"Okay, I am going to write this one time, so everyone will know, and I will not have to tell this story one more time- I was going to get in my car at about 11:00 Sunday night to ride uptown. (and yes I have had the lecture about going out by myself after dark from EVERYONE by now, so yes I know.) It was dark in between our cars and generally no-one is looking at the ground when they get in there car. The snake was by my drivers side door. When, I opened the door and went to get in the car I stepped on the snake. He bit my foot on the back, right beside the tendon on the back of my foot, in two places. I panicked after feeling the bite and screamed, "Oh shit, something has bit me." I took off running behind the back of my car. (I still did not know what had bit me becasue it was dark outside.) My husband came runnging out of the house. He ran over and said, "Oh my goodness, it is a snake, go in and call 911." By this time I was having sharp pain in my foot and it was starting to swell. I called 911 and my husband killed the snake, so we could take it to the hospital and identify it, for treatment purposes. On the ambulance, I was having a lot of anxiety. I was shaking terribly and could not be still. My blood pressure levels were off, but they said this was the anxiety. The paramedics kept checking my vital signs and started an IV in my arm. Once at the hospital, the snake specialists met us at the entatrance. They came in my room and told me the snake was a Copperhead and it was poisonous. Now, the blood pressure was back down, but now it goes back up. Then, the doctor comes in (who shops at FL) and told me he had good news. The bite was a level one out of four levels and that he thought I was going to be fine. Blood pressure is back to normal now- I am going to be fine. So, he took some blood to check and kept me for observation 6 and a half hours.
My foot was very swollen and is now turning black and blue. Which they say by the end of the week, my whole bottom leg will be this way. Down by my toes and up by my heel have the most swelling. I did not walk from Sunday until last night. Now, I am walking very slow and stiff, because it is still swollen. They are hoping I can go back to work on Monday and I go back to the doctor on Friday.
I am very blessed and I am thanking my lucky starts.
BTW, the doctors say this is very rare in this area you have a better chance of getting struck my lightening. GO FIGURE!"
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