Yes, a copperhead bit me on a toe of my left foot night before last. Went off my front step in my socks to check to see if the window was up on my truck and stepped right on him with my right foot--he got me with one fang on the center toe of my left foot. Felt like a hot nail--I thought WTF was that--jumped back--and saw him coiled there on the ground. Hollered at Jane on the porch-- to bring her truck keys and a shirt for me-- NOW! By the time we made it the 8 miles to the hospital, my whole lower left leg was on fire, but I was more concerned with those curves in a full sized Silverado at speeds vs what I've driven the Indy on. "Shut up old man--I'm drivin!"
I just closed my eyes and hung on. We walked into the ER 15 minutes after I got bit.

No antivenom used. Constant iv with antibiotics and saline of some sort--and morphine. I declined the morphine after the 1st one and after the pain peaked and stabilized and I handled it other ways. I just don't like drugs.

I am home now, and if I am up to it tomorrow, and if Jane feels like driving us to San Antonio, we will go to AAFO's Fiero Roundup in the truck, since I will need room to stretch out in the back.

Yes, I have ugly feet, but I'm old, and I just don't care.

The arrow points to the bite--his fang hit the bone. Yes, it hurt--a lot--like someone drove a nail into my toe.

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 05-13-2010).]

Dang, you alright?

Damn Don, Looks like that one fang took a pretty good shot.

Are you feeling OK other than the swelling?

Ouch. Glad your ok. Dude. No drugs for a friggen snake bite???? Id be crying like a little girl.

Glad you're still with us partner, but I got $100 that says the snake didn't survive. Seriously though, glad you're OK. Watch yer step next time.

Jim

Glad to see you're ok, and back home already!

Did they tell you to elevate yer leg?

1 doc said elevate--another said NO-DO NOT! The objective it seems, is to prevent venom from travelling thru out the body, so I just elevate it a little, but not higher than my heart.

quote Originally posted by FieroRumor: Glad to see you're ok, and back home already! Did they tell you to elevate yer leg?

Yeah, He told em it was too late for that.

You da man!

quote Posts: 30462

Here's to another 30,000 posts!

Ya know, man--there is this brand-new invention ya gotta try. They are called "boots" <hehehehehehehe>

(I used to watch the locals catch rattlers up around Tobermory...crazy mothers had a rig to wear on their legs that was pretty much a stove-pipe, with burlap wrapped around it and stuffed with cotton. The idea was to walk around steppin on and pissin off as many snakes as possible, and when they struck, the fangs got tied up in the burlap/cotton and a machette finished the catch. I dunno, it never seemed like that good an idea to me !!!! )

Glad yer OK dude. And that'll learn ya to start a thread titled " So just Bite Me "

[This message has been edited by MidEngineManiac (edited 05-13-2010).]

Was the window rolled up?

Poor snake, having to touch your foot, I'd have bit ya too.


Glad your alright, Glad it wasn't one of the bad ones.

Brad

Damn, Don.
That could really mess up your day.

I'm glad you're okay. Seriously.

Yeah it did, but it is not going to stop me from going to the Fiero get-together in San Antonio Saturday. I have a wheelchair, and Jane will do all the driving, both on the road, and with the chair. I'll lay in the back seat of the truck while on the highway.

Besides, Jane said she's waited 15 years to be able to "push me around" all she wants to.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: I declined the morphine after the 1st one and after the pain peaked and stabilized and I handled it other ways. I just don't like drugs.

I can sympathize with that.

I'm glad you're still around to talk about it. And I'm sure you are, too.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: Yes, a copperhead bit me on a toe of my left foot night before last.

Did the snake die?

You stepped on the poor little guy.

Did he brake a tooth on the fat foot, I only see 1 hole.

Glad to see you lived through it, now go find that poor snake and nurse him back to health.

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 05-13-2010).]

I'll bet the snake got sick also.

Check your PMs Don.

Ron

I have just finished a conference call with all of your doctors. The outlook is grim. They had asked me to break the news to you. They are going to remove all of the necrotic tissue. Starting with everything above the shoulders.

Seriously? Why no boots? If a copperhead would even have the remotest of possibilities of ever making it within several hundred miles of my front porch, I would walk out to check my windows in a suit of armor.

(Glad you are ok.)

I would have died from sheer sissyness. You're a tough guy, Don.

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1986 SE 350 V8

quote Originally posted by maryjane: Yeah it did, but it is not going to stop me from going to the Fiero get-together in San Antonio Saturday. I have a wheelchair, and Jane will do all the driving, both on the road, and with the chair.

Tell her to load up that generator too. I am gonna make a guest appearance in my truck. For the show and shine and maybe another at the fare well breakfast. It's a good thing I am working this weekend. Did 'ya think I was gonna load that generator up on the Fiero Luggage rack, which my GT don't have, .
Glad to hear you are ok Don, and the generator can wait.

Tony, I have seen only one poisonous snake here before this in all the time I've been here. I had just gotten undressed to shower and then Jane came in from work, so I just threw on a pair of jeans to meet her on the porch to see if she needed help as she had gone by the store for groceries on her way home. We sat on the porch and talked awhile, then I thought it might rain, so I just sauntered the 20' out to the truck to check the windows. I've walked that yard 100 times in sandals or barefoot without a problem, but I also had just bush hogged a little pasture next to the yard, and cleared the fenceline with a weed eater that afternoon so maybe I ran him out of the tall grass when I did--and into the yard. Live and learn. It's much better this morning as far as swelling goes, but it has turned much blacker, which I was told it would do.

Alaska has no snakes.
What in the hell am I doing?!

As Shyster told ya, Texas will kill you if you let it. Someone looks after me. Been hit by lightning, shot at, shot down and now snakebit.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Next time you see the snake; bit him back!

Glad to see you're okay!
Dang Don, never a dull moment for you is there.

I love your story about Jane driving. lol
Her and Tom should have a race sometime. He drives like a maniac too!!

OUCH AND THAT SUCKS. I had snakes but the wife got bit by one. and guess what I have no more snakes. We had to get the thing off her with a screwdriver to the mouth.

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1986 Fiero GT 1997 Supercharged GTP 2005 Cobalt with a twist

FieroNews~Boots~Bag's~Walle ts~Headliner~Spare Cover~
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Wait a minute. I figured you ate these damn things for breakfast and mixed the venom with a Pabst Blue Ribbon while smoking a carton of Marlboro Reds? And here I thought you were a man. Sissy.

j/k Don, glad you're ok.

How long before the Doc's expect the swelling to go down? Is the leg continuing to swell? Looks painful.
My guess is that your previous mowing activity is the reason the snake came out of the tall grass.
Long ago, while in the Army "visiting Ft. Hood", I attended a preflight/mission out in the woods, we were all either standing around or sitting on what ever we could find. I sat down on a log, I was wearing my gas mask on my side, hip level. Didn't realize it till I stood up but, I had sat partially on top of a half grown copperhead, Apparently his head was beneath my gas mask. When I stood up, he was trying to free himself, his fangs were embedded in the canvas the mask was stored in. Scared the crap out of me. Everyone else reacted in the expected manner. It was funny later but, I didn't sit down on anything in the woods from that point on. Don't like snakes, they don't like me. Apparently, you've been blessed.

Ron

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 05-15-2010).]

A friend and I were out for a run last year on a trail that goes through Alexandria, VA. We saw a baby copperhead on the trail. Really vivid colors on it, and so small I suspect that it wasn't very old - hours to maybe days. Anyway, it made a mistake - it had slithered out to the blacktop trail to sun itself and apparently didn't get the word from older snakes that about 50,000 people run, walk, and bike on that trail on the weekends.

That snake was crushed utterly flat by runners. It looked like someone had ironed it to the path.

*Note to self* Never move to Texas without a full body steel mesh suit.

...If this ever happens to you,,cut the area of the bite out immediately use a razor knife ,sharp knife, saw or diagonal pliers,,don is lucky only one fang got him..

....I don.t care what the doctors say,,YES get to the medics as soon as possible,,but cut the area of the bite out . this is where the majority of poison is,,cut it out,remove the majority of the poison..cut the poison meat out...
..cuttin an X around each fang mark and sucking is complete crap

....the copperhead is the least lethal poisonous venom,of american snakes,but a good dose can cause you to loose an arm or foot or leg..
...better a lot of bleeding than to lose a foot ..

i think maryjane is chuck Norris <dramatic music here>

Don,
How about an update on your recovery?

Just hate thinking about Jane having to wait on you and and swollen foot.

Seriously, how are you doing?

Ron

I'm here. Doesn't hurt too much but the swelling hasn't gone down any, but could be because Jane drove us to San Antonio Friday to attend this.
Alamo Area Fiero Owner's Assoc yearly event. Had a great time--Fieroless tho. We had to take the truck so I could stretch out.

I stayed off my feet most of Fri and Sat, rolling around the show & shine in a wheelchair (great embarrasment on my part), but left it in the truck Sat evening and Sunday did too much I guess. Leg is swollen to the knee now, top of my foot is sunburned, and my toes are killin me, but we finally made it back home about an hour ago.

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 05-17-2010).]

quote Originally posted by maryjane: Leg is swollen to the knee now, top of my foot is sunburned, and my toes are killin me, but we finally made it back home about an hour ago.

Don,

Please, go to the emergency room of the local hospital, now. I don't care how tough you are. Go. Please. Now.

quote Originally posted by Shyster: Don, Please, go to the emergency room of the local hospital, now. I don't care how tough you are. Go. Please. Now.

I agree. this isn't something to ignore.

Ron

I'll be fine guys--Honest-------I have it on good authority-------from the big guy upstairs.

While I don't doubt your source, I am somewhat concerned with what could be a mis-interpretation by you. I'd be less worried if you got a second opinion.

Ron

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 05-17-2010).]

quote Originally posted by blackrams: While I don't doubt your source, I am somewhat concerned with what could be a mis-interpretation by you. I'd be less worried it you got a second opinion. Ron

I'm with Ron. Wholeheartedly. I don't care how protected you feel. Reality is a right proper *****. (See, I did it again without PFF filtering. Just put in the "*'s" myself.)

Don. Go. Hospital. NOW!!!!!

Based on what you've described, you might lose your leg. You need to get fluids through your system to preserve kidney function.

quote Originally posted by Shyster: Don. Go. Hospital. NOW!!!!!

Yes get that checked out, its not worth chancing it.