2020 St Cross Stitchers Hospital

[richardandtracy]

Normally wasps are OK. Just at this time they're grumpy and I didn't know the nest was there. Wasn't last week. At this time of year they sting first, ask questions later. Well, a majority will be dead in a month and I can deal with the nest then. For the next month, we'll use the other compost heap.

Can't complain, they are only following their normal behaviour patterns.

Anyway, still hurts like anything.

Regards,

Richard

[mysterystitcher]

Oh no, Richard! That does not sound nice at all! I hope your real - world doctors can do something if the symptoms get impossible to bear.

[richardandtracy]

Sorry.
I will try to get up off the floor from laughing.

Doctor? What is one of those?

I live in the worst district in the UK for patient to doctor ratio. There are an average of 3306 patients per doctor, compared to the best of 1100:1 in the best area. I have been on the phone daily to my doctor's practice to get a repeat prescription in the last few weeks, with 30 minutes on the phone per day in their phone queue. I have not yet got through to the receptionist. They don't do e-mail. They do physical letters only one did lead to the repeat prescription I needed. But only the one delivered by hand to their letterbox, the practice door is locked, and all posted letters mysteriously get lost.

We have no primary health care in this borough.
Our practice was bad before Covid. Now, it may as well not exist.

Regards,

Richard.

[mysterystitcher]

That does not sound any good, R. The main thing is you are symptomless concerning The Virus. But if the Virus gets a hold of your corner of the country, it won't be pretty. That much I dare to say, be it I live in different country alltogether.

[poppy]

You have my sympathy, Richard. One bite is painful enough, let alone multiple ones.

[Serinde]

Youch! I only once was stung by anything other than a bee, and found dabbing the site with vinegar soothing (smells horrible, of course). Make sure the stings are out... We often find wasps in the compost -- it's warm, after all.

Richard, Kent sounds horrible from the doctor pt of view. And soon to be a series of large car parks? I've said it before, and I'll say it again: come to Scotland like WendyWombat has. Our doctors are available, even if in a different way, and we just had a flu jab on Thursday (but that could just be efficiency of Forth Valley HB). Rumour has it that even the dentists are trying to do more than emergencies... Bring the cats and daughters.

[wendywombat]

Ouch , Richard! Yes, Serinde is correct. Vinegar for Vasps ( wasps, easy way to remember) Bicarbonate of soda for Bee stings. I was stung by several once. In my hair and on my back. Since then I react badly.

[rcperryls]

Ouch I have been stung by bees and despite the numbers of wasp nests that get built under the eaves of the house (and destroyed as soon as I see them getting started) I haven't been stung by a wasp. The most painful sting I have ever had was being stung by a stingray on the side of my heel. We used to vacation on a wonderful beach on on the Gulf Coast of Florida. One year, I must have stepped on the ray when we were swimming in the gulf. I have never felt anything so painful. The next door neighbors , who were full time residents, told us very hot water with an aspirin (or two) dissolved was the key to drawing out the poison. After several days it became bearable, though it stayed sore for nearly 5 or 6 months.

This was a good many years ago and happened right after the "Crocodile Hunter" (Steve Irwin) was killed by a Stingray barb to his chest. My your grandsons were incredibly impressed that there Grandma had survived her encounter with the sting ray. I was quite a heroine for a while.

Hope you feel better soon.

Carole

[richardandtracy]

Serinde, Kent, North Kent in particular, is pretty horrible on any quality of life scale you can imagine. We are generally fortunate having our garden. Beyond the boundaries, that's where the whole thing becomes detestable.

Why not move to Scotland? One word & one party: Sturgeon and her creature.

I'd rather live in the south west. However earning a living is a problem. Engineering jobs are not easy to come by, which is why I moved here from there in the first place. And Tracy would not move, so neither would the cats.

Regards,

Richard.

[wendywombat]

Serinde, Kent, North Kent in particular, is pretty horrible on any quality of life scale you can imagine. We are generally fortunate having our garden. Beyond the boundaries, that's where the whole thing becomes detestable.

Why not move to Scotland? One word & one party: Sturgeon and her creature


Regards,

Richard.

Ouch! Political statement there I see!
How about Kent soon to be covered with concrete carparks for lorries? There's less traffic we have found in Scotland and a more pleasant slower way of life. Can't wait to be there permanently. We are still packing up 20+ years of French living and if you want politics and beurocracy then come here! The Scottish First Minister has nothing on this lot!

Still, each to their own

[Serinde]

Richard, the Southwest is, indeed, lovely. Indeed lots of England is beautiful, soft and fertile and warm(er). The SNP isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, fair enough; should independence ever be achieved, my belief is that people north of the border will finally have a parties that actually reflect the peculiar nature of the social construct in this part of the world, the proportional system we use will more accurately reflect voters’ concerns and (by their own admission) the SNP would no longer exist (at least in its current form).

I wonder, what with this revolution in working patterns, and people moving away from the big cities (so we’re told) to escape the plague, whether engineers like yourself might soon find lucrative work in unlikely places? Probably a pipe dream, but in my little village, lots more people are working from home, and we even have a long-established precision engineering company (small but perfectly formed!), so anything’s possible?

[Podolyanka]

Richard, at least being stung by a wasp is less dangerous than by a bee, if this can cheer you up a bit.

[richardandtracy]

Thanks Lyudmila, but that doesn't actually make me feel much better!

The three stings are now simply very itchy, with a 50mm/2" diameter white area around them and then a 12mm/1/2" red ring around that. The white area feels as if a small wood splinter is being moved when any part of it is touched. I can't remember it feeling like this last time I got stung - around 25 years ago.

Regards,

Richard.

[Podolyanka]

You'd better see some friend - doctor, because the description does not sound like what an ordinary sting looks like a couple of days after it. Normally one forgets about it in 24 hours as it goes without a trace.

[richardandtracy]

I'm going to give it another 24 hrs before making a decision to go to our local minor injuries unit. Earlier if I get a red line up my arm, a fever or sore armpits/glands.
I agree it's not really right.

Regards,

Richard.

[rcperryls]

I hope you will follow Lyudmila's advice Richard. Are you sure those are regular wasp stings? Sound like some spider bites that happen around here occasionally, though I'm sure y'all have different spiders and other insects than we do. And I would think that there are also new species that have come in over the years too that people are less familiar with. Don't wait too long. We have something now called Killer Wasps or Killer Hornets now, mostly on the West Coast. I don't know much about the besides the name, but that is scary enough.

Carole

[Serinde]

I agree, Richard, that doesn't sound right at all. It's the two bulls-eyes rings and the splintery feeling.

[richardandtracy]

They are definitely wasps - I saw it happen! Well, not the one on my back, but the ones on my thumb and my leg.

A good few years ago I was bitten on my leg by a Harlequin Ladybird while cuddling my cat Jack. This was before 2009, because Jack died 1 Jan 2009. As a result of the bite I got sepsis, and was told by the guy who treated me the his previous patient looked to be in a better state than me & died. Wasn't nice, but I have plans not to get to that state again!

Regards,

Richard.

[richardandtracy]

Pleased to report that the red ring has faded to almost nothing. Still itchy, but not a problem.

Regards,

Richard.

[rcperryls]

Very pleased to hear this!!

Carole