First a huge thank you to Jessica Patch and Brandie Boddie for the Versatile Blogger award. Both of these ladies are awesome bloggers.

Jessica is funny and comes from the deep south. Her sense of humor keeps me in stitches.

Brandie always has something interesting to say and I really enjoy reading her blog. As a military wife, she has lots of new ideas to offer.

Thank you, Ladies!

***

On Sunday I was bit by a spider on the underside of my forearm. I never saw it and at the time didn’t think too much about it. It hurt like the dickens though, felt like I had been stuck with a pin. The bite was immediately red and puffy resembling a severe mosquito bite. Side note: this is the 3rd spider bite in the last month. I’m attracting them like spider man!

By Monday evening the bite had doubled. It was burning and itching. I pushed it out of my mind and tried hard not to touch it.

By Wednesday evening, there was no more ignoring it. It has a red burn-like appearance the size of a dime with an outer puffy circle around it the size of a golf ball. All of it was warm to the touch and I was starting to feel sick.

After my run of poor service with the ER, I refused to go and be told that it “was all in my head“. I knew what they would do – prescribe some antibiotics and if doesn’t get better, then run some tests. All the while, I would be suffering with imaginary symptoms. I promise that I’m not usually such an ER hater. I’m an EMT-I and loved it! Worked for several years in emergency medicine. I just don’t care for our local ER doctors, well, at least the 5 that I have met as a patient.

Broad Leaf Plantain

I called my nutritionist instead. She had me break open my capsules of protease and make a paste of it. Then follow that up with a poultice of plantain. I’m not talking about the banana-like plaintain, I’m talking about the herb that is found in my yard – a blood purifier. I’ve used it on insect bites in the past and LOVE it. Not only does it reduce swelling and pain, it leaves your skin smooth, soft and supple.

As for the spider bite: At this point, I’m suspecting a brown-recluse or something similar. Other than the fact that all sources for brown recluse bites say that you don’t feel the initial bite, the rest of my symptoms and the way the bite looks fits the bill. Lovely. I shudder just thinking about it!

While not deadly, it has been known to reek quite a bit of havoc. My brother got a brown recluse bite on his leg and it swelled up and rotted his skin. It was awful and very painful. That is where this bite was heading for sure. With the protease and plantain, I was able to stop the swelling and spreading, but unfortunately not the nausea and general icky feeling.

Of course, I never can tell if the icky feeling is from Lyme or something else. I wish I could say that I’m feeling great now, but my neck and shoulders are tight and locked up and my heart is palpitating. I feel like I’m suffocating. With my compromised immune system, it seems that anything out of the ordinary sets me back from healing completely.

But I’m not giving up. These set backs only remind me that when I am weak, He is strong.

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 2:10.

I am at peace. The storms rage on the outside, but I have the hope that only my Savior gives.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

I know that He has a plan for all my struggles and battles and perhaps one day I will know why.

So, while I really wish that my spider bites would give me super powers. I don’t really need them, because Jesus is my super power!

How about you?