ouchie

[damerell]

Today - fortunately as I was just about 500 yards from the flat - some kind of insect hit me in the belly, and managed to penetrate between my jersey and the waistband of my shorts.

Then it stung me with what I can only assume was a jagged-edged envenomed poinard of a stinger, an insect-sized weapon of mass destruction. Squealing like a little girl [1] and clutching my abused gut I staggered back home with one hand on the bars and whisked off my clothes in case the offending beastie was still in them.

This hurt like, well:

[=====================================================================================||====]
broken nail     stubbed toe  hangover    cracked ribs     passing blood clots    being stung by the
                                                                  biggest fucking insect in Britain

more than anything I can remember.

Now I've got a big red patch, a swelling in the middle of it an inch across, and a bloody hole in the middle of that... and it still hurts like the very devil.

Good job it didn't happen just after setting out, really...

[1] this is a LIE since I was too busy alternately cursing and sucking air to curse with.

Comments

[redcountess]

Aieeee! Sounds like a European Wasp. Get some calamine lotion and antihistamines from the chemist tomorrow. I hope you're feeling better really soon *hug*

[damerell.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I haven't been stung by anything in ages - could have been a horsefly, since I gather they're fairly nasty.

I'm sure I shall be fine by tomorrow, though, it's just a bit of a pain in the arse - er, tummy - today, and I'm venting to distract myself.

[redcountess]

Oh, ok! So you won't mind me telling you that your ascii pain-o-meter is breaking the friends page? ;-)

[fluffymark]

Well over 80 characters wide. Shocking. Some people can't measure these days. ;)

[oneplusme.livejournal.com]

To the best of my knowledge, horsefly bites tend more to be like The Attack Of The 50-Foot Mosquito. I'd be betting on a wasp or a hornet. (Hate, hate, hate.)

Hope you're feeling rather less pained today.

[wednesday]

We've got him antihistamined (between my dust allergy and our mutual hayfever, I keep these around).

[gmh.livejournal.com]

Could have been a thrip, mind you.

(Gen. Thysanoptera)

Little black buggers, typically sub-1mm (a.k.a. thunderflies) - you don't notice them until it's Too Late, but the bloodsucking ones can cause some really quite impressive red marks a good inch across.

If the original impact was actually discernable, it was probably a wasp, bee or hornet. I can't comment on the symptoms of a wasp sting as I've never actually been stung by one.

(30 years! screw you, genus Vespa! You'll never take me alive!)

Gideon.

[redcountess]

I'm 39 and haven't been stung by a bee or wasp *touchwood* - I don't even know if I'm allergic.

[gaius-octavian.livejournal.com]

I hate wasps. aoakley's your man - he loves killing 'em, on an industrial scale.

[dangerouslysane.livejournal.com]

I'm really sorry about that! I hope you have a physician look at it. Of course, if you're too macho to go and do that, or if it's not serious, then you need to make sure it's totally clean and to treat it with a medicated spray that has some analgesic in it.

If it's anything like a fire ant bite (nasty little bastards), you will have to drain it, which isn't at all pleasant, but necessary.

Feel better, luv.

[damerell.livejournal.com]

Currently I am too macho^W lazy, but if it persists in being big and red I might change my mind.

We aren't meant to have any nasty insect life over here!

What is & should never be...

[dangerouslysane.livejournal.com]

...And yet you do! So, at least get some Hydrogen Peroxide & make sure it's totally clean!

You can tough it out if you want, but that could mean you're giving all the little nasties a nice place in which to set up housekeeping.

Okay, I'll stop being pedantic about it. (For a hot minute, anyway)...but you'll be able to have more fun again if you take care of it NOW.

Okay, I'm really done, now. :)

[actionreplay.livejournal.com]

ouch! I'd at least go to the chemists to get the pharmacist to have a look.

[damerell.livejournal.com]

It depends, really; if it deflates, fine, and if it stays big and red I'll have to get it looked at.

The thing is - in spite of the swelling - now it's just an insect bite; abstractly I remember that it hurt more than anything, but that's just memory now...

[sneerpout.livejournal.com]

Waaaah! *Sympathy*

[damerell.livejournal.com]

Why, thank you.