Hos[italized for Scorpion Sting

[Guest guest]

Hi Ladies,

I wanted to share my recent experience with a scorpion sting to

highlight how necessary it is for us to be vigilant with our health and

realize that because of our breast implant experiences and immune system

involvement it is vital that we take precautions in circumstances where

" normal " people may not react as strongly.

I was just released from the hospital this morning after being admitted

late Wednesday night. On Wednesday morning, while getting settled for

my 10 AM biology class on campus, I stuck my hand in my bookbag, unaware

that a scorpion had made its way there overnight. I got stung, but

didn't know what had caused it right away. I thought I had just brushed

up against a sharp object in my bag. After a few minutes where the

pain got worse and worse, I decided to dump out my bookbag and see if

there was some kind of bug in there, as we've had scorpions in our house

on occasion. Sure enough, when I dumped out my bookbag on the floor, a

scorpion crawled out. I was really freaked.

I called 911, and the paramedics came and checked me over and said I was

good. I refused a hospital trip at that time, because there were no

obvious signs of distress: my heart rate was fine, blood pressure fine,

no swelling or signs of anykind of shock. The paramedics didn't seem

too concerned. They gave me some ice packs to place on the sting site

and I went to class. Over the course of the class, my right hand become

tingly and after the ice packs lost their coldness, the pain

intensified. I could not wait to get home, and on my 20 minute drive,

the pain got worse and worse. I was screaming in my car. I have never

experienced so much pain in my life. It was incredible!

At home, I applied more ice, took a tylenol, and rested. I read the

internet sites to see how to treat a scorpion sting, and they all seemed

to indicate that it was not a medical emergency. There was discussion

of the treatment for the mild symtpoms and the more serious ones. I

talked to my sister who is a nurse and my son's friend who is a

paramedic, and they all said that though the pain is very intense, there

is no need to go to the hospital. Generally, the sting is more dangerous

for those who are very young or very old, or those who have an immediate

reaction going into shock. I certainly didn't fit that mold.

After lunch, I noticed that the tingling sensation that had crawled from

my wrist to my elbow, now was showing up in my feet. Both of my feet

were tingling. Next it went to my left hand. All of my extremties

continued to get worse and worse with no let up. I called poison

control, and they discussed pretty much what everything else said.

Nothing to get too worried about, unless I develop more serious

symptoms.

The rest of the day I just tried to deal with the pain, and decided to

try hydrocodone as the tylenol didn't touch it. By evening, I started

noticing some weird eye problems, a little blurring, kind of like what I

had with my breast implants. Since I had that before, I was

confused...was this from the scorpion sting, or was it my old vision

problems kicking in from the stress of the sting? I called poison

control again, and this time the girl said that if visions problems

were present it would be a good idea to go in.

By 10 PM, the tingling in my extremities was intense and unrelenting.

My vision was weird. Then my nose started feeling like it was drying up

inside my head and all the cartilage was turning to clay. It was the

strangest feeling! I was scared, but still vascillating on going to the

emergency room. In fact once I got there, the receiving nurse smiled

when I said that I got stung by a scorpion and said that they would not

admit me. They said they see alot of scorpion stings, and generally

they just give a benadryl and send the people home. At that point I

told my husband I just wanted to go home then and get a benadryl at the

drug store and save our money. But thank God for my husband! He

insisted that we let the doctor see me anyway.

The clincher was the eye test. The doctor didn't want to admit me at

first either...they gave me an Ativan, said they would evaluate me again

in an hour. It was at that 2nd evaluation when my doctor tested my eye

response and decided to admit me then and there because my eyes were not

responding right.

In fact, I started seeing double vision. My body was having a systemic

reaction that was slow and unexpected and if it wasn't for my husband

speaking up, I would have made a wrong decision to ignore the signs.

My treatment was steriods, which eventually resolved the tingling in 3

of my extremities and the double vision. I was on methylprednisolone,

60 mg 4 times a day by IV.

My right hand is still affected and it could last up to a month

according to the doctor. It is numb at the site of the sting, and my

fingers aren't working so well due to the intense tingling.

I believe that while I didn't have an immediate reaction that was life

threatening, my immune system could not properly handle the effects of

the neurotoxic venom. I need to remember, just as we ALL need to

remember, that even though we are feeling better with the breast

implants out, we are still not fully recovered to our former robust

health. Since doing well in my life and feeling that I can handle so

much, I really didn't know how to interpret all of the information that

I was reading on the internet and getting from the medical professionals

regarding this scorpion sting. The doctor in the emergency room told my

husband that I was the very first adult that he had ever admitted to the

hospital due to a scorpion sting. He stated that generally a normal,

healthy person does not have a delayed reaction like I did. I had

revealed to the doctor that I had an autoimmune condition--the

Hashimoto's--but of course, I never brought up the breast implants, as

that would have really labeled me a nutcase then.

But I believe the bottom line lesson that I have taken away from this

experience and want to share with you is that when you encounter any

kind of poison, insect venom, or any substance or experience that has

any potential effect on your immune system, don't make the mistake of

thinking that your reaction is necessarily going to be a normal one! !!

Always make the exception and consider that your immune system may have

trouble recovering and a serious reaction can involved a delayed

reaction! I wonder what would have happened to me if the neurotoxic

effects had been left unchecked....if I had just gone to bed that night

instead of going to the emergency room? My nerves were under attack,

that much I know.

I'm thankful that the doctor recognized that myabnormal eye movements

meant something more, and went ahead and admitted me, as much as I hate

hospitals. Now I think I hate something even more....SCORPIONS!!!

Hugs,

Patty