One afternoon, I was sitting in a meeting in a science classroom. I felt something bite me on the foot. I smacked my foot and a little brown spider fell on the floor. My friend killed it. I didn't think a thing about it. Several days passed. The week before EOGs, I noticed that I started to feel very achy. I thought I must have pulled several muscles or something even though I really hadn't done anything. Friday morning, I woke up with my thigh feeling like someone had punched it. I still had not really put the pieces together. I didn't think there was any way that a little pink bite on my foot would cause me to feel achy and have swollen lymph nodes. When I went to urgent care, I had a fever. They convinced me that it was indeed the spider bite causing me to be sick. I ended up on two high powered antibiotics and dealing with a fever for 3 days. Here are some pictures from the bite's progression. It is all better now:)
Just a few days after the bite
After one day of antibiotics
A few days in, it started to ulcerate.
Then it turned very blue
Eventually it healed and formed a scab.
Isn't that WEIRD and GROSS?!
SO. What does any decent teacher do? Make it a teachable moment.
After EOGs, I decided to dedicate a day to dangerous insects of NC. There are some NASTY caterpillars around here guys! Anyways... I thought this foldable title was cute!!!