How to use an EpiPen

The bee dance is not advised, but for many people like myself, staying still when a bee is buzzing around me is nearly impossible. I simply can't do it.

Usually, the bee dance involves a loud gasp when the bee is spotted, a lot of arm waving and shrieking followed by running to the nearest shelter and mowing down anyone who gets in my way.

It's not a pretty sight.

It may be hard to believe that something as small as a bee or a wasp can invoke such terror, but it happens every spring and summer.

I am highly allergic to bees and wasps and, for someone like me, using an EpiPen can mean the difference between life and death.

What is an EpiPen? An EpiPen is a small pen-like device that is also called an auto-injector. When used properly, it delivers Epinephrine to the body should an allergic person be exposed to a severe allergen. The injector is injected directly into the outer thigh. I have to use it if I get stung by a bee or wasp.

Getting the prescription is only the first part. You also have to know how to use your EpiPen. Leaving the EpiPen in a bathroom drawer without ever looking at the instructions is a big no-no. A little refresher course on how to use the EpiPen could prove invaluable if you or another allergic person is stung and you have to use the device.

The EpiPen comes with instructions on how to use it, but I learn better when I have a visual. I wanted to post this article in the hopes it can help someone else who prefers a visual demonstration over a lot of small printed instructions!

I'm one of those people who can quickly spot the one lone wasp flying around the windows in a crowded restaurant or flying towards the ceiling in a large meeting room. I call it my "beedar."

It developed after I was stung as a child and my whole hand swelled to the size of a baseball glove. If I'd chosen baseball as a profession, the large hand could have come in handy. Instead, it became the catalyst for my deep fear of bees and wasps.

I have beedar and I can do the bee dance.

Yes, I am a woman of many talents :)

It's like a bee and wasp airport in my backyard sometimes. My trips to take the dogs outside are usually preceded by a slow opening of the back door and a determined eye on the lookout for these flying death machines. I have seen all shapes and sizes of the little buggers and I don't like any of them. I know they're good for the environment, but that doesn't mean I like to be around them!

Once a wasp flew into my family room undetected. My husband was out of town. Even though the TV was on, my beedar engaged and I could hear the wasp's little temper tantrum as it flew up against the windows trying to get back out. This wasp was angry.

Eeeeeeeeek! I ran quick as lightening into my bedroom and closed the door. I suited up in battle gear, much like Sigourney Weaver in the final scenes from the "Aliens" movie. I put on a baseball cap to cover my head, longsleeve shirt, and long pants. I slowly sneaked out the bedroom door, ran to the kitchen cupboard and grabbed the wasp spray. I stayed low on the floor as I WAITED. A short time later, the angry wasp flew against the window again and made a noise. I grabbed the spray can and, with one foot towards my victim and one foot headed back towards the bedroom door in case I needed to run, I started spraying...and spraying...and spraying. By the time I was finished , there was wasp spray all over the now dead wasp, on the windows, and on the floor.

I approached its dead carcus with caution, even though there was a small lake of wasp spray on the floor and it had drowned. I picked up the dead wasp with a lot of paper towels and smushed it in between the towels for good measure. Yep, it was dead!

Funny thing is, as much as I hate those close encounters in person, I do find myself mesmorized by killer bee and wasp movies. I guess it's my way of facing danger from the comfort of my own home.

My husband and friends know all about my allergy and, every season when the insects are swarming, I get the usual question: "Do you have your EpiPen?"

The moral of this story is, if you have a severe reaction to bees and wasps like I do, consult with your doctor and be prepared.