As I was washing my hair this morning I noticed something extraneous in my hair. Assuming it was something in the twiggy line I picked up in the garden yesterday I reached up to pull it out. And it bit me!! When I removed my hand attached to my thumb was a nasty vicious black spider. Attached so well it took some vigorous shaking to dislodge it.
I assume that since I am still standing and no wobblier than usual it was not one of our 'do you want extra venom with that' beasties. Not a good start to the day though.
And Jazz just tried to jump up on the computer table and missed. Now my knee is bleeding. The way this day looks is starting to worry me.
I assume that since I am still standing and no wobblier than usual it was not one of our 'do you want extra venom with that' beasties. Not a good start to the day though.
And Jazz just tried to jump up on the computer table and missed. Now my knee is bleeding. The way this day looks is starting to worry me.
Oh dear... appears it was not a red-back but an unwelcome guest nevertheless. Looks like it's a'take a deep breath' time.
ReplyDeleteOh nasty! Did you identify the spider? Sure hope it wasn't a redback.
ReplyDeleteLove your galhah pictures below!
Oh my - that's terrible. Not a good day indeed.
ReplyDeleteoh EC i\I know how painful a spider bite is only TOO well.
ReplyDeleteHope it's a minor one.
Go back to bed for half an hour and then get up and try again. It's bound to improve.
ReplyDeleteChristine: No, not a red back, a black one I don't recognise. I assume it dropped in on me from the exhaust fan.
ReplyDeleteKaren: Thanks re the galahs. Don't know what spider it is. It is still in the bathroom - I will ask the smaller portion when he gets up.
Lynn: Things can only get better.
librarygirl: Fingers crossed.
mybabyjohn/Delores. Tempting - but many, many things I want to achieve today.
OUCH!, bad luck comes in threes you've had two one more to go :-).
ReplyDeleteShould I tell Daisyfae not to read this post?
ReplyDeleteThis may be a black house spider, not reckoned among the really scary ones, but unpleasant. And, given your medical history, I think you'd be well advised to have it ID'd. At any rate, drink plenty of water to flush your system.
You're not an idiot and, I'm sure, know what to do, but you and other locals might find this site useful
ReplyDeletehttp://www.termite.com.au/spider-identification.html
It's an active time for creepy-crawlies.
Oh, ICK! One of the bad things about living in the tropics, I guess. Well, look at it this way: they come in threes, and you already got that first round out of the way! :-)
ReplyDeleteOuch! One of the good things about living in New Zealand is that we don't have too many nasty bitey things, thank heavens. As something of an arachnophobe, I might just have had a small heart attack had this happened to me!
ReplyDeleteSeriously: hope your day improves greatly.
:)
I hate bugs that bite.
ReplyDeleteI'm with moreidlethoughts on this...
ReplyDeleteI hope you remain OK.
ReplyDeleteWhite Tail spiders, which are black, give a very nasty bite when disturbed so I pray it was not one of those.
The Royal Childrens Hospital and CSIRO websites have spider ID pics for people to know what bit 'em.
much love
I'm sure glad you were no worse for the wear after that spider bite, given that a lot of those Aussie critters can pack a mean, venomous punch!
ReplyDeleteNot a good start to the day for sure. But Spidey didn't mean to be wicked. She just had a good thing going, happily hanging out in your nice, soft hair, and then suddenly water and shampoo and a big human hand grabbing at her to evict her from nice spot! Spidey is probably now blogging about the bad start to her day, too! :-)
Hope your knee's better now, and that your New Year will only improve!
yeaaaaargh! i suspect i'd have had a heart attack on top of the bite. hoping it doesn't cause further distress... and i'm with the "get it ID'd" and watch it closely.
ReplyDeletehere's hoping the rest of your day got better....
Ouch! Plus - eek! The perils of the great outdoors...
ReplyDeleteThank you one and all. Here is where I play the good news/bad news game.
ReplyDeleteWe positively identified the little beast as a white-tailed spider (Marshall Stacks, you were right). It didn't survive. Not sure whether it was the hot water, the shampoo, the vigorous shaking or whether I am poison to spiders. It was a past spider on the bathroom floor anyway.
I have had no reaction, other than pain at the time. I will watch it carefully.
The god of Mondays had not done with me though. While vacuuming the lounge, the vacuum sucked up a loose carpet loop and unraveled a line about eighteen inches long. I have now stitched it back in place using a curved needle and only stabbed myself two or three times. I think that qualifies as my third thing for the day.
OMG - I think I would still be feeling wobbly for hours later. Thank goodness it was not the nasty red-back.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Delores is right, back to bed for a little while and get up again and pretend it is a new day.
Thanks for your continued support lovely lady, you are a special gem here amongst the internet.
My email address is kakkagen@amnet.net.au.
xxx
Goodness, now I read it is a white tailed spider, you will need to watch the bite site as they can fester I believe. Fingers crossed you have no reaction.
ReplyDeleteGlad the 3 things are done and dusted for the day. Phew, what a start to the New Year. xxx
yes what Kakka said - my friends WhiteTail bite swelled her hand up and she had bad pain for weeks PLEASE rest immediately with hand in ice water and I hope you will be OK
ReplyDeleteKakka & Ann O'Dyne: I am taking it easy now, and will watch it for any changes I promise. (I am still tickled by the thought I was poisonous to it)
ReplyDeleteBUGGER!
ReplyDeleteThat is good news, if you have to be bitten by a spider, at all. Just as a matter of interest I looked up white tailed spider-bites and the treatment thereof and found this: http://www.toxinology.com/about/white_tailed_spider_bites.html
ReplyDeletePainful bites, weak venom and little lasting side effect. Take care...
Lydia La La: That sums up the day quite nicely.
ReplyDeleteChristine: Thank you. It seems to depend where you hunt for information - some sites give a much scarier prognosis. I am tired, and headachy, but both are normal for a hot day. I will be fine.
And I really, really appreciate everyone's concern. I have been so lucky and cherish the warmth and the support I receive from the bloggosphere.
I love spiders but we don't have the nasty ones you have there. Maybe I would not be such a big fan of them if I lived there. Hope you are OK :-)
ReplyDeleteAngela: I don't (unless they are fanging me) have any problems with spiders. If they are in the house I take them outside (or the other resident drowns them in noxious sprays). The irony is that I have now been bitten by spiders twice. Snakes on the other hand I do have problems with ...
ReplyDeleteHi EC,
ReplyDeleteI have been to your country once and when I was there I was terrified of the prospect of being bitten by a spider.
I hate the things and your wonderful country has the nastiest spiders in the world.
URRGGHHH!!!
I feel all itchy now.
:-)
Cheers
PM
AAAGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm glad you were able to ID it and the info is reassuring that your hand won't turn black and fall off or anything, but still...! Wahhh!!!!! I hope it's still not swelling or anything?
ReplyDeleteOh, Ouch!!
ReplyDeleteIt's about twelve hours later here now, how is the hand?
I've never had a spider in my hair, thank goodness, but I did recently walk into the bathroom and see a huge black spider on the shower curtain. I smacked it with my thong, (flip-flop), and dozens of miniscule black spiders spread in all directions from it. Must have been mummy spider moving house. I filled the room with Baygon and for once breakfasted before I showered.
Word verification = undersa = yes, you are, and over to the east a bit.
PM: No, we have the nastiest snakes in the world. I feel fine. It is the spider who died.
ReplyDeletePaper Chipmunk: It really, really wasn't a good day. That said, my hand is not swelling at all.
River: My hand is fine. In fact the Jazz gouges and the curved needle spikes left more obvious marks. The mummy spider and her kazillion babies might have freaked me out a bit. Not as much as Baygon though - instant migraine.
That bite is a nightmare to me...since I am afraid of spiders. Hope you and Jazz are better
ReplyDeletePerhaps you had better check that bite out. Keep well.
ReplyDeleteBe careful with any spider bites - they tend to infect more. I remember I had one, a brown recluse (I'm in the northern US) and it got so infected that I needed to go to the ER the next day because I waited too long. Just keep an eye on it. Hope your day gets better! Wow.
ReplyDelete***sprinkles some luck into your space****
Kim @ Stuff: I am fine. Jazz is himself (beautiful, badly behaved and happy).
ReplyDeleteladyfi: I can't even see where it fanged me today.
Deb: I love the sprinkles of luck. Thank you.
I'm all for biting that spider right back! See how he/she likes it!
ReplyDeleteHoping the rest of your day turned around, and you'll be ok.
Spectra: The spider died, and I didn't. Sounds like a win to me...
ReplyDeleteahhhhh!!! argh!! not a white tip, those are awful.... I think lots of readers are right, sometimes you just have to shrug the shoulders and sit down with a good book... activities be DAMNED!
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted, PLEASE!!
Nicky: I am fine. Only the spider died. I was more poisonous to it than it was to me.
ReplyDeleteHi again.
ReplyDeleteMaire updated her blog a few weeks ago to explain why she hadn't blogged for so long.
I'm also in touch with her on Facebook these days and we've messaged privately.
Basically, her dog died and her husband was very sick from lyme disease.
http://marie-herringblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/dont-read-this.html
ladyfi: I knew that, but was hoping that nothing new and awful had happened in her life. If you are in touch with her please tell her we are thinking of her.
ReplyDeleteOh my. Oh my. Now I'm wobbly just reading this. Especially a spider that had its fangs stuck so deeply you couldn't cuss him loose. I'd be hopping around shrieking.
ReplyDeleteYou take care of yourself and start wearing a bonnet when you go outside, or shave our head so you'll notice right away when something's crawling on it. I hope tomorrow's better.
P.S.
ReplyDeleteI've already had requests for your namesake drink: The Pink Elephant Child.
Now see what you started, you wild woman.
barbfroman: I am fine. I don't like spiders much but I don't not like them nearly as much as the smaller portion. He would have shrieked the house down. I still think that fanging me while I was in the shower and most vulnerable was not fair.
ReplyDeleteThe Pink Elephant's Child has to be strong liquor - the sort that you drink on three day benders in which you sell your children into slavery and buy mythical gold mines.
Oh dear, are you okay today? I do hope so! A few years back we were in the Florida Keys and on going back to our room my hair brushed against some overhanging bushes. Later when I was looking in the bathroom mirror I saw something which I couldn't see too clearly, and when I brushed my fingers through my hair, a tiny scorpion fell into the sink. I had never before or ever since seen a live one. Don't want to see another unless it's in the insect section at the zoo! Knowing the tales I have heard about Australian spiders, do let us know please how you're doing today. I'll check back later.
ReplyDeleteMy, you are one tough lady. Apparently reactions to WTS are wide and vary from nothing to creeping necrosis! So glad you are on the better end of the scale. I hope. Do keep posting to reassure us :)
ReplyDeleteDenise: Thank you. I am fine. It seems I am one of the lucky ones in relation to this spider's bite. It certainly bit hard enough, and it hurt quite considerably at the time but (touch wood) no other reactions.
ReplyDeleteAmpersand Duck: I hope you are on the improve too. And my spider gave me initial pain and nothing since. A good state of affairs.
I love this... The Elephant's Child said... "PM: No, we have the nastiest snakes in the world. I feel fine. It is the spider who died." =) =) =)
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know you had so many snakes and spiders. I thought Texas had them all. LOL.
Have Myelin: I think of the top ten most venomous snakes we have five or six. We have a few unfriendly spiders too, but the snakes outrank them as far as I am concerned.
ReplyDeleteLife is telling you to relax and care for yourself today, Dear
ReplyDeleteAloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
> < } } ( ° >
><}}(°>
Cloudia: You may well be right. Life could have chosen a more subtle way of telling me though.
ReplyDeleteMust be all those lovely drugs you are taking :)
ReplyDeleteThat, or you are Spiderwoman.
While I would like to be as svelte as any superhero I don't think that is it. So drugs it is. Not that I would describe any of them as lovely. And I now have a spot on my thumb which will bear watching - perhaps not totally immune. Damnit.
ReplyDeleteI'm absolutely paranoid about getting bit by a spider. And I live in Canada! Not very common here! So glad you are still here to tell the tale!
ReplyDeleteDiane: We do have a few unfriendly spiders here. I think that most houses in Oz will have a red back or two around. I was fortunate, and while I have been fanged twice, neither of them were particularly poisonous.
ReplyDeleteGadzooks! Sorry I took the better part of the week off! Hope all's well for you now...and tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteSarcasticTestGuy: Thanks. I am fine. It is still a little bit red, but could have been heaps worse.
ReplyDeletei go online now and then to sider sites and try ti ID.
ReplyDeleteeven in books in the library
when i lived in Portland, left a towl on the floor and when picked it up to dry off felt a horrible bite near the upper knee,looked down, it was bleeding some;not really sure what that tiny monster was.....still have the scar but luckily, never got sick or died,
in costa rica, you can die from a tree frog bite
which is worse,spiders or snakes? one common large black spider is the Wolf Spider, non poisonous, but big and scary and creepy, like all of them
Anon: Welcome. We were able to identify it as a White-tailed spider. People's reactions vary, but I was lucky and only got a blood blister, and pain at the time.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that you could die from a tree frog bite. I like frogs too (but rarely see them).
We have poisonous snakes and spiders. I prefer spiders to snakes, but my smaller portion would rather have a snake around than a spider.
I'm a bit late getting to this post so hope you are still okay and not suffering from after effects. I guess one of the 'joys' of living in Australia is that we have so many biting critters. Another spider not to get bitten by is the black house spider or window spider. Not deadly but jolly painful. And, perhaps as a sign of my hopeless house keeping, my house has lots of them. We try not to mess with each other.
ReplyDeleteCarol: I am fine. I was a bit sore at the time, but was very lucky. Luckier than the spider as it happens.
ReplyDelete