Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Arachnophobia Personified....

Last week, after having friends over to dine outside on the patio,  I awakened the next day to discover a bruise on my right forearm that has a large knot in the center, thinking I must have at some point hit my forearm on something but couldn't remember having done so. (Sure, there's a surprise.) Because I have the hairy arms of an ape-woman, it was impossible to tell if there were fang marks (for a spider bite) or not. Believe me when I say I even tried to view it with my jeweler's loupe, with no discernible success (besides it being fundamentally scary). Utterly frustrated, I even took at least a dozen digital close-up shots which ultimately did not achieve a good enough shot to allow me a microscopic vision of said bite. Thank. Gawd.


Said bruise was a bit tender to the touch and the center reddish knot was hard but it hasn't bothered me other than the fact it's horrendous looking. No itching. Nothing, really. I've been wearing long sleeves to hide it since a week ago Sunday, (It was 93 degrees today, which was ever so fun.) and it still looks the same today as it did Sunday morning a week ago but it's no longer sensitive. After my self-diagnosis of it being a spider bite, I've been unable to get a sound night of sleep ever since. In my self-diagnosis, I believe that if it is indeed a spider bite, the venom was released under my skin, thus causing the bruising. But hey, I could be wrong.


This is, of course, the time of year when outdoor spiders begin working their way through any little nook and cranny in your home, to secure a nice warm place to winter. Especially wolf spiders, brown recluses, black widows, brown widows, and brown house spiders. Might I just add here that they all look the same to me? Call it racial (spider) profiling? So sue me. Last week the weather was actually quite cool. Eeeeeeek! I'm half insane at this point, seriously. So, my new mission has been to buy mass quantities of caulk in order to seal said nooks and crannies. Clearly, I've lost my mind and until I rid my home of every single, tiny little insect and spider, I won't be rational any time soon. The company that sprays our house on a regular basis was just here a few weeks ago, so there shouldn't be ANY of the little critters. Anywhere. At. All. Not after paying $150.00 for pest control, per visit. So, I'm calling them again tomorrow for another visit. Ugh.


So, has anyone ever experienced this or anything similar? I KNOW that it's not a mosquito bite since I've gone all summer without one because I wear my patches every day and because it doesn't itch like the devil. Obviously, it must be some kind of insect or spider bite.  I unfortunately found nothing on the internet that even remotely resembles it, so I'm troubled as well as pissed off. However, I do have my scheduled doctor's appointment on the 21st and have to take a blood test for said appointment tomorrow.


As much as I distrust the drug pushing doctors in this country, I'm hoping my doctor can give me some answers. Fortunately, I'm not expecting an answer from him, so it will surely be a surprise if he can identify the source. ARGH!!!


To Be Continued....

14 comments:

T said...

it does look like a reaction to a spider bite to me. but….have yourself checked for lyme's disease too.

Anonymous said...

These people will help you ID it: http://www.badspiderbites.com/

But seriously, go to a doctor, stat. That bruising can actually be nectrotizing tissue - tissue that is dying, which can happen with recluse bites. Please go see a doctor today!

I Am Woody said...

That bite scares the crap out of me - makes me think of a brown recluse bite! GO TO THE DOCTOR ASAP!!!

Mental P Mama said...

Get to the doctor. Today.

imbeingheldhostage said...

HOLY CARP WOMAN!!! GET to the doctor NOW!!!! If this is a recluse, it will just get worse. Oh please tell me you've already gone in and refused to take no for an answer when trying to see someone. :-(

Pinkim said...

Yikes, you had better get that checked out it looks like some bis ass spider really dad it in for you!!!Either that or Mr. Snoots has not gotten over the trip to Italy yet...Just kidding!

Flea said...

Holy moley, woman! I don't need to repeat what everyone else has said. And that scares the crap out of me. I ABHOR spiders.

Queen of Halloween said...

Ewww....I vote for spider bite! Hope you went to ER!

Debbie said...

I saw this on google reader and avoided it until now BECAUSE of the title. Now I have the friggin willies.

Get yourself to the ER. Today, woman! Now I am terrified I've brought those suckers down from the attic!

Yes...keep us posted!!

Snooty Primadona said...

I started taking activated charcoal yesterday which helps spider bites. Also, I'd forgotten that I'd bought a brown recluse first aid kit a couple of years ago, so began using that yesterday & already the knot has shrunken by half since yesterday.

However, I am going to the doctor @ 8:00 AM for my 6 month checkup anyway, so I'll see if the doctor knows anything.

Thanks for all the input everybody!

Heather Kerrigan said...

I feel like I have creepy crawling spiders all over me now.

I'm glad you are seeing the doctor.

EEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Bodaciousboomer said...

Since I read your more recent posting I know that you're OK. However, if you ever even think you've been bitten do what everyone has said and get to an ER. DON'T WAIT. I had a friend who waited a day and she had a to have plastic surgery to attempt to repair the hole left by the massive amount of tissue they had to remove. The sermon is now over. Sorry about that.

Snooty Primadona said...

I always think that if something is painful, go see thy doctor. However, if there is no pain, I just don't see the point, lol. As it turns out, I was right. No. Big. Deal. Money saved.

patti wade said...

I have the same type of bite not as big but same center and round bruise around it did you find out what it was?

 

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