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This morning, while minding my own business and walking out back, nearly 3 feet from any given plant that held insect allure, a bee somehow found its way between my eye and my glasses. I think it was a bee. It could have been a yellow jacket or a wasp. I could only hear the buzzing. I hurled my glasses to the ground, something that any glasses-wearer would normally not do. People who have worn glasses for decades usually have a 6th sense about the safety and whereabouts of their glasses. I then pawed and hoped for the offending creature to get the hell off of my face.
I had a span of about 30-some years where I had no stings of any kind. I seemed to forget somewhere in that time that they hurt! I am always amazed now at how much they hurt. I am truly in awe of how much it hurts to get stung in the thin and delicate skin of the eyelid. I'm just thankful it landed there and didn't somehow sting my eye. I don't even know if an eye can be stung. I don't want to find out.
The above, blurry photo was taken with my phone camera. It doesn't look too bad yet. It swelled completely shut within the next 20 minutes. Thank gawd I'm not allergic. I've spent the day in a Benedryl haze with an ice pack strapped to my face. Fun times.
And to think that yesterday, when the youngest lamblet was shrieking about not wanting to pick tomatoes because there were bees out there, I confidently told her that if you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone.
WRONG!
I merely crossed a bee's flightpath... or it crossed mine...
I must say though, bee stings seem to be good for crow's feet.
whoa! that sucks, jennifer :(
hope you feel better
Posted by: almostinfamous | August 31, 2008 at 10:11 PM
Feel better Jennifer. This assuredly is not helping my severe and debilitating apiphobia/vespaphobia.
Posted by: The Uncanny Canadian | August 31, 2008 at 11:25 PM
Oh god that hurts!!!!!! Am glad you're not allergic and hope it heals quickly.
Posted by: idyllopus | September 01, 2008 at 12:19 AM
Yikes. Yikes. Yikes!
I'm sorry the bee/wasp/yellow jacket got you. And especially on the eyelid!
Hope you feel better soon, Jennifer.
Posted by: blue girl | September 01, 2008 at 07:52 AM
Thanks everyone. It hurts a lot less today, but is totally swollen shut this morning. I guess I shouldn't have slept horizontally.
UC- you're afraid of scooters?? :)
Posted by: Jennifer | September 01, 2008 at 08:33 AM
Maybe the bee took the first strike after hearing stories from the ants about people with magnifying glasses?
Posted by: mdh | September 01, 2008 at 01:54 PM
Who needs botox when you have bee butts?
Posted by: fish | September 01, 2008 at 03:00 PM
I've spent days with an ice pack strapped to my face but it's always been because of a self-inflicted injury.
Posted by: Snag | September 01, 2008 at 11:57 PM
Bee stings? Crow's feet?
That story about the birds and the bees that my dad told me makes more sense now....
Posted by: rotten mcdonald | September 02, 2008 at 12:28 AM
I feel for you, Jen .When I was a little kid I once had the bright idea to poke a bee's nest with a stick. Not a good idea!
Posted by: Dan Leo | September 02, 2008 at 09:46 AM
I am sorry to hear you got stung, Jennifer. If I've learned anything from the Global War on Terror, it's that we must now destroy all bees until they turn in their stingers.
Posted by: Brando | September 02, 2008 at 03:52 PM
hope your face is doing better!
Posted by: Kathleen in Oakland | September 02, 2008 at 07:23 PM
I have had this happen to me a couple times...it hurts but is a great way to get out of work for a couple days. You can't drive with only one eye working and it looks horrible.
Posted by: Chuckles | September 03, 2008 at 09:31 AM
You poor thing! I hope you are feeling better today!!
Posted by: Von | September 03, 2008 at 12:56 PM