Sorry no pictures for the voyeurs. I was on my fiance's sailboat outside of Austin,Texas on Lake Travis(where I grew up) there was always spiders on and near the boat due to the lights at the dock.One day in the beginning of October my fiance noticed a white headed pimple looking thing on the back of my thigh right below my behind. Being a good man he popped it for me because I could not see it. I do recall it itching. After another day it began to swell upon looking at it in a mirror it had the dark circle around it with two small seeping holes. I immediately suspected a brown recluse.
I have had several family members get bitten over the past some 15-20 years.As a paramedic in the area I was convinced it was a brb. Unlike a normal person I decided to try my father's remedy(either Aztec or French Green Clay)This remedy usually works when the initial bite has not been popped!Like most other medical professionals I try to take care of things before I go to the doctor. Since they do not like it when you know more then they do.For about five days the clay kept it at bay.On the 6th day however it began to swell again and I was working long hours and could not take time from work that day to go to the e.r. On the 7th day I began to run a fever and went in.
The female doctor I saw told me that they could not tell me with certainty if it was a brb with out the spider.I asked if there was any way to test for it and if there was any kind of anti venom.She told me there was no such thing available and having the spider would be the only way to tell. She told me that she thought it was an abcess and I needed surgery to remove the inner core.At this point I was in severe pain the swelling on the back of my thigh was the size of a basketball. The swelling ranged from the crease of my bottom to my knee.
She gave me 1 numbing shot directly in the middle of the bite.I did not fell any effects from it.She then went in around the dark circle part which I felt.I was in terrible pain at that piont.She then gave me a shot of Demoral.All in all I was given a total of 9 shots in the local area of the bite.She then proceded with the surgery and took out about three inches of skin. She shoew me the "core" which looked a lot kile green mucus.Man it hurt like hell.Honestly child birth was easier!She packed it with a wet dressing which came out a few days later.She gave me a script for the anitbiotics.She also told me to keep it coveredwith a bandage
At this piont I had a hole the size of a half dollar on the back of my thigh that you could see into.What it looked like was a gunshot wound.I was told to soak it (as is common with abcess's)The soaking did not help nor then over the counter cortisone cream after trying it for a month.It was still very painful and still draining. I kept taking the anitibiotics but scapped the cortisoneand the badaging.
I went back to my green clay .It was the only thing that really drew out the pus.I also began using bacitracin and letting it air out so it could dry out.
In November I moved to a suburb outdie of D.C. I still had a gaping hole in my leg.Six inches above the original bite I had another spot break out.I treated it with green clay and an antibiotic called Levequin which wasleft over from my fiance.Levequin is an incredibly strong antibiotic. After 2 weeks it went away and the first spot finally had a scab on it and was finally starting to heal.In January2003 I had 2 more spots pop up again this time on the crease of my bottom.Everyone of these new occurences were on the right side of my body above the original one.I did my home teatment and this time it did not work.I went to a doc in the box who was not familar with the spider in question.I told her my suspicions about how I thought it was initially from a brown recluse. I also told her the only antibiotic that really seemed to help or even put a dent in it was the Levequin.So, she gave me the levequin. In 3 weeks they were healed and in another month my skin finally began growing back over the original one.By May I had a very funky looking scar but the first one seemed to have healed at last! When touching the scar you can feel the indentation of the missing skin.
I repeatedly have these occurences pop up on the right side of my body.If I get so much as an ingrown hair I have to be very careful.It seems like popping them is the worst thing to do.They seem to be less with time.
I am very upset after reading postings on this website that most people had doctors test the pus, have an anti-venom, or even the stun gun treatment..Maybe if I had had a doctor who wanted to listen to her patient I could have been spared a lot of pain and heartache!Any help or similar stories would help! Thanks!