It's been two days since I was stung seven times by one
mid size Arizona Bark Scorpion...
In the early morning hours of July 14 Mark had gone outside to ride his bike (on the trainer) and watch TV. I could hear him spinning and the TV in the background, so I went to our spare room and sprawled out on the top of the bed and fell asleep.
Around 5:30 a.m. I rolled over on my back and I suddenly felt a sting. I jumped up screaming and I threw off my night shirt. I ran out the back door, yes, without my shirt, to find Mark. I knew this was not a normal seen he would be use to so I apologized for coming out without my shirt. I was in a panic and I wanted him to get whatever it was off my back. Interesting enough, he said there was nothing on my back. But I could feel something so I had him look closer and then I heard him say, "you have a few red spots, you were probably stung by a scorpion or a spider". I could tell he had no desire in getting off his bike, but he could tell I looked someone concerned. He got off his bike, a little grudingly, and trapesed on into the house. We walked back in the spare room and we moved a couple pillows and behold there was my little stinging friend, a mid size scorpion. Mark killed the little thing. He checked my back again and found five swollen spots.
Mark informed me that I would feel a little tingling sensation around the infected areas. He suggested that I come outside while he resumed what he set out to do earlier, spin on his bike while enjoying the Tour
de France. I did join him, but not much time had passed before I noticed my nose and lips tingling, goose bumps appeared on my legs and arms, my fingers and toes also began to tingle. Mark had suggested that I go inside the house and take a
Benadryl. I did as he suggested, but it was difficult to swallow the little pill. I resumed my spot on the couch and continued to watch the Tour. It appeared that the TV screen was moving and I assumed since I couldn't focus on the TV that it was making my stomach queasy. I told Mark I was going to throw up and I went to the edge of the patio and leaned over, heaving. Mark asked me if I was
OK, and I told him I'd be fine. I sat back on the couch and I noticed my eyes where getting worse and extremely itchy. Mark told me not to worry about my eyes because he was sure something was in the air. He then suggested that I take a shower to get the blood moving around in my body. I did, just as he suggested. While I was in the shower I felt dizzy and I remember looking down at the floor and seeing what appeared to be a tiny black bug, but I couldn't seem to zoom in on it to take a good look. I wanted to cry, my emotions were acting a little off. I then noticed my soap dish, which is a tan/stonish color. It appeared as if someone broke my dish, I could see a tan object next to it. I wanted to cry because I couldn't really tell were the dish broke, although I could see what I thought was the broken piece (which later I realized was just a bandaid). Mark did poke his head in to the shower to check on me and I realized I couldn't focus on him. It was as if he was jumping around on me. I also remember asking him if the spot on the floor was a bug, and apparently he couldn't see it. The spot was scary and I remember being anxious and extremely nervous about it (I do not know what it was, or if I was really seeing something). I got out of the shower and pulled some black shorts and a blue tank top on. I remember walking over to the sink and spitting because my mouth was so watery, but I found the taste gross and plus it was easier to spit it out than to swallow it. I did not brush my hair, my arms where extremely tingly and I did not want to use them. Mark then suggested that I lay down. I did not lay down, I was too scared to lay down. I told Mark I was not laying down because my body felt strange. I was tingly from head to toe, as if my whole body had fallen asleep to the tingling sensations all over. Mark then went to check the
Internet, I could soon hear him on the phone. I walked in to the computer room and sat in the blue chair and he handed me the phone. There was a lady on the other end and she asked me several questions and she told me there was nothing anyone could do about a scorpion sting and I shouldn't waste my time by going to the hospital. She also said the symptoms would peak between four and six hours after the sting. I remember her asking my age. She then said, "it sounds like you are uncomfortable". I told her I was and before I handed the phone back to Mark I could tell my speech sounded a little strange. The
operator told Mark to get me to the hospital within 5 to 10 minutes and if he couldn't get me there to call 911.
Mark drove me directly to the hospital. By the time we got there I had completely lost control of my arms, hands, legs and toes. They were moving as if I was having a seizure. My head even jerked around a little. My eyes hurt, I couldn't hardly open them and when I did, I couldn't focus at all. Mark was laughing at them, he said he so in hopes it would keep my spirits up. I obviously didn't get the humor in it. I remember sitting in a wheelchair and having muscle spasms, I wondered how many people were looking at me. I even remember trying to look around the waiting room, but I couldn't focus and opening my eyes was too hard to do. Therefore, I figured it didn't matter who was looking at me because I couldn't see them anyways. I was also worried that I hadn't brushed my hair yet from my shower. I was sure I looked like a crazy person.
I remember being pushed in to a room. I had been in the ER several times with Mark and never once had I seen a room with a door on it, but this room had a door. The nurse helped me up on the bed because I couldn't hardly stand and when I put any pressure on any part of my body it felt like someone was stabbing me with needles. I changed into their special ER gowns. I didn't want to lay down, I didn't know if I would be pushing venom in further. (I don't think my "thinker" was working clearly).
A lady nurse, with black hair, came in and took my vitals and it was then that I heard I had been stung seven times, not five. I remember asking Mark, "seven?" and he said, "yes". The lady nurse took some blood out of my arm. I was scared that my arm would be moving all over the place and that the needle would poke out the other side of my vain and I would bleed to death. I was trying my hardest to control the movement in my arms. I don't know how well I did, I don't remember. I do know I didn't bleed to death.
When the doctor came in I thought I remembered him saying that they save
anti venom for the children with severe symptoms. I couldn't respond to well, I just listened. At that moment I remembered what the Poison Control lady said, "it will peak somewhere between four and six hours". Oh my, I was so scared inside, I didn't know how much more I could handle. The doctor examined me and then he said he was going to go call Poison Control. He eventually came back and said that my symptoms were so severe that he would order some
anti venom for me, if I would agree to take it and be a "testing patient".
The
anti venom is made in Mexico, and the United States does not currently have an FDA approved
anti venom, therefore they are "studying" this
antidote made from horse serum. 100 people in the State of Arizona will be studied and only 35 from this particular location. I was under the impression that once I take the anti venom that I "could" become allergic to it. Therefore, if I were to ever be stung again (which could be worse the next time) the doctors would have to treat me for an allergy to the anti venom before they treat me with the anti venom.
I gave the doctor a thumbs up, meaning I wanted the
anti venom. I hated the way I felt, I kept thinking of my brother Bruce and what his 2 year old body must have gone thru when he got bit by a rattlesnake. (Unbelievable that he is alive today).
I had to sign some paperwork, which I read today, before they would treat me with the
anti venom, my signature is ...well, it doesn't look like my signature, you can tell I was completely out of it. I do remember initialing and signing, and it was hard to hold the writing pen. I couldn't focus, so I couldn't read, I think someone read it to me, but I have no idea if they read everything because I couldn't see. Actually I don't know that I even cared what they were telling me, I just wanted them to hurry up.
I remember when they gave me the first dose of
anti venom. I don't believe I noticed a single difference because I remember thinking it didn't work. The second dose worked. I stopped having muscle spasms and shortly thereafter I could open my eyes. I still couldn't focus, but I could open my eyes.
The doctor released me and I returned home with Mark. I could feel the tingling for a few more hours before it vanished into nothing at all. My back was numb in the spots were the scorpion stung for another couple days. Funny, I was afraid to touch my back, I was afraid I may push something deeper into my skin and then I'd die.
I feel lucky to have gotten the antiscorp otherwise I would have ended up in ICU.
