In the last week, since Garry has been less able to do “the heavy lifting,” the question of who will help who and which of us can perform the more physically demanding chores has loomed large. We haven’t found an answer. Maybe there isn’t any.
The doctor said it looked like a brown recluse spider bite to her. She was looking at the swollen, scabbed over wound on Garry’s leg.
“It doesn’t look anything like a tick bite and Garry’s blood panel was normal. No indication of any other infection. All levels normal.”
I said “All the experts say there are no brown recluse spiders in this part of the country.” Of course there are loads of apocryphal stories and data to belie that smug assertion, but experts are expert. They can’t be wrong so you can’t argue with them.
The doc gave me a look and said “Right!”
The initial Lyme titre already came back. Negative. It probably would be negative at this point even if there were an infection incubating. I’m optimistic because my beloved shows no symptoms of a systemic infection. Only his leg hurts. Which makes sense — if he was bitten by the spider that doesn’t live here. The mythical spider reported by so many people, but completely denied by official experts.
Sometimes, experts sound like they are deep in denial. Or is that just me?
We’ll run another blood test for Lyme in about a month, but the odds are? Garry was bitten by a brown recluse spider. Which probably was living by the side of the house where the woodshed was until recently, when my son tore it down.
That’s exactly where these spiders (the ones that don’t live around here) like to hide. In old rotting wood piles, cardboard boxes, damp garages, and basements. Oh, I forgot to mention that these same experts assure us that these are very non-aggressive spiders and only bite when they feel threatened. What would make a spider feel threatened is left to our own imagination.
Nonetheless, experts say we don’t have brown recluse spiders around here. So — what, me worry?
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Categories: #Health, Myths and Fables, Nature, New England, UPDATE!
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
Bites by these guys are extremely painful and dangerous. I’m glad to hear Garry is getting better. Keep those antibiotics on board. I’m sending prayers for a rapid recovery and, in the meantime, beautiful thoughts on which to float.
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Thanks. I never imagined a bite from such a little spider could be so serious. He’s getting better, but not so quickly. I’ve seen him recover faster from pneumonia. He’s done one course of antibiotics. He has another round of blood tests beginning of July. We’ll know more, then. Hopefully, everything will be fine!! Thanks for caring.
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i have had A (nameless) Spider bite/infection and the words “necrotic flesh” and “we dont want to lose that leg do we” cropped up very quickly. Not something to tinker with, no matter what kind of spider. and yeah they hurt like the devil. Keep an eye on that thing, sometimes they take a LONG time to recover from.
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I’ve been watching carefully for any sign of necrosis. So far, so good. The doctor picked up on what it was quickly and gave him antibiotics from the beginning, so it seems to be healing well. But it still hurts. It’s almost a month now, and it still pains him. At least it is the summer. This would be way worse with snow on the ground.
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Somehow, I missed this one… Hope all is well and Garry is on the mend. Dan WAS bitten by a tick last fall, but turned out it was not the one ‘dispensing’ Lyme. Oh, those little buggers are all such a pain. Feel better, Garry! ❤
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He is feeling better, but it’s slow. A lot slower that either of us imagined possible. Not surprisingly, he is very nervous outside because he is convinced the insect world is out to get him.
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Wishing Garry to be better soon! I’ve always been arachnophobic, you know, and every day I discover more reasons to be.
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I’ve always been especially afraid of spiders, but to some degree, all insects. Except Lady Bugs. I like them. Garry is getting better. Slowly.
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Me too. I have really difficult relationship with Bees and Hornets, among the others. I’m really happy Garry’s getting better; sending you light.
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Garry is better, but not a lot better. Mostly, he isn’t worse, which in this case, is more or less the same as better. This is not going to be a quick fix.
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We have all sorts of bugs which “don’t live here” living here. They tend to hitch rides in fruit.
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I know. The experts are in denial. Until one of THEM gets bitten!
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Here’s hoping! And, send them to the suits at Fenway Park.
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They’ll just sit there getting ill and swelling up, refusing to believe it could actually be happening.
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That sounds like your kind of story. I would enjoy that 🙂
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So that is what they look like. We don’t have ticks here in New Zealand and only a couple of pesky, nasty spiders. Good news so far. Take care Garry.
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I didn’t know we had all of these creatures and frankly, I was much happier NOT knowing.
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Gahhh! Answers but no answers!! I am rooting for a spider, frankly. Fewer long-term problems, ya know? Keep us posted!
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I will. I doubt we will ever know for sure, but I vote for the spider too. Lyme is a real bitch. Thanks, Rose.
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I guess that somebody forgot to tell the spiders they don’t live there! I think maybe what happens is that the so called experts refuse to acknowledge the existence of anything until a certain magic number of cases is reached. With the help of Garry and other victims of these non existent in your area spiders they may exist in a year or two and the experts will then say they have spread into your area from somewhere else.
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The problem is, unless you catch the spider in the act, it doesn’t count. And since the bite itself is painless — all the symptoms come later — the spider is almost never caught. That’s how they can maintain that “they almost never bite people.” It doesn’t matter how many people get bitten, only how many spiders get caught doing it.
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A bit like domestic violence in other words.
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Yes. Like that.
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senseless domestic violence!
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This post is causing me some serious anxiety. I had a close encounter with a wolf spider when I first moved out here in my neck of the woods. It was on my towel, which was wrapped around me after a shower. I saw it in the mirror and I think my scream is still echoing all these years later. I hope for a speedy recovery.
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We have wolf spiders too. I met one, once. I couldn’t scream. I was up to my neck in very cold water at the time, so all I could do was gurgle. The guy I was with took out his rifle and SHOT it. Really. No kidding. I’m against guns, but that worked for me.
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Wolf spider? Do you know Larry Talbot?
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No. There must be more than one. 😉
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More than one Larry Talbot? Or more than one wolf spider. I know there’s only one “poor” Larry, but I’m sure there’s more than one wolf spider. I would just prefer never meeting another in this life or maybe in any of the next three, four, five or whatever!
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I was referring to more than one wolf spider. I assume that’s also what you refer to when you say you’d prefer not meeting another one. 😉
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OH YES. Oh definitely absolutely 150% yes. Once was so very enough.
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I was just doing a movie riff/ reference to “The Wolfman” and its protaganist, Lawrence “Larry” Talbot. Sorry for drifting off subject.
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A wolf spider is MUCH scarier than poor Larry Talbot.
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These experts are the same ones who keep saying there are no sasquatches living in any area, and Bigfoot will only attack when it feels threatened. Bull hockey, I say!
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Maybe Garry was bitten by a Sasquatch … and didn’t notice?
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They are quite stealthy creatures… even harder to spot than squirrels. Better check under the woodpile…
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The woods are silent, dark, and deep …
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Squirrel, I once left Bigfoot prints in the TV newsroom next to the Assignment Director’s cubicle. He figured out the perp in five seconds. I was always #1 when they rounded up the usual prank suspects.
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Here’s hoping Garry feels better soon! Be care you two with these spiders-that-don’t-live-in-your-area. Experts. Bah humbug!
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A number of friends have reminded us that we shouldn’t be wandering around the grounds in shorts. Point well taken. We live in the woods. There are many excellent reasons to not leave a lot of skin exposed. Pity that it’s 90 degrees today. Makes the whole long pants thing rather sweaty.
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Well, I hate it when I’m even “ALMOST” right. I must admit I’ve forgotten what the beauty of spring brings with it besides flowers and green stuff. Critters, normally in hibernation, also come to life with renewed vigor. So not going around uncovered when the weather gets hot is really good advice.
I used to wonder about desert dwellers in north Africa and why they wore all that clothing, robes, turbans and such? Then when I moved to the desert, Sonoran that is, I found out about dehydration and why the bones of dead things in the desert seemed so clean…, sun and critters. As the saying goes “life will find a way”, or maybe that should be Nature will find a way. Garry’s leg was either a threat.., or promise of a big meal 🙂
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He is rethinking shorts, though I think he’s pretty hard core hot weather shorts. The woods is probably even worse than the desert, though it’s a point we could argue since you have more poisonous critters, but we have more critters of every type. All that lush vegetation — we are just short of rain forest. I actually hate that part of it and every summer, I find myself cringing at the amount of crawling stuff. Garry says he squashed something very large, black, and ugly last night in the living room fortunately before I had a chance to see it and freak out. He doesn’t know what it was, but he hated it on sight. Sigh.
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My theory is that God makes these creepy things.., well CREEPY.., and yucky, to us, on purpose. And while there are those that will wax poetic that them as “Gods creatures” and should be.., uh loved as he would, he forgot to tell them to love us. Looking in the face of a spider is way different than the face of a cute puppy or kitten. I stress the word “Cute” here. Squash first and be sorry later, is my motto, which I follow without hesitation before all that love stuff comes to mind. And even when it does come to mind, I’d do it again in a heart beat. God needs to re-think his presentation if he expects us to cuddle a spider, pet a tick, or love a cockroach. If I see one of those suckers I will hunt him down to its inevitable end before I can even think about going to sleep.
Yes we do have a few more poisonous varieties, but we don’t have the thick vegetation where they hide, and where merely brushing up against a leaf is enough to piss them off. Rattlers, for instance, will, at least, make noise to warn that they are uncomfortable with your presence. You don’t brush up against plants out here as most have stickers or do other, not nice, things. Fortunately these plants are spread out and visible if you are reasonably careful and observant. Other creepies are usually big and hairy and prefer to stay away from humans.
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I squash and I am never sorry. I don’t care who created what, I am never going to love any of the crawly things. I think it’s hard-wired into our DNA to be afraid of and hate things that crawl and creep. For whatever reason it seems to be universal among humans. I can’t think of a single culture that loves spiders. Some that respect snakes, but none that love them. Does anyone anywhere love mosquitoes?
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I mention “sorry” only to soft-pedal to those who are not so swift and ruthless with the creepies. Now I don’t do this with all bugs, as some just seem rather helpless, harmless and just trying to get across the walk with no evil intentions toward my body. These, I might help along to put them out of the way of my foot.
Mosquitoes do NOT give me the “warm and fuzzes”.
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I leave bugs alone if they are in their space, namely outside. It’s the ones who are invading MY space that I kill. I think there’s a law about this. No jury would convict me.
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The critters obviously have a liking for dark meat.
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Ouch.
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OK Garr.., I believe we’ve cross a line here, that none of us wants to explore?
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Too true.
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Have to love those “experts.” My mother in law had is funny little target shape on her leg several years ago. When she asked the doctor in Maine if it could be Lyme Disease he laughed and said, “No! We don’t have Lyme disease in Maine.” After becoming very ill she went to see a Lyme disease specialist in Connecticut. Guess what? IT WAS LYME DISEASE! Figure that. Shortly after her diagnosis Maine said it did in fact have Lyme disease in the state.
So tell Garry I said to get well fast and take care of that non-existent recluse spider bite.
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At least it doesn’t appear (so far, so good!) to be Lyme. I got Lyme disease before it had a name (late 60s). From a tick bite obtained in old Lyme, Connecticut. How appropriate.
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Oh wow definitely an appropriate name.
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They hadn’t figured it out yet. I guess that makes me a pioneer, of sorts.
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I’m glad Garry is on the mend, whatever bit him. Who knows? Could’ve been an ordinary spider to which Garry had a strongly negative reaction!
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Thanks Martha. It could have been pretty much anything, but it wasn’t a snake, tick, mosquito, Black Widow, or Wolf Spider. Nor an injury, or staph infection.
Lord only knows what else lives out there. It is a rich ecological jungle in which we live. Something got him. He is still having trouble with the leg, but at least it looks unlikely to be Lyme and that’s good news.
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Of course I immediately checked to see if this type of spider also lives in Switzerland. My answer from internet was about as informative as yours from the doctor. I have seen similar types of spider here, but could find no definite positive answer. Anhow probably Garry had a discussion with spider about territorial rights or something like that and he hurt the spider’s feelings and so it bit him. Poor spider had no other method to defend itself. Perhaps garry should be more kind to the next spider he meets. Glad that he is slowly on the mend. How is the spider?
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You’ve got the “aggressive European house spider,” which is apparently a semi-poisonous very average looking spider that bites people because he has a bad attitude. They don’t live here either, except, of course, they do. Because people travel and the spiders tag along for the ride.
Garry talks to dogs, cats, birds, large woodland creatures, cows, horses, and once in a while, me. He will not discuss issues with snakes or bugs. It’s a matter of principle.
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According to UCIPM, many so called “spider bites”, including suspected brown recluse bites, are actually medical misdiagnoses more likely caused by bites from ticks, fleas, bed bugs or bacterial skin infections. I am glad it’s not Lyme.
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That wound on Garry’s leg is NOT any of those other things. I also read that article. It’s all over the Internet. It doesn’t mean it’s correct.
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It’s hard to tell what it is if the “biter” is not killed. I got bitten once, so they say, we bought traps and found all kind of critters in my workshop, but no recluse. The doctors often don’t know it either, they are guessing and you are lucky if you get a straight answer.
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We pretty much know what is isn’t, but what it is will never been known for sure. No hard evidence. The problem is, by a process of elimination, it sort of ends up with that spider that doesn’t live here. We do have Black Widows and Wolf Spiders, but it wasn’t one of them. There are occasional wanderers from other biting, poisonous species. They don’t “live here,” but they do tag along in luggage, crates, boxes, etc. It wasn’t something “normal” and it wasn’t a tick, an injury, or an infection. It was a bite. Not snake. Bug.
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I would drop dead if I would see a Wolf Spider. Have you actually seen one?
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Yes, once, a long time ago. Up in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. I was only 17 and I thought I’d have heart failure. My “date” shot it with a rifle. I had been wondering about the bullet holes in the dock.
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Oh gosh I would have fainted for sure.
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I was in icy water up to my neck. The spider was on the dock, waiting for me. Fainting was not an option.
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Wishing you a speedy recovery, Garry, whatever zapped you.
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Thanks
We’ll probably never know for sure what got him, but we pretty much have eliminated all the other possible causes. It wasn’t an injury that went septic. It wasn’t a tick. It wasn’t a staph infection, flea bite, or an allergic reaction to some other insect. That doesn’t leave a lot of suspects. I feel like Sherlock Holmes here.
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Curiouser and curiouser.
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The whole thing is giving me a headache. Well, maybe that’s the pollen.
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Always wondered what they look like. Them is BIG.
Hope you’re going to be OK Garry.
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But not always big. That’s a big example, but many of them are about the size of a quarter, that is, just like any other garden spider. The CAN get bigger, but don’t necessarily.
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