How a wasp changed my Christmas priorities...

Puttin’ things into perspective…

Trying to walk through life with my eyes and mind wide open, I still catch myself sometimes taking every day’s precious gifts for granted. I’m a busy bee, I love being under pressure going at the speed of sound, and I’m very guilty of over committing. With that said, I like to add that I have been blessed with great health, the point of my little story.
I can’t even remember the last time I’ve had the flu or even just a scratchy throat. Besides the occasional aches and pains from a very active life style, there haven’t been any visits to a Doctor office and no long term prescription medications in years. I have to admit, that in some arrogant way I thought that I was invincible. Well, at least until just two days ago. (Dec. 21, 2007)

As some of you might know, besides writing and ‘rodeoing’ with my hubby Troy, I also train horses in the classical art of Dressage. Here I was, riding ‘Hooligan’, an Irish Eventer, minding my own business when I suddenly felt a poke and a burning sensation on the inside of my left foot. Ouch – what in the heck was that? I thought about a piece of hay that might have poked my skin and tried to wiggle away from it but it stayed.
Annoyed by the inconvenience I dismounted and stomped my foot to the ground a few times to get rid of whatever was causing this unpleasantry, but it didn’t do any good. So I took off my boot and sock and checked for any objects that might have penetrated. The only thing I saw was a red blotch and a slight swelling.
Weird!
And just as I was checking out my boot, there comes this huge insect crawling out of it. Holy cow! I got stung by a wasp – in the middle of December – in Utah – it’s 20 degrees, shouldn’t they all be dead?
Probably, but this one was alive and well enough to hide in my paddock boot and fight off the confinement with a neatly placed sting on the inside of my big toe. I can’t remember ever been stung by a bee or anything like it before, but I swell up pretty good when attacked by mosquitoes.
The sting didn’t really hurt all that bad but I thought ice would help the swelling. After taking care of Hooligan, I went outside and stuck my naked foot into the snow. Ahhh, that felt better.
Having a full plate of chores for the rest of the day (all non – Christmas related) I quickly left the barn, got into my truck and headed out toward the small city of Spanish Fork, six miles away from my home in Payson.
Half way through the ten minute drive I suddenly felt itchy all over. First I thought it was my thick sweater I was wearing, because I had sweated a bit from my ride, but then I looked at my left wrist and almost drove into the ditch. Hives – big, red, blotchy wells on my skin, all the way up my arm, my neck and God knows where else.

A quick look into the rear view mirror explained the sudden sensation of swollen eyes which felt like I had bawled for hours. It didn’t need a doctorate in medicine to figure out that I had an allergic reaction. Still determined to get my busy schedule under control I decided to stop at the drugstore to get a bottle of Benadryl which I thought would take care of it.
Boy was I wrong!
Within minutes my eyes were swollen half way shut and my whole face was red and puffy. I like to add here, that I was in the Christmas spirit all day and was wearing my dark red velvety, silly little Santa hat. By the time I stopped at the store I felt like ripping my clothes off and rolling in the snow. I can understand now why they applied itching and tickling sensation as a method of torture in the medieval times. I stormed into the store and people must have thought I’m some sort of Santa’s crazy helper. Though my scalp itched like mad, for some reason I was still wearing my Santa hat and I must have looked like Rudolph had become insane and piled our sleight against a massive tree.
There was a long line but people stepped aside to let me go ahead. The pharmacist took one look at me, asked what happened and suggested a trip to the ER.
No way! I thought, thanked him for his advice and I bought a bottle of Benadryl, which I drowned a quarter of it on my way back outside.
Then things got worse.

I sat in my truck for a minute trying to decide what to do. The all over itch became almost unbearable and it jerked my body as if I was in convulsions. I could literally feel my blood pressure drop and when my throat began to tighten I called my hubby Troy. His 10-20 was opposite side of my own location and he asked if I could drive. The hospital was directly between us and I figured it’s only six miles - I can do this.
Troy stayed with me on the phone, trying to make this drive short by talking calmly to me. We both knew that driving was dangerous, but this reaction rapidly progressed and I didn’t even want to think about an anaphylactic shock.

Troy arrived first at the hospital and informed the ER. They awaited me and took good care of me immediately. A drip and a shot of epinephrine took the first ‘itch’ off and after a while my BP was back to normal and my panicky pulse below 100.
Two hours later I was home, drugged, very tired, but thankful to everyone who helped, including the good Lord.

Of course, I didn’t tell you this story because I want you feeling sorry for me. I told this story to myself, so I can always remember that I’m not invincible, that I should not live my life counting on never being ill.
My plans for that day and the following day had included a book signing, horses to train, and plenty of paperwork. An upcoming rodeo trip had made up my mind not to celebrate Christmas with my husband and his family in a way that I should. How selfish of me!
This little incident changed my mind and yesterday I cancelled all my arrangements to properly heal. I stayed in all day, baked a bunch of cookies and wrote some poems I will give as Christmas presents to the people I dearly love.
Who knows, maybe I will even go today to get a little last minute Christmas tree, if not, at least some mistletoe so I can thank my husband for being who he is.

Putting thinks into perspective is my new year’s resolution for 2008. What’s yours?

Merry Christmas everyone!

Rebecca~
www.rebeccalerwill.com