False widow

[ParamedicPrepper]

So for the last two weeks almost I have been out of action! I woke up to a large itchy red lump on my ankle that over the week got larger and pus filled. Extensive Google research points towards a false widow bite. On day 4 it got very painful to point I couldn't walk on it and tracked cellulitis up the leg and into foot. Started antibiotics and pain relief. Done a small DIY pop with a needle and a gentle but painful squeeze to release lots of pus. Every 8 to 10 hours I was having to pop and squeeze to relieve some of the pressure and pain that came with it. Day 6 woke up and had to go walk in centre as couldn't take anymore. They sent me to A&E who said Incision and Drainage was needed. So I had the op on day 7 which instantly relieved the pain on waking up, until the local block they put in during surgery wore off. Oral antibiotics were now changed and I was discharged home with a massive leg all dressed up.

Monday had to go back to have dressing change at the GP with nurse but Sunday the pus was seeping through the dressings, I was thoroughly hacked off with sitting on my useless backside and I was curious so I pulled it all off to change it myself. It was rank in fairness and had seeped through 15 surgical swabs and a massive dressing over the top. Monday the nurse cleaned up and changed again but said the wound needs to be packed everyday for two weeks! I'm on day two and bored already of being incapable of getting up and walking around without lots of pain relief and a limp. So another 10 days of this at least!

But from a prepper point of view it's opened my eyes a bit. All the kits and expertise not to mention drugs that went into something so trivial as a bite

Antibiotics
Pain relief
Dressings and plenty of them
Saline to wash
Specialist gauze ribbon that costs an arm and a leg to pack the hole with
Sterile forceps
Anaethetics to nick me out and an anaethetistvand surgeon to go with it
Lidocaine
Sterile swabs
Sterile scalpe
And all the other dressings and stuff the next two weeks are going to hold

How would we cope in a SHTF situation?

I'm off my feet and feeling useless and used a ton of my own supplies trying to manage it before going to the doctor. Plus all the stuff I have had from them. I like to think I am pretty well kitted on the first aid front but my kit has took a massive whack from this.

The amount we need to deal with small ailments like this is massive especially in a SHTF. I need to rethink kit

[Plymtom]

I think that's why they call it SHTF, no doubt about it if things go south even if we manage to not all go feral, there will be casualties like there were pre antibiotics, we depend ( my family) on the NHS, without it we would be screwed, and through something like this literally anyone, even someone with knowledge and kit, the thing is in those situations people would be more likely to get cuts and infections, having to perform tasks without the skills, take the tetanus thing.

Anyway I do hope you're back on your feet soon it'll knock your confidence though, I fell over a couple of years back on a country walk, cuts and bruises that's all but when you're 50+ it's a rude awakening to a new reality.

[pseudonym]

Hope you get well soon.

[cpslashm]

This guy (a vet and herbalist) appears interesting:
https://homegrownherbalist.net
There is a blog (containing seemingly incredible examples) and a forum.

A couple of free lecture notes are downloadable here:
https://homegrownherbalist.net/collecti ... -doc-jones -
The Apocalypse Apothecary has a slide on brown recluse spider bite, which may be relevant to you - it appears to be about making and using the following product:
https://homegrownherbalist.net/collecti ... ng-formula (which includes ingredients so you can make it yourself).

I've heard some of his talks hosted by other self-reliance groups who appear impressed, so it's probably not just him advertising his products.

[Jamesey1981]

Sounds like you're one of the few that have a bad reaction to the bites from these, I'm guessing it was a steatoda nobilis, I've been bitten a couple of times by those, nasty, but I didn't have the problems you had, (I saw them bite me, so I know it was one of those that was the culprit!), nasty blister and pretty darn painful, I didn't have any lasting effects though, but was a lot worse than I thought it would be, I've been bitten and stung by a lot of things and that ranked up there with some of the most painful.

Just to be clear though, I'm not calling you a wuss, something like 5% of people have a bad reaction like yours, and it can be very bad, one guy lost three fingers off the hand he got bitten on!

I have hundreds of the buggers where I am, (although a lot fewer than I would have if I didn't kill them on sight), they're pushing out the brown garden spiders that are native and taking over, I have steatoda nobilis and steatoda grossa, and segestria Florentina have also been getting pretty close according to reports, the false widows will only bite if you annoy them, (even if unintentionally, they don't know whether it's deliberate,) if they're living in your wellie or gardening glove say, but the segestria florentina will actually chase you to attack, weaker venom than the steatoda spiders thankfully, but huge powerful fangs which would hurt even without any venom, big (very big) hairy spider with green fangs, keep an eye out for them, but don't mistake them for the wolf spiders you'll have around the house, they're your friends, can't hurt you and keep other crawling things at bay.

[diamond lil]

Arggghhhh spiders I just cannot deal with, no way not EVER. I'm off to google whether we have these up here, I think not and hope to god not! There are some advantages to living at 1000ft and bugs/piders is one of them. What do people in less developed countries do for the bite? There must be a folk remedy.
I'll be scared all day now after reading this...

[whenfires]

Sounds nasty PP! I must admit I wouldn't have a clue to to treat that in a SHTF situation and I don't think it's something I could really prep for as its just too specialist. As Plymtom said, it would be a big problem for most once the NHS was not an option for us. I think you did pretty well to get as far as you did before seeking help.

Take it easy and I hope the recovery is well on the way.

[diamond lil]

Confined to southern counties of England. That's ok - you can keep them.

[Deeps]

That's not so good PP, get well soon mate.
Trying to find a positive here but it might give you time to look at other skills or research stuff if you're 'up on blocks'.

As for upping preps, I doubt there are many of us who ever get happy with our preps, I reached my food targets a long time ago, still keep adding stuff and theres always something shiny that catches the eye, just waiting on that lottery win so I can build the 'fortress of solitude'.

[sniper 55]

I've seen them around in places like bus stops and phone boxes as well as gardens so keep a look out for the little blighters.