!
My only consolation is that I am scheduled for my sleep today tomorrow evening. I will be in a nice air conditioned clinical bedroom over night. But my poor family! They can turn the AC back on at 3 p.m.
Honestly, it will be so nice to be rid of these little guys.
At least they don't sting!
Now that my toe is almost healed, and the bugs will be gone soon, I am just looking forward to relief from this heat. Anything over 80 degrees is excessive, in my humble opinion.
I have enjoyed getting up at 6 a.m., and heading to the park across the street to hoop. There are very few people out at that hour, and the air is nice and cool.
But my sleep apnea has been horrible lately. I get up easily at 6 and hoop and then come back and make tea and breakfast. Three days a week I watch Grace while her mom goes to work. But after about 12 noon, I feel I could collapse.
On the days when I can take naps, it helps immensely. But on teaching days, I admit I take cat naps on the bus and drink much iced black tea to keep my conscious for teaching.
Thus, the caffeine has the boomerang affect of giving me insomnia at night.
I am so looking forward to the results of this study.
On that note, I am going to say goodbye. I do miss you! Daily blogging has been one of my methods of self soothing myself emotionally. Hopefully when the heat breaks and my sleep balances itself, I will return to blogging daily.
Until then, I wish you a lovely evening. I will talk to you again soon!
Love,
Zita
P.S. Here are the last two days of hooping videos.
I'm talking about the vicious, flying insect that stung me. Saturday. On my big toe.
There I was, walking back to the church where I teach piano. I was happily sipping an unsweetened iced tea. Thankful for a little break between students.
I turned onto the sidewalk, through the parking lot, when suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my right big toe. It felt like I had been cut by glass. I stooped over and removed my sandal. Sticking out of the side of my toe was what looked like a miniature poison dart. I pulled it out, thinking it was a stinger of some kind. Then I saw the squashed lifeless, form of some kind of an insect, on the ball of my foot. I flicked it off. I should have examined it. Because I spent the rest of the day in agony. The pain was excruciating. But even worse was the fear. What was I stung by? Would I have a reaction?
I spoke with a few parents of students, as I limped about. Unanimously they agreed that it was probably a wasp.
I googled wasp stings. Most sites said that wasps do not leave their stingers behind. So, perhaps it was a bee. But I've been stung by bees before. Never before have I experienced such excruciating pain. And the itching! It drove me insane. I made a paste out of baking soda and water when I got home. I had already put hydrocortisone creme on it. But in the wee hours of Sunday morning, I found myself scratching at my big toe like a dog. In my sleep.
When I came to, it was bright red, and swollen twice it's size.
I should have taken a picture. But it was not pretty.
So I did some more research. Every site explicitly stated to resist the urge to scratch. Oy. But I found some home remedies to handle the confounded itching.
One recommendation was to soak the affected area in apple cider vinegar. So at about 2:30 a.m., Sunday morning, I filled the bathroom sink with apple cider vinegar. And stuck my foot in.
It helped a lot. But Monday I had to take the bus to Portland, and walk about in the heat before teaching in the cool basement of the music center. The itching was again getting the best of me. I think an itch could positively drive a person insane!
So I headed to Walgreen's after my classes. One of the sites I visited suggested topical antihistamine creme. I was not aware there was such a thing. They also suggested Calamine lotion. I have bad memories associated with Calamine lotion. I was 12 years old, and had come in contact with poison sumac in the woods behind my house. Apparently I am quite allergic. I broke out in a red, itchy, scaly rash all over my body. My face puffed out like a balloon. The doctor recommended Calamine lotion. I hated that stuff. And it did not help much.
So, I was very pleased to find Benadryl gel at the store! It helped quite a bit. It took away the itch, so I wasn't tempted to scratch. And helped me from going insane.
Today is Wednesday. Five days after my encounter with my stinging friend. And my toe is finally looking normal again.
I do feel a pang of remorse, knowing he had to die. But I probably won't lose any sleep over it!
Speaking of pests, our entire apartment complex has become infested with Box Elder Beetles. Apparently they are harmless. They don't bite, (sting!) or carry disease. But they are disturbing. Our whole balcony is crawling with these little varmits.
And we just learned that it is not advisable to kill them when you find them in your home, because the carcasses attract larger beetles. Aack!! They suggest vaccuming them up.
So, we got a notice from the apartment manager that they are scheduling a full exterior building treatment tomorrow and Friday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. We have to keep all windows and doors closed and keep the AC off!
My only consolation is that I am scheduled for my sleep today tomorrow evening. I will be in a nice air conditioned clinical bedroom over night. But my poor family! They can turn the AC back on at 3 p.m.
Honestly, it will be so nice to be rid of these little guys.
At least they don't sting!
Now that my toe is almost healed, and the bugs will be gone soon, I am just looking forward to relief from this heat. Anything over 80 degrees is excessive, in my humble opinion.
I have enjoyed getting up at 6 a.m., and heading to the park across the street to hoop. There are very few people out at that hour, and the air is nice and cool.
But my sleep apnea has been horrible lately. I get up easily at 6 and hoop and then come back and make tea and breakfast. Three days a week I watch Grace while her mom goes to work. But after about 12 noon, I feel I could collapse.
On the days when I can take naps, it helps immensely. But on teaching days, I admit I take cat naps on the bus and drink much iced black tea to keep my conscious for teaching.
Thus, the caffeine has the boomerang affect of giving me insomnia at night.
I am so looking forward to the results of this study.
On that note, I am going to say goodbye. I do miss you! Daily blogging has been one of my methods of self soothing myself emotionally. Hopefully when the heat breaks and my sleep balances itself, I will return to blogging daily.
Until then, I wish you a lovely evening. I will talk to you again soon!
Love,
Zita
P.S. Here are the last two days of hooping videos.
Comments
Post a Comment