Maybe a Horsefly

I was sitting on the steps, by the door of our house, waiting for Blessing #1, so we could go to the store. All of a sudden I feel this burning piercing sensation, which, of course, my immediate response is to try to remove whatever is causing it. I am guessing at horsefly, from my daughter's descriptions of her own experience with their bites. My other guess was wasp sting. All I truly know is, it can fly, whatever it is.

It was horrible, like the feeling of being burnt and throwing vinegar on the wound. Or at least, I imagine that's how it would feel, if I threw vinegar on a burn. It was in the middle of my forearm and radiated to my wrist and lower hand all the way up to my elbow, dulling down as it traveled up my arm to my shoulder. The entry wound welted almost as soon as I could run to the sink to wash it up. I threw some baking soda down and got it wet, to make a paste. Left that for a few minutes, while I continued to wait. On the way to the car, I picked a leaf from a dock plant and crushed it in my other hand, hoping it would work like plantain. I read it does. A red streak now ran across my forearm, from wrist to elbow. I left a chunk of dock on the welt, at least half way to the store. (Probably about 5 minutes. The swelling of the welt did go down and by the time we headed home, about a half hour later, there was no longer a welt. The red streak shortened, and focused on forming a big red ring around the wound.

Currently, my arm, from wrist to elbow, feels like the muscles are all knotted up. It does still hurt some, though no where near as much as it did. After all, I was shouting at my husband, right after it happened, nearly in tears, that something had bit or stung me and that it hurt horribly.

I should consider myself blessed, though. If it was a horsefly, well that is only the second time I've been bit by one. The other time was when I was 5, and my understanding was, I personally reacted the same way, with shouting and tears. If it was a wasp, which I don't think it was, again, it would only be my second sting. Well, technically fourth, but the first 4 were from the same was as it rolled across my shoulder, finally landing on my thumb. I really only count the thumb sting, because it was the only one I really noticed.

It does look a lot better now than it did.

Might be hard to see in the photo. I'm not very photogenic ;) I can still see the red dot, where it got me, but it is much smaller, surrounded by a red patch of skin. We'll see what it looks like tomorrow, probably a lot better.

I did read tea tree oil, lavender oil, and cinnamon oil all deter them. I used to spray around my house with these, I think I should try it again...