Near miss......

Got to check the box on another "Arizona" experience this past Wednesday evening.  I stepped out of the sliding doors of the trailer onto the landing at about 8:30 p.m., it was dark, and I put my bare foot down onto a Scorpion.  The Scorp was not too happy with me and zapped me with its stinger.  Ouch! Actually I said other words but you get the drift.  In addition I hopped into the trailer wondering if I was going to live or was I going to die here in the dry Arizona desert.  Well, maybe I was being a wee bit melodramatic.

Seriously though it hurt like hell.  When I sat down I grabbed the computer and did what anyone would do when they need information.  "GOOGLE IT"  "Scorpion bites in Arizona" took me to a site that was awesome.  The information started out by stating that "Scorpion stings are not normally lethal".  My brain got hung up on the word "normally".  The site contained all the info one would need including a 1-800 number which I called.  This was the local Poison Control Hot line.  My brain got stuck on the word "Poison".....   I explained my situation to the representative.  The rep from Poison Control was terrific and somewhat reassuring.  He explained that the "venom" from the sting affected only the nervous system and nothing else.  (Oh goody....)  He instructed me to wash the area, apply a cold compress, elevate if possible and take 2 Tylenol or Ibuprofen.  He said he would call back in an hour and see how I was doing.  Sure enough an hour later someone called to check on me.  Great service.  

The question I get asked most often is, what were the effects.  To be honest there were not many.  The symptoms were similar to getting stung by a wasp.  The area where I was stung was tender and sore during the evening.  I did not have any swelling in the affected area.  The following morning I got up, put my foot on the floor and, nothing.  The pain was gone.  Other folks we know who have been stung had other symptoms and some needed medical attention.  Lucky me.

The beast was captured just after the attack.  It spend the night sealed in a jar.  The following morning I took it outside, in the jar of course, to take a few photos.  I took a couple of photos in the shaded carport.  The Scorpion was a bit lethargic but I wrote that off to it spending the night in a jar.  I took it out into the sunlight to get a better photo.  Holy smokes the beast went crazy.  It seems that Scorpions, like vampires, do not like sunlight, or for that matter any light.  When I took it back into the shade it settled right down.  Then I applied rubbing alcohol and he went sleep, permanently.  

Here is a photo of the Scorpion that savagely attacked me.  For interest, it is an Arizona Bark Scorpion.  Don't let the size fool you.  It packs a wallop!