Taint wrote:

The fact that all of this, evidently, occurred indoors quite convinces me Australia will continue to do well without my presence.

I have been invited down next year for speaking engagements... still debating.  I was bitten by a black widow spider, and had some real consequences.  This spider will kill you outright.

if you *must* go, then dont forget your bubble-boy outfit.  I don't care what you look like in it, but those nasties stay *outside*

Dmtdust wrote:

Taint wrote:

The fact that all of this, evidently, occurred indoors quite convinces me Australia will continue to do well without my presence.

I have been invited down next year for speaking engagements... still debating.  I was bitten by a black widow spider, and had some real consequences.  This spider will kill you outright.

What was it like? I live in an area with Black widows and Brown Recluses. I've always thought, forced into a choice,  I would rather get bit by the Widow since it's a neurotoxin and my understanding was that it just caused horrible pain and the worst flu symptoms you've ever felt, then you get better. In contrast, the Recluse's hemotoxins will eat away part of your body permanently.

What am I missing about the widow bite? My understanding is that they're only life-threatening to kids.

So I woke up one morning in L.A. .... rolled off my tatami mat, and found a red swelling on my left chest.  Thinking I had been bit by a spider, I cleaned the spot, and went to work.

Over the next couple of days, the glands under my arm started to swell, and by the time I went to the doctor it was the size just bigger than a golf ball.  also, the bite had the following markings (that turned out to be bites)  I was sore, and had a low grade fever along with it

.....
.....
.....

15 points in all (much larger though) 

The doctor said it was a black widow.

He gave me antibiotics, and 2 days later, the same marks showed up on my back, showing that the infection had worked it's way through my trunk....

It was a very uncomfortable feeling.

DupeOrNot wrote:

Dmtdust wrote:

It was a very uncomfortable feeling.

But you got better, with no permanent damage?

Do you mean physically or psychologically?

Of course, you're fine, Dusty. Here, have a nice cup of cocoa and sit in the corner just like we talked about earlier. Good boy.

Johnny_Rotten wrote:

I need to see what the trial research says, but 3 years ago someone hit upon a novel solution to getting bit by spiders and such with venom that kills tissue like the recluse or hobo spider. Typical treatments to neutralize the venom and fight infection often fail and the wound can expand to the bone requiring repeated surgical removal of dead tissue. The venom  contains substances that shut down the capillaries around the expanding necroptic wound.

These spiders do not always inject venom in a bite but if they do apparently sticking a scopolimine patch over the initial bite or later, a patch doughnut cutout on an expanding wound can save you much misery. It works by counteracting the venom's capillary contracting effects, opening up the localized bloodflow to the affected tissue which allows the body's immune response and venom neutralizing enzymes along with any antibiotics to get to the affected tissue.

Another potentially useful gift to us from the nightshade family.

Thank you, thank you, God!!!

Back in Alaska, unless you were eaten by a bear, stomped by a moose, or cornered by Sarah, the worst you had to deal with was mosquitoes.

tojo2000 wrote:

I think I saw that same documentary.  For years nobody believed it existed because they could find no proof.

What didn't exist? Sarah?

Or you could just get hit by a bus in Manhattan or get Legionnairs Disease on a cruise ship. The world is an interesting place, full of cool ways to die.

Johnny_Rotten wrote:

These spiders do not always inject venom in a bite but if they do apparently sticking a scopolimine patch over the initial bite or later, a patch doughnut cutout on an expanding wound can save you much misery. It works by counteracting the venom's capillary contracting effects, opening up the localized bloodflow to the affected tissue which allows the body's immune response and venom neutralizing enzymes along with any antibiotics to get to the affected tissue.

Awesome.  Do you have a name on the doctor who developed this, or maybe a link to an article or paper about it?