Bite

Several weeks ago I had a pain in my left side along with some deep itching. The pain was more intense at night after I relaxed for the day. With help of others I determine it may have been because I lifted a heavy object, then put further stress on my body by carrying my 5 gallon backpack sprayer a number of times during the day when I sprayed weeds.   After a few days the pain went away.

Now several nights ago the itching returned without the pain. The itching was more near the surface of my skin.  Then last night my skin was sore and tender from the left side of my back around to my front left side.  My front was more tender.  The skin was not red, nor did I have a rash.

I was puzzled.  This morning I looked in the mirror.  What I thought was a wasp/yellow-jacket bite was something else.  Because the bite was on my back I couldn't get a good look at it.  This morning when I went over to help Bob and Jan I had them look at it.

The prognosis: a spider bite.  The bite had two puncture marks, not one like a wasp/yellow-jacket sting, or a bite from a tick.  My bite was most likely from a regular spider and not a hobo, brown recluse or black widow spider, both due to how the bite looks and my lack of symptoms from a bite from those types of spider.

Bob and Jan gave me some Benadryl to help with the symptoms.  Some medical web sites recommend getting a tetanus booster shot if one has not had a tetanus shot in the last five years.  I'll need to do that Monday. In the meantime my skin really itches in a band from the bite around to my front and is still tender in spots.