....on surviving a snake bite- I know, only me...

Ophidiophobia -the fear of snakes. I definitely have this now so more than ever!

So I have lived in the boondocks now for over 14 years. I have always worried about snakes and spiders biting me or a family member and I have attempted to take the necessary precautions to prevent that from happening. At times this has meant running from them as they slither sneakily across my yard- only to remember I was leaving my child behind.  Not good, I know! But she is fine, safe, nothing happened to her, I promise- just heat failure for me.

 I have thrown rocks at them, chopped them with a hoe or ran over them with my car.  I always look where I'm stepping when walking in the grass or wear crocs that look like Sweden wooden shoes (not the ones with holes in them) for added protection.My philosophy is the only good snake is a dead snake and after Tuesday night that will be my motto for life. Did you know, according to WebMD, “a dead snake, even one with a severed head, can still bite and release venom by reflex action for up to 90 minutes after it dies.”

Here’s my story for all those that have been curious: on 5/20/14 my daughter and I returned home from watching Moms Night Out - a hilarious must see for everyone; you will not be disappointed. It was about 10pm when we pulled into the driveway. I gathered my stuff and as I was about even with her tire I felt an extremely sharp puncture to my right foot. I wanted to think it was a piece of metal but I knew, that I knew, that I knew that it was definitely not a piece of metal.  I didn't want to look but knew I had to. So when I did, I saw the scrawny, evil -eyed monster ready to strike again and I jumped forward so I could lean on the hood of the car. Now my scream occurred simultaneously with all the thoughts that were racing through my brain, to which my daughter responded "WHAT?" in her death rattling response.  I replied, "Go get your dad, I've been bitten by a snake,"

I heard the echoes of her calls to her dad as she ran to the back of the house to awaken him from a sound sleep. While awaiting his presence, the thoughts that raced through my head were "I am a nurse, what do I do, ...I do not know what to do....shouldn't I know what to do....stay calm, don't move, ...why don't I know what to do....stay calm...if I squeeze above my ankle will that slow the circulation,....should I elevate my leg to decrease circulation, ...I know it's important to stay calm and don't move… STAY CALM. 

When Jamie arrived- in his under roo’s--the snake long sincee has gone bye-bye- thank God-& I'm leaning there on the hood of the car, my crap scattered on the ground around me, hanging on to my ankle with both hands, and my leg held up in the air- likely looking like a ballerina. (Do you have this picture in your head). I told him to get dressed and take me to the hospital. Courtney was trying to be helpful and asked what she should do. I had her pick up my stuff and take it into the house. I later found out she was freaking out to have to bend down with a snake lurking around there somewhere. 

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Jamie returned in a panic, still trying to wake up. He scooped me up and carried me to the truck. Let's just say it was a -musical strain, um … walk...as he carried me. The fear of not knowing what to do kept me from laughing at him and his unexpected musical serenade but now I can barely type this without cracking a rib. Courtney brought me an ice pack and T-shirt to wrap around it. Jamie drove about 80-90 to the hospital. As he drove I called a doctor I used to work with to see if I should use the ice or not. She had never dealt with  snake bites before so she didn't know. I called my friend that worked in the ER and she didn't know. So I felt better that I wasn't the only medical person that didn't know what to do.  

We arrived at Kennett hospital about 10:15. They took vitals, and drew some blood. Watched me for about 2 hours, gave me a dose of keflex and sent me home. Once home and in bed- around 1, I told Jamie the inside of my leg felt like a giant bruise. This is what I awakened to this the next morning. See picture.

    And it was very painful and tender. After attempting to get up and learning that walking was not going to occur to day, I laid back on the bed, began to cry like a baby, and texted my mother to come over. PPLLLEEEAAASSSEEEE In the mean time, I lowered myself to the floor, to figure out how I was going to get to the bathroom. Having hardwood floors, crawling on my knees was not an option, so I sat on my butt and pulled myself backwards to the bathroom to attempt to start my day. While scooting backwards, if I came across anything I felt I might need throughout the day, I piled it in my lap. So needless to say by the time I made it to the bathroom, I had a pile of books in my lap and my floor was getting very clean. (Again, do you have this picture in your head).

Mom drove me to  a follow-up appointment I made with a NP friend of mine in Blytheville. The first thing she did was call poison control- poison control was not called the night before; they questioned her as to why they had not been called for which she had no answer. (Hence this is the reason I go to NP’s- I’ve found they tend to follow protocol. I have some great Drs. and great Dr. friends but I prefer to see NP’s on a regular basis). Anyway, by the time I arrived to her office, the area on my leg had increased slightly size. (see picture below)

Poison control instructed her to take me to the ER, have them draw more labs and monitor me for awhile. I called my husband to have him come up there with me. He was scared to death; he even called the pastor to pray for me. I tried to tell him I wouldn’t die that easily but he wouldn’t listen. (Glad he loves me though). I stayed there a couple more hours. Labs were still normal with only a slightly elevated prothrombin time (PT). A PT test, along with other labs, are used to determine how long it takes blood to clot. Snake venom can cause bleeding concerns. I was discharged once again and told to return if my whole leg turned blue or if I had difficulty breathing.  

Here are some pictures of the progression of how my leg changed over the next 48 hours or so.  Remember this is the inside of my right thigh and my beautiful Fiona foot (Fiona-from Shrek) below.  Luckily, as you can see, only one fang punctured my foot. It appears that the other fang must have hit the strap of my flip-flop

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) when it comes to snake bites one of the most important factors is personal sensitivity. Some people are more allergic to snake venom, just as some people have a more serious reaction to insect stings. Snake bites are more serious for very young and very old people and those with compromised health. The location of the bite is important, too. Least serious are those to the hands and feet, which is good because that’s where most people are bitten. I had what was considered a large, local reaction which can take up to 10 days to improve.

5/26/14

So what did I learn from all of this:

1. Use a flashlight when I get out of the car at night. Snakes do NOT care that it is MY driveway, nor are they in a hurry to move when a vehicle pulls up in the driveway. I thought the vibration from a vehicle would keep them out of the driveway, and never dreamed one would be there.

2. Just because I’m a nurse doesn’t mean I have to know how to treat everything. Because snake bites are rare, most medical personnel are unfamiliar with the protocol. I did some things right: Remained calm, kept extremity as still as possible, went to the emergency room. If you don’t use the skills you learn, you lose them. This was only my second exposure to a snake bite and the other one was during my 1st year as a nurse.

3. What not to do for a snake bite: do not apply ice; do not apply tourniquet -some pressure will decrease circulation but do not occlude circulation. Elevation is controversial so it’s best to keep the extremity at the level of the heart. (Decreased elevation leads to increased swelling and possibly compartment syndrome; increased elevation leads to increased circulation to the heart.)

4. Most people bitten by a snake do not receive antivenom.

5. Allergic reactions depends upon the individual’s sensitivity to venom. (Guess I’m sensitive)

6. Call poison control immediately

6.Snakebite ranks just above falling space debris as a threat to human life. (MDC) Guess I should have played the lottery that day.

I'm still improving each day. Today is one week, so I expect complete recovery before the weekend. Another tally mark for Jesus….Satan you should know better by now, My God has plans for me. Why can't you comprehend that!!!

Now if only I could just stop seeing “snakes” everywhere I go….or at least everything initially looks like a snake which is enough to make me jump on your shoulders. Be prepared...