PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Bee Stings do not feel like a Blood Draw or IV

It was a regular Friday morning. I sent the girls off to school. I was still in sweat pants drinking my tea. I logged on to school and was getting some schoolwork finished. Around 9:30 I get a call, I recognized the number as my girls school and thought with a bit of annoyance, who is sick or who forgot what?

It was the school secretary, this was our conversation:

Ms. G (kinda frantic): Hi Kristen, Stephanie has been stung by a wasp or maybe a yellowjacket.
Me (calm voice): Oh that's a bummer
Ms. G: The whole class has been stung
Me: Oh wow, what happened?
Ms. G: The paramedics are here, they want you to come and pick her up
Me: Seriously? Is she Ok?
Ms. G: She is hysterical
Me: Sounds like Steph, I'll be right down

I'm still not feeling much urgency, but I do throw on some clothes and jump in the car. I round the corner to the school and see all the emergency vehicles and my heart finally jumps a bit. I park quickly and walk into the cafeteria where I find Steph's class.

All of a sudden it felt like I was walking in slow motion. I look around the room and it's like the aftermath of a horrific accident. There is an odd calmness, yet some kids are crying, some are red and puffy from crying, most are holding ice packs on various parts of their bodies, paramedics and teachers are comforting the kids and then I see the stings and bites. I notice one boy has his shirt off and he is covered with several huge red welts on his skin.

I know that my first thought should have been what normal mom's think, "Where's my kid?" but no....my first thought was:

IF I EVER HEAR ANOTHER DOCTOR OR NURSE EVER SAY TO A KID AN IV OR BLOOD DRAW FEELS LIKE A BEE STING I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND!!!!

Because let me tell you; those kids were hurt, those kids were terrified, those kids were traumatized. Stings of any kind, just plain hurt. You can't prepare for it, you can't use numbing agents, and you can't calmly find a happy place and just let yourself get stung. 

IV's and Blood Draws CAN: 

• Be a positive empowering experience
• Be prepared for by using non threatening words. 
• Be numbed to make it easy.

So my tip of the day: Don't tell a kid it feels like "a little bee sting"...unless of course you want to peel them off the ceiling.

So to wrap up the days events: The class was running laps, ran over a yellowjacket hive which due to being late summer/ early fall was at full capacity and very aggressive. A swarm attacked the 6th graders and their teacher (who was a substitute on her first day-first 20 minutes of being a sub).  By some miracle of the 26 or so that got stung 0 were allergic. 

....and my tween, dramatic as ever, had a full on panic attack and had to be isolated. I guess I should touch up on my child life skills with the ones I love. #winning #momoftheyear