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Date Posted: 16:20:30 03/26/03 Wed
Author: miner
Subject: Tales from the scorpion side

In follow-up to your "Arachnophobia" JP:

i find it highly amusing and something i can really relate to when people have scorpion tales. when i lived in southern AZ i came upon one in my kitchen sink. normally, they are speed of light fast. i think maybe he/she was semi-retarded by having to come across some water as i believe it came up into my place through the plumbing. i smashed it before it could react and thought nothing more of it. didn't know that they usually travel in pairs. if you have one in your home, you most likely have another lingering somewhere. about 1-2 weeks later i get up in the morning and decide to do some dishes before going to work. the plastic tub or whatever you call 'em in the sink is full of dishes, and later to learn, a hidden scorpion. i fill it with soap and water and wash the dishes. when i think i'm done, i reach into the tub and grope around to make sure i got everything, no remaining silverware to wash. i have this shooting pain go through my finger and up through my arm. broken glass? a knife? it then dawns on me what it might be. i dump out the water and sure enough. kill it. being a yankee and completely ignorant of the situation i panic (come to learn later that most scorpions in the U.S., unless they're being brought in from mexico in produce, cannot make an adult sick unless you're allergic-i don't know about the species prevalant in certain parts of texas-but in southern AZ the most prevalant is the bark scorpion-small and light brown/dark yellow-quite benign except the pain they inflict)anyway, i freak and call the ER at the hospital i work at which is one town and 1/2 hour away. for some dumb reason they tell me not to take a chance or waste time and to go to the ER in the town i live. i BOLT over there and ask to be seen immediately!. some hippy pony tailed goateed male nurse with a badge declaring his nickname, something like "junior" casually meanders in and asks "what's up?" i tell him. he asks what the scorpion looked like. he tells me that if my only symptoms are local pain in the area where i was stung, then i'm probably not allergic and there is no problem. just ice it and take aspirin. i go to work feeling stupid and hurting, especially anytime i have to type. but i also learned a valuable lesson. so dearest fellow americans, don't worry about the scorpions in america, unless of course you know you are allergic, or if you have swelling, asphyxiation and shortness of breath. or if it turns out the scorpion was imported from another part of the world where the species may carry significantly more venom.

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