that time I got stung by a bee at the beach and I didn't die

A few days ago we landed in our new spot in Oceanside, California. The RV park we're staying in is a very short walk from the beach - only four minutes! And it's quite a lovely walk at that. There is a little inlet that connects to the ocean, and the ducks, gulls and other assorted birds and squirrels like to gather there. On the other side is a small park with a playground, complete with swings (our favorite). Then you walk past what I think is a cafe, cross the street, and you're on the beach watching the ocean. It's so cool! And this beach is great - fine, powdery sand plus random rocks strewn about, just ready to be thrown back in. My son and husband LOVE throwing rocks into the water.

So of course we had to go there and throw rocks in the water and watch the sunset, because we were there at the perfect time of day. We took off our shoes by the bigger rocks that you could sit on, and then got up to go walk to the water. Only I felt something soft under my foot. I was trying to rub it off and then felt a stabbing pain through my foot, and I wondered if it was a splinter, or....then I felt the unmistakable feeling of venom spreading through my foot - it was a sting. What had I stepped on?

I didn't see what stung me, just the stinger that was pulled from the bottom of my foot. It looked like a bee stinger, and I am convinced that is what it was. I've seen enough bee stingers to know what they look like. I know that, it being the beach, there is a possibility of jellyfish or urchins or any number of things, but this didn't look at all like it came from the sea. And a search on the internet revealed that it's a pretty common place for bees to die, so it's definitely not unheard of.

It HURT. So much so that I had to tell my family to go away from me because I couldn't process anything but the pain for about 30 minutes. They kept coming to check on me and I was just like, "Go throw rocks in the ocean, I just need a minute here." That whole, "I couldn't see straight," thing that people say? Well, I actually couldn't see straight.

It bears mentioning here that I am supposed to be allergic to bee stings - I have the blood tests and an Epi Pen to prove it. I did NOT have the Epi with me, however, and as I sat there just trying to see through the pain, and asking the angels and the Universe to please take the pain, I was also very aware that I would either come out of this or die right there on the beach.

 *spoiler alert* I didn't die. I didn't even react, other than the blinding pain and not being able to walk. the sting was on the ball of my foot, so it took a couple of days, but also, it only took a couple of days for it to completely return to normal. When we got back to the RV, I soaked it in baking soda first, since we were out of Epsom Salts. I don't know how that happened, but whatever, my husband went and got more.

We also made a paste of baking soda and apple cider vinegar and put it on my foot for about a half hour, followed by some lavendar essential oil. The pain was still throbbing, but somehow not only did I fall asleep, but I slept fairly well. The next day, the pain was replaced by itching - it was beginning to heal! It was still insanely tender to the touch, so I just did another epsom salt foot bath and tried not to itch it - until I realized that the towel I used to dry my foot also doubled as a scratching towel that I could run back and forth under my foot. Then it became my best friend for the rest of the day, because the itching was as strong as the pain had been the first day.

Day three still a bit of itching, but the swelling seemed to be going down and I could walk again, even pressing on my foot. Honestly I was shocked - firstly, I'm supposed to be anaphylactic. And I wasn't. Secondly, the way it hurt I thought it could be days - but it wasn't. And I attribute that to the healing foods and supplements I'm eating. My body is healing, so it's getting more and more able to process things that happen - like a bee sting. Like I could before I got so sick.

I decided to blog about it because it meant so much to me to see that happen - I was already eating foods I thought I'd never eat again, and I have been feeling so much healthier and more capable. But I had a blood test for this, and an Epi Pen. I didn't think that my body would process this this quickly or well. The whole thing blew my mind - how quickly it healed, and also, how I didn't die.

An amazing surprise indeed. Oh, and lest you worry - I'm still keeping the Epi Pen - I'm not going to get cocky. It's one of those things that is way better to have than not to have, just in case. But WOW that I didn't need it. By the way, I took all of these photos as this process happened. We just wanted to see the sunset at the beach!