Sometimes you must go to the limit, to gain the perspective needed to perform actions. A perspective that monotony puts off time and time again, indefinitely…
It was a beautiful morning when we were ready to load, with the help of Scorpy and Bongo, a trip of granular material for trail construction. I took a seat and started Scorpy’s engine, as I had done many times before. Within seconds, I noticed small black wasps flying over me. They weren’t many and didn’t seem very aggressive.
I have been stung countless times by all sorts of wasps in my life, without any noticeable reaction. So, I didn’t pay any attention to them.
Shortly after I started to move, one of the wasps got entangled in my hair, I instinctively grabbed it with my hand and slammed it to the ground. A few seconds later, one of its companions stung me at the base of my index finger, and a second one got entangled inside my shirt, stinging me right at the center of my back. That got my attention.
After a quick glance, I noticed their little nest, about 8 or 10 cm long, inside Scorpy’s cabin. Following my friend Elith’s advice, I got out, stole a bit of gasoline from the electric generator, and dropped a few drops on the nest. The wasps were still flying over me, but the gasoline vapor knocked them off almost instantly. I was surprised at how few there were, perhaps 20 or 25 members in that small colony. With the problem eliminated, I resumed my work with Scorpy, without the slightest hint of what was coming….
Some 5 to 10 minutes later, I began to feel a growing sensation of dizziness along with a deep discomfort. Something inside me knew this was important because I immediately stopped Scorpy, got out of the cabin, walked to my colleagues, and warned them of my discomfort. There was no time to react. Seconds later, I fell flat on my face on the road, totally unconscious.
I don’t remember anything after the moment I warned them. But according to my companions Elith and Niko, after falling face first on the ground, I suffered strong convulsions where I hit myself again and again, vomited with great difficulty, and for moments, even stopped breathing. They spent some 15 minutes in agony, trying to revive me, looking for alcohol, and finally looking for a vehicle to transport me.
My first memories of consciousness are of screaming all around, feeling half-incorporated and barely getting into a vehicle. 40 minutes is the time it takes to get from Babylon to San Isidro General Hospital. I clearly remember how during all that time, I struggled unsuccessfully to regain control of my body. I felt as if my internal engine was not reaching its minimum performance. It was a long, long ordeal.
When we finally arrived at the hospital, things improved quickly. I don’t remember the exact details, but in summary, I had several IV bags, an electrocardiogram, a brain CT, a chest X-ray, and two hemograms. After 12 long hours of tests, the final diagnosis was blunt: “Anaphylactic Shock”.
And what the hell is that? We’ve never heard of it before! So, we looked it up, and now we’re worried that we didn’t have such important information in advance!! According to the National Library of Medicine of the USA (*)
“Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction. It can begin very quickly, and symptoms may be life-threatening. The most common causes are reactions to foods…, medications, and stinging insects…
It can affect many organs:
- …
- Chest – shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, chest pain or tightness
- Heart – weak pulse, passing out, shock
- Gastrointestinal tract – vomiting, diarrhea, cramps
- Nervous system – dizziness or fainting…”
It’s very clear now: I was on the verge of death!!!
So, we have to ask ourselves: what should we have done?
And again, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (**)
“…Adrenaline (epinephrine) is the recommended first line treatment for patients with anaphylaxis… A pragmatic approach to use of adrenaline auto-injectors is suggested…”
And the next question may be: what kind of wasp could have caused this?
Our friend Elith knows them well. They are called white-winged wasps (Parachartergus apicalis), and they are famous for the intensity of their sting, and for nesting under the protection of roofs… like Scorpy’s!!!
To close this post, I will confirm it to you: we already have a first aid kit, and by the way, it contains two epinephrine ampoules!!
Babylon Gardens 
Wow!What a terrible story!The good thing is that you’re alive!
Don’t neglect ever the small stingy insects-they’re extremely dangerous.Lucky you for you had some friends nearby.It was crucial in that moment.
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