Thursday, September 10, 2009

Your Finger is Turning Purple

I was bitten by a ball python today. They're normally friendly snakes and we handle them all the time without hassle. He had just eaten and I had just washed my hands really well so I really don't know why he did it. I stuck my hand in his feeding container to put him back in his normal cage, and he just latched on to my middle finger.

Most pythons are constrictors, so their bite isn't terribly painful, but they have very strong muscles in their bodies to suffocate their prey. I asked Mary what to do and she asked the vet. They told us to put something in his mouth and pry his jaws off my finger, but we couldn't get it to work, so I ended up walking to them, half way across the store, with this snake attached to my finger. The vet had no trouble removing it and I went to lunch.

When I came back from lunch, I wasted 40 minutes on the phone filing an incident report. The bitchy nurse I ended up talking to asked me when my last tetanus booster shot was. I told her it was when I was a child, to which she replied "Was it in the last five years," to which I replied "No, it was when I was a child." Eventually, she demanded I go to Mt. Clemens General ER for the shot. Not only did I was all that time, but they made me leave an hour and a half early for a very minor wound. I still feel bad for not finishing all my work before I left.

The hospital was easy enough to find, and the nurse I spoke with had already sent the paperwork over so everyone was waiting for me. Everyone was really interested in my story and I guess they don't see too many snake bites down that way. I only had to wait a few minutes before the doctor came in with the booster. The shot itself felt roughly the same as the bite, but I didn't react so well to it. I was fine until the lady left the room. Then my arm started hurting really bad, I became nauseous, and passed out. I was awake again when she came back and they let me go right away.

That is my story of the day. Not as fun as going to dinner and the zoo, but much more dramatic.

3 comments :

  1. Holy Hell Rich you almost died what!!! No really though I would have flipped out! and Yeah the shots hurt like hell if you use your muscle more it will relax the pain more. Just an FYI. <3

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  2. It was much more dramatic the first time you related it, but still scary nonetheless.

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  3. Sweetpotato_Voltaire26/9/09 17:19

    snakes < good.

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