Op-Ed: Legendary Skateboarder Dies from Insect Sting

Pioneering skateboader Andy Kessler died from an insect sting recently. At least 40 people die each year from insect stings in the United States each year.

Many people in the United Stares have allergies to insect bites and stings. I know, I'm one of them. When I used to do landscaping, I used to get stung by bees and wasps all the time, and became allergic to them. One time I ran into a hive and got 14 bee stings at one time for my trouble. Luckily I was near a Walgreens drug store and was able to get some medical help. One time I lived out by the river and counted some 26 wasps nests around the eves of my house. Being allergic, you can see how paranoid I was about going out in my garage with all those wasps flying around. I called an exterminator. It just so happened that the guy that came out was an ex-employee of mine that I used to work with at my restaurant. He must have been fairly new at the extermination business because after a few minutes outside in my garage, he came running back inside the house screaming; "Walt! There's hundreds of them! There all over the place!" He promptly refunded my money and left in a hurry. I finally got rid of them by hiring my unemployed Vietnam veteran brother who came out and spent the weekend with me. He took a two by four and started going around knocking the nests down. He must have gotten over a hundred stings but they didn't seem to bother him. He told me that they were nothing compare to what they had in Vietnam. For some people insect stings are a more serious matter. According to CNN, pioneering skateboarding champion Any Kessler recently was killed by an insect sting. At least 40 people in the U.S. die each year from insect stings. About 5% of the United states population is at risk from insect stings. Allergies to stings are common, but not VERY common. People who are allergic to insect stings should carry epinephrine in case of a sting. A quick injection of the adrenaline-like substance just may save your life. To me Kessler's death reminds me of the untimely demise of Steve Irwin, A.K.A. As the crocodile hunter, who was done in by the sting of a stingray. Both of them were in dangerous professions and lived lucky lives until an unfortunate incident took them out. So if you are one of the 5%, then be sure to take the necessary precautions to keep yourself safe this summer. Keep a bottle of Benadryl handy. This helps even if you are not allergic. And ask your doctor about a bee sting kit. Even though the odds are against it, it's better to be safe than sorry.