Dancing With Spiders...

I have always had a profound fear of spiders. I do not know why I feared spiders so badly. Like the movie Arachnaphobia I never woke up facing the horror of my home or town being taken over by billions of spiders. I have never been attacked aggressively or chased down the road by 20ft. tarantula. Just like many of you, I would lift an object up, notice the spider, and do a little dance out of fear to get away from the spider as quickly as possible. If anything I was the 5'3" woman chasing spiders, no bigger than a dime throughout the house, with anything I could to squash them with.  Spiders were terrified of me!

For the last two years I decided to change my evil villainess ways with handling spiders. If I see my 8 legged friends on the wall or dropping in to say hello from the ceiling I ignore them by leaving the room, or I say "hi" and continue to shower. I really thought I had a grip on this fear. Yah me and the ArachnaKingdom made a truce and were learning to live together.

About four weeks ago I woke up with a spider bite under my right forearm. The two tiny puncture wounds and little welt seemed harmless. I noticed in particular this bite itched a lot more than usual. By day two I had blisters forming underneath my forearm, to my wrist, and my fingers were swollen. I also noticed I was feeling kind of nauseous and anxious. The bite itself looked like a bad case of impetigo forming. By day 6 I finally broke down and went to the doctor after friends and family nagged me. The doctor gave me a script for a Cortisone cream, told me to take Benadryl, and said if the symptoms get worse we'll give medicine to counter act the bite and admit you into the hospital. Day 7 the symptoms ceased, but I had a huge poison ring around the bite that covers under my forearm.

 I figured everything would be ok. I went back to my usual routine. I still respected the little Arachnid’s space. Gave them full reign of my showers, let them drop in and come and go as
they pleased. I thought I was being humane and civil. I thought we had a beautiful relationship! I provide the food that drawls in the flying insects. You eat the flying insects so that I can continue to cook and store the food we love so much without an infestation. See? It's a fair relationship. I scratch your back; you scratch my back!

Unfortunately, my 8 legged friends did not see it that way. Three weeks
after my arm incident I woke up with multiple spider bites to my face! I was
bitten in both eyelids, both ears, my neck, all over my chin, my left eye brow,
and below my right eye just above the cheek bone! Talk about mess! This
happened on Saturday.

  
  
 By Sunday, I was in the local hospital emergency room looking like this!

Nice mug shot huh? Yah I thought so too! No, this is not sunburn! This is the venom running through my face. Not only was my face swollen, I had cauliflower looking ears, I was vomiting, had the cold sweats, and very dizzy. The doctors and nurses were amazed that was attacked so
many times in my sleep. We did not know what kind of spider did it, but I was happy it was not a Brown Recluse. The ER doctor gave me the infimaous shot of steroids in my hip known as a butt shot, and a couple hours later..... I looked almost back to normal!

TA DA!!!!!

 felt better. I was sent home with three different types of meds, and a day of rest. I knew I was
on the track of feeling better, but here inlays the problem..... The spiders are still upstairs where we sleep! I could get bit again. The kids could get bit! That means I have to take measures to ensure this does not happen again! So, I have! I sleep down stairs now on the coach! I know not very productive, and it is not a good approach to eliminating the problem too. I have decided to
bomb the house! I know, what happened to my strive to overcome my fear of spiders???? I don't fear spiders anymore! I fear how sick me and my children will get again if we are bit.

I understand that these spiders are not out to get me, and just me! It is obvious that I have a new type of spiders living in our home, and they just so happen to be attractive to the scent and oils in my skin. These spiders are doing only what nature instilled in them, and I happen to be allergic to their venom. No hard feelings. All is fear in love and war! I am not going back to doing the dance.