Sly Bald Guys Forum

Various Non-Bald Discussions => General Discussion => Topic started by: Mikekoz13 on August 14, 2012, 05:58:52 AM

Title: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: Mikekoz13 on August 14, 2012, 05:58:52 AM
We're camping for a week in Luray, Virgina... pulled in Saturday afternoon. Saturday night around 10 PM my son and I were sitting outside at the picnic table when we were swarmed with what I initially thought were beetles.
It only took a few seconds to realize that these were NOT beetles... they were HORNETS! About 30 of them flying all around our campsite! I hustled my son into the trailer but two flew in with us.

I quickly killed them but they were still flying all around the lights outside. SO I went out and pulled the plug to the lights. About 10 minutes later they were all gone. So I went out to check thing out, slid on my flipflops and BAM!! I got stung on my foot... one was in the flipflop.

Top of my foot... felt like a nail went thru my foot. A lotg of pain all night and a VERY swollen foot all day Sunday. By yesterday AM the foot looked even worse and was itching like crazy. Swollen even larger.

Off to the emergency room..... they checked it out and prescribed a steroid cream. Still looking pretty nasty this Am with a lot of swelling but the itching is gone.

I've been stung hundreds of times in my life... to the point that bee stings don't even bother me. This was my first hornet sting... much different and the after effects last a long time.

I learned that hornets come out at night to feed on the night time insects. Our trailer lights attracted the night time insects which in turn attracted the hornets. Turns out there was a hornets nest inside a dead tree about 30 yards from our site. One of the camp ground guys found it Sunday morning and sprayed it.

Never a dull moment with the Koz's!!
Title: Re: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: -Doug- on August 14, 2012, 06:15:36 AM
Sorry to hear about your foot. Hopefully the docs gave you some good meds.
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: Frontier Guy on August 14, 2012, 06:21:38 AM
Yowie ... talk about unexpected changes in plans. That was bad enough - seriously glad it wasn't worse.
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: StumpyDave on August 14, 2012, 06:34:08 AM
Not good.  Get well soon.

I was stung on my top lip by a wasp last summer.  My face swelled up so I looked like the Elephant Man.  No-one else noticed. :(
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: Free at Last on August 14, 2012, 06:47:27 AM
Ouch!!!

I never knew or heard of wasps coming out at night.
Im in CT and its the evening hours they are all back in the nest.
This is when you would spray them.

I almost rode into a White Faced Hornet's nest yesterday while Mountain Biking.
Super Aggressive if you disturb them...
I got swarmed when raspberry picking in my younger days
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: Slynito on August 14, 2012, 07:02:21 AM
Yep, all my wasps go to roost at night, like the bees do. I've been stung a lot and now a days I pull the stinger, apply a capsule of "Sting Kill" and take an anti-histamine....we used to make a poultice of "Arm & Hammer". G'luck and have a good vacation.
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: D.A.L.U.I. on August 14, 2012, 08:17:16 AM
Ouch! :XX

Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: Sir Harry on August 14, 2012, 08:31:18 AM
Get well soon, Mike! At least you didn't get stung on the head, you may have been forced to grow out whatever hair you have left....not cool! Seriously, though a valuable lesson learned today, thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: warhawk on August 14, 2012, 08:44:39 AM
Hi Mike:  Man...Sorry about that.  I hope the foot gets better quickly.  Also.... continue taking the steroid cream and antibiotic by the ER doc.  Watch for signs of infection that relates to your foot:  fever, increased swelling,  increased redness,  increased pain, chills.  If you have any of these symptoms.... do not ignore it and seek the ER immediately.  Take care my brother and keep us posted.  Like Harry said.... glad the hornet didn't get your super slick noggin'.

WARHAWK O0
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: tomgallagher on August 14, 2012, 08:46:59 AM
Ain't camping great Mike. A friend of mine just went a couple of rounds with a colony of fire ants.
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: Hingatao on August 14, 2012, 11:32:25 AM
Sounds like fun! NOT!!
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: D.A.L.U.I. on August 14, 2012, 12:27:05 PM
On further reflection, you may want to discuss with your doctor whether you've developed a sensitivity to hornet venom and possibly the venom of other similar critters that hang out with you in the woods.  Before Katrina blew our cabin away on the Mississippi Gulf Coast we always kept a auto-injector of epinephrine in the medicine cabinet for anyone who started having serious problems.  Sometimes it's hard to get to the ER in time and one of these devices can provide you with the essential time so you can get more extensive and necessary treatment.  They're not expensive and provide a great deal of peace of mind not only for yourself but for friends and family who also may be the target of the bugs. 
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: Beardman on August 15, 2012, 06:29:51 AM

Never a dull moment with the Koz's!!

Certainly sounds like it! Hope everything settles down pretty quickly, thankfully we don't have hornets in Australia, I hear they are not much fun to play with...
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: Beardman on August 15, 2012, 06:30:36 AM
And you are living proof lol
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: TheSlyBear on August 15, 2012, 09:28:56 AM
Wow, a little too much "communing with nature"!   :o

Hope the foot gets back to normal soon!

My "bane of nature" this season have been the fire ants. Apparently some rare July rains have made conditions perfect for them, and they're building nests everywhere. And man, when those suckers bite, they hurt!

Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: xnewyawka on August 15, 2012, 12:33:56 PM
Hang in there Mike. Good thing it was only the one foot that got stung. It sounds like it could have been much worse.
I would also check with your doctor as saint suggested. As you know, some things change as we get older.
You may want to make sure you haven't developed an allergy to them.

By the way, I hope it wasn't your "shifting" foot!   ;)
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: Mikekoz13 on August 15, 2012, 06:40:08 PM
Fourh day amd foot is about 80% back to normal.

They came and tore the tree that had the nest in it down today. Holy sh*t! There was about a 10 foot hollow length in the tree FILLED with a hornets nest!... and a LOT of live hornets. There are still a couple buzzing around but they are pretty much gone.
Title: Re: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: justtom on August 15, 2012, 06:50:27 PM
So far I have escaped getting stung this year,(knocks on wood) put my youngest one got stung twice first time out with me at the Farmers market that one was not that bad just removed the stinger and she was good,the other one was like you mike it became more swollen and sore as the days passed so we also did the ER visit.Get well son brother.
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: Laser Man on August 15, 2012, 08:25:53 PM
Glad to hear that your foot is getting better.  Hornets and wasps are nasty, aggressive little creatures.   I was stung on the forearm by a wasp in June and still have a small hard bump from it.  Hope yours heals better!
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: mrzed on August 15, 2012, 08:31:49 PM
Enjoy the rest of your camping time and lunch with the bald guy on Thursday!  That's a nice area.

We've toured one of the caverns near Natural Bridge. And drive through that area several times a year.

Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: Tyler on August 18, 2012, 12:12:18 AM
Brutal run in with nature for both Koz and Bear!  Two things I hate...hornets and ants! 
Title: Re: Camping.... and a vist to the Emergecy Room
Post by: mahaw90 on August 18, 2012, 09:57:46 PM
Spiders for me