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Along Came a SpiderDate Added: Oct. 15, 2002
Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, is one of the most prevalent fears in modern society. Horror movies thrill us with unbelievable tales of carnivorous giant tarantulas and other creepy crawlers. Off the silver screen, the spiders are much smaller and less sinister, but more dangerous than some can imagine. Effects of Brown Recluse Spider Anyone who doubts this to be true, I'd love to talk to them. I was bite by one in Jan of 96. Three months and 10 surgeries later it was finally repaired. What you see below is true. I have the same thing on both my thigh and lower calf. This is not a fun deal. The scar on my calf is size of the top of a beer can and about 1/2 - 1 inch deep. Scar on my thigh is size of a 50 cent piece. Bill
Read the story before looking at the pictures.... Some people said the pictures did not show up on their browser. These are actually pictures of me. Shake out your clothes before putting them on and check your bedsheets. It was a quite morning at 5:00 am on May 6th, 2002 and I was lying in the bed with my fiancee. I felt a slight tickle on my upper thigh of my left leg under the covers and proceeded to brush it away. As my hand struck the blanket I felt a slight stinging sensation on my leg. I lifted the covers to see the outline of a small, brown quarter size spider on my bed. My fiancee woke up startled and asked me "What is it?" I said, "It looks like a spider. Hold on". I ran to the bathroom, grabbed some tissue and quickly grabbed the spider and threw it in the toilet. My fiancee came into the bathroom to look at the spider and all we said at that moment was "Wow, that is a big spider". I flushed thee toilet with a feeling of personal victory. Almost within the hour the bite area swelled to a quarter size area. That afternoon I went to the doctor and he asked me if it was a brown recluse. I have never seen a brown recluse before but both my fiancee and me agreed that it quite possibly was after hearing the description of one but I had always thought those spiders were in southern Illinois. The doctor gave me some antibiotics and circled the area with a marker and sent me on my way. Later that evening a white infected area formed in the bite site. I am told this is called the "bulls eye" and is a definite tell tale sign of a brown recluse bite. The area around the bite site turned blue, dark red and had gone outside of the circled area. My fiancee took me to OSF Emergency room where they rushed me to surgery. I spent eight days with an open cut at the bite area to drain the spiders toxins from it and almost 24 hours a day on IV antibiotics and pain medication. In the end, I had a 5 inch diameter area of dead tissue, a result from the toxins, cut out of my upper leg. My next step in 8 days is skin grafting, which I am told is skin taken from another part of my body and place on the cut away area. But that area will never look the same. Never would I have thought this type of spider was right here in Pekin or central Illinois. It seems most people know little about this spider. If I had waited a day longer I might have lost my leg to this spider. Dale Losher
This letter first hit the 'net in the fall of 2002 and circulates in various forms with as many as six photographs that show the gruesome progression of the spider's poison in the man's leg. Dale Losher told BreakTheChain.org that the story above is true and that the photographs are very real. He was bit on May 6, 2002, an his long and painful battle with the devastating effects of the spider's venom lasted more than 18 months. In October, 2005, Dale sent me an updated version of his letter, complete with a photo of his leg, completely healed (and absent the numerous revisions and additions it has picked up in its journeys as a chain letter). Brown Recluse Bite Update: 6 surgeries later and it looks a lot better. I have lots of other pictures Here is the story: It was a quite morning at 5:00 am on May 6th, 2002 and I was lying in the bed with my wife. I felt a slight tickle on my upper thigh of my left leg under the covers and proceeded to brush it away. As my hand struck the blanket I felt a slight stinging sensation on my leg. Little did I know that moment was going to change my life forever, I lifted the covers to see the outline of a small, brown quarter size spider on my bed. My wife woke up startled and asked me “What is it?” I said, “It looks like a spider. Hold on”. I ran to the bathroom, grabbed some tissue and quickly grabbed the spider and threw it in the toilet. My wife came into the bathroom to look at the spider and all we said at that moment was “Wow, that is a big spider”. I flushed thee toilet with a feeling of personal victory. Almost within the hour the bite area swelled to a quarter size area. That afternoon I went to the doctor and he asked me if it was a brown recluse. I have never seen a brown recluse before but both my wife and me agreed that it quite possibly was after hearing the description of one but I had always thought those spiders were in southern Illinois. The doctor gave me some antibiotics and circled the area with a marker and sent me on my way. Later that evening a white infected area formed in the bite site. I am told this is called the "bulls eye" and is a definite tell tale sign of a brown recluse bite. The area around the bite site turned blue, dark red and had gone outside of the circled area. My wife took me to OSF Emergency room where they rushed me to surgery. I spent eight days with an open cut at the bite area to drain the spiders toxins from it and almost 24 hours a day on IV antibiotics and pain medication. It the end I had a 5 inch in diameter area of dead tissue, a result from the toxins, cut out of my upper leg. My next step in 8 days is skin grafting, which I am told is skin taken from another part of my body and place on the cut away area. But that area will never look the same. I am a resident of Pekin in a suburb type area. Never would I have thought this type of spider was right here in Pekin or central Illinois.
The brown recluse spider is found mainly in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, though it has been spotted as far north as Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. As Losher pointed out, "they were not supposed to be in this part of Illinois." He recommends using glue traps to monitor the spider population near your home for the presence of the Brown Recluse. The brown recluse's geographical spread is most likely the result of hitchhiking on household goods and other items. As its name suggests, the brown recluse is a passive creature, preferring to hide in dark, constricted places such as discarded laundry, furniture and shipping containers. Bites most commonly occur when the spider is accidentally touched, crushed or otherwise threatened. Physiological reaction to the brown recluse's bite varies depending on the amount of venom injected and the individual's sensitivity to it. Bites are not usually fatal, but pose the greatest risk to children and the elderly. A person may have no reaction at all, or could have the "volcano lesion" described and depicted in this chain letter. Treatment can include anti-venoms, skin grafts and even amputation. Mr. Losher's injuries were advanced and not unusual. As this chain circulates, it changes. People who have had similar experiences, or "know someone" who has, add their testimonials. The number and nature of the photos changes, as well, with one version containing pictures unrelated to the Losher case. Because e-mail chain letters can be easily changed by whomever receives and sends them, BreakTheChain.org recommends against relying upon or forwarding health warnings this way. Break this Chain! References: The Ohio State University |
