Something I've always wondered about

[Raina]

When I was about 4-ish, my mom was bitten by a brown recluse spider on the inside of her left arm, about 2-3 inches below her wrist. She went to the hospital and they took care of her. When I was about 7-8, she was bitten by another brown recluse in the exact same place. The first bite was when we lived in Alabama, and the second in Illinios (I don't really think that matters, but it helps to have all information). Both bites happened while she was in bed asleep. She told me later that she assumed the spiders leave a enzyme or something behind when they bite, and that others can sense it there. That never really sat well with me, but you guys know much more than I do, so my question is this: Was it just a coincidence that the bites were in the same spot or is there something more to it?

~~Raina

 

[Widowman10]

i say coincidence. i don't think that that is the case at all. no way. coincidence.

 

[Raina]

That's what I thought, too, but my mom was a very intelligent woman. I thought maybe she knew something I didn't. I never outgrew the idea that my parents knew everything (I think they practically did), but there are a few things here and there that come up like this. Thank you.

~~Raina

 

[Moltar]

Just a guess... Maybe it has more to do with how she sleeps. Ie; hanging the same arm off the side of the bed or something. A wandering spider would just be more likely to happen upon that limb first... ?

 

[ScorpDemon]

If she was asleep during both bites, how can it be confirmed that the bites in question were in fact from a brown recluse? Lots of bites are misdiagnosed and treated as if it were a brown recluse bite. It could have been anything, and maybe an allergic reaction gave some of the same symptoms as a bite from L. reclusa.

Chris

 

[pitbulllady]

That's very true, ScorpDemon. A LOT, and I mean a LOT, of various medical issues are blamed on "Brown Recluse" bite or "spider bites" in general. Unless you actually SEE the spider bite you, there's really no way to be absolutely sure, and there are many, many skin lesions that can mimic the effects of a spider bite, including things as mundane as ingrown hairs. Recently, a guy on Deviant Art corresponded to me about his "Brown Recluse" bite, and he had someone video a treatment of his in a doctor's office, during which the doctor removed a small white object from a small round hole in the guy's arm and placed the object on a cloth, where it could clearly be seen MOVING. The doctor told him the wound was caused by a Brown Recluse, and that the object he removed was a "concentration of venom". It was obviously a Human Botfly larva, and I've removed similar maggots from under the skin of dogs on many occasion, and had them crawl out of the skin of game animals I'd shot to eat...sorta make you change your mind about that venison stew! The guy was far more horrified to learn that he actually had a maggot living under his skin and eating his flesh than to think he'd been bitten by a spider! It goes to show, though, how many doctors just make a diagnosis of "spider bite" when they really have no clue what they're looking at.

IF indeed both bites in this instance were caused by known Brown Recluse spiders, I'd say it was a coincidence, plain and simple. First of all, spiders DO NOT intentionally seek out humans to bite. Why would they? They don't eat us, so they're wasting venom that they need to subdue and digest prey. Most spider bites are a matter of the person more or less "self injecting" by squashing the spider against their skin by lying on or sitting on the spider or pinning it in some way. It would therefore make no sense for a spider to leave behind an "enzyme" when it bites that would help another spider find, and cause IT to bite, that same person. Spiders stand to gain absolutely nothing from biting someone, so what would be the point?

pitbulllady

 

[8+)]

She told me later that she assumed the spiders leave a enzyme or something behind when they bite, and that others can sense it there...

That's what I thought, too, but my mom was a very intelligent woman.

As you said it was an assumption or more likely conjecture. Doesn't sound like she was stating fact, but merely trying to make sense of the situation. I believe the fact that she had the sores in the exact same place twice at the very least suggests that the second occurrence wasn't a recluse bite. I tend to think it's possible that whatever caused the first, may have made the skin more sensitive for a reoccurrence or corollary infection.

 

[Raina]

That's all fascinating! I think I'd side with the guy that freaked about a maggot over a spiderbite, I love spiders, but I can NOT handle maggots. There's something about them that make my skin absolutely crawl.

I don't know if they were both confirmed as brown recluse bites, and neither of my parents are alive to ask. I didn't know that lots of things are misdiagnosed as such, though, so they might not have been. I was just curious about it, and thought you guys may know the answer. You haven't let me down yet!

Thanks again!

~~Raina