What a relief. After a long night at Shaarei Tzedek they finally kicked me out this afternoon. I feel fine, though my arm still looks horrific.
For those who want the medical info: When I first got to hospital last night, the doctors thought that the antibiotics weren't given a proper chance to work and they put me on a higher dosage via IV. But then they finally decided that since I didn't have any fever or anything beyond nausea, there was no cellulitis infection. Instead, the spreading swelling and discoloration on my arm is simply my body reacting to the venom of whatever bit me. Accordingly, there is no point to antibiotics. It's now spreading away from my lymph channels and shoulder and toward my hand, which they decided was fine. Eventually hopefully it will just disappear.
As to what bit me - it's a bit of a mystery. It could not have been a snake, since it is absurd to propose that a snake bit me on my arm without my noticing. It was not a scorpion, since there were twin punctures. Some sort of spider is the best candidate. The two spiders in Israel with a severe bite are the Mediterranean black widow and the Mediterranean recluse. The latter's bite looks very different. The black widow does two puncture holes, but I think that my holes are a little far apart. Also, I had none of the usual symptoms of a black widow bite. It's an enigma!
But there's something that I must reiterate, since they even brought it up in the ER:
IT WAS NOT ANYTHING AT THE MUSEUM! We do not keep any seriously venomous reptiles or invertebrates. Because any zoo that claims that they have never had any escapes is lying!
Thanks to everyone for their good wishes!
Refuah sheleimah, R' Slifkin.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a refuah shelaima! Fascinating comment about zoo security. I would have thought it was almost impossible for animals to escape any well established zoo.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are recovering!
ReplyDeleteRefuah Shelemah!
ReplyDeleteMost zoos still keep them, though. And seriously, who doesn't want to see dangerous species in zoo?
Please update us if you find out what it was!
ReplyDeleteRefua Shlema
ReplyDelete"The black widow does two puncture holes, but I think that my holes are a little far apart."
ReplyDelete-
Ah! The rare Mideast Bucked Tooth Black Widow!
רפואה שלמה!
ReplyDeleteנ.ב. לא יזיק להזכיר שם השם..
מוישה
ReplyDeleteRefuah shleimah, Rabbi Slifkin.
ReplyDeleteI proposed in the previous discussion thread that it might have been a centipede. They also have a pair of mandibles, although I don't know if the spacing is right. I recently managed to film a rather large centipede in my neighborhood--6 inches long at least!
Could a scorpion have bitten you twice in close succession?
ReplyDeleteCould a scorpion have bitten you twice in close succession?
ReplyDeleteOr two scorpions in close succession, one named anonymous, and the other named A. :)
DeleteMaybe it's a punishment for doubting the RCK grasshopper story ; )
ReplyDeleteThe reason there were two puncture holes was one for zachor, one for shamor. If the affected arm is your tefillin arm, then thats clear why you were punished, if it was the other arm, then now it will impede your ability to don tefillin so either way you will be hindered doing the mitzvah and maybe help to lay them will be needed. But all insensitive kidding aside, I truly wish you a speedy recovery a refuah sheleima. Traditionally whenever we jews suffered rather than looking at the rational cause, we seek to understand why Hashem is inflicting us. I have no idea why nor is it my place. I trust the diagnosis is correct and healing will occur speedily bekarov.
ReplyDeleteJust glad you’re getting better
ReplyDeleteI am glad your recovering, Rabbi.
ReplyDeleteRefuah Sheleimah
ReplyDeleteGershon Pickles
Refuah Shleima. I saw this linked today on the professional networking site LinkedIn. Might be good for future reference, are ticks a big problem in Eretz Yisrael? https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abj9827
ReplyDeleteRefua Shelema. Get well soon and may we be honored to hear your words of wisdom for many decades to come.
ReplyDelete