Zoe vs. The Bark Scorpion

Zoe at Cardon Children's Medical Center

Normally I don't write about the medical stuff going on with me or the kids beyond colds, etc.  However, with this, I feel compelled to share the story.

This past Wednesday Zoe was awakened at roughly 3am with what she described as a sharp pain in her cheek.  She did what any of my kids would have done...she ignored it and tried to go back to sleep.  About 3 hours later she was awakened again...this time she had excruciating pain in her upper right arm which then started to turn into numbness and tingling.   I had already left for work, so she went straight to her sister and dad for help.

Being that she had just woken up, John assumed she had slept on her arm wrong and it was "asleep".  However, as the minutes ticked by, she became more and more agitated.  Her throat began to swell up, she started to vomit, and her vision began to get blurry.  

At this point, none of us had any idea what was going on, but decided a trip to the ER was in order.  My mom came, picked her up and headed to the hospital so I could meet them upon arrival.

I could not believe what I was seeing when they arrived.  She couldn't walk properly.  She had nystagmus.  She was drooling.  She was so agitated that I could not calm her down at all.  You could hear how swollen her throat was when she spoke and she sounded like she was drunk.  She wasn't making an incredible amount of sense and her words were slurred. 
 I can honestly say that I have never felt so helpless or panicked in my entire life, and I truly hope that I never have to feel that way again. 

I mentioned to the intake nurses that Baylee had found a scorpion in her bathroom after Zoe and my mom had left the house....but these amazing nurses didn't need that information to know what was happening.  She had been stung by a bark scorpion...not once...but three times and was having one hell of a reaction. 
 

Zoe's arch nemesis...the bark scorpion

Some fun facts about bark scorpions that I knew nothing about:
1.  They eat bugs, and sometimes eat each other.
2.  They are the most venomous type of scorpion in Arizona.
3.  They are avid climbers, which means they can pretty much get anywhere they want.
4.  They feed at night and hide during the day.

INFORMATION FROM THE MAYO CLINIC WHICH SOUNDS AMAZINGLY SIMILAR TO ZOE EH?

Children who have been stung by a bark scorpion might experience:

• Pain, which can be intense, numbness and tingling in the area around the sting, but little or no swelling
• Muscle twitching or thrashing
• Unusual head, neck and eye movements
• Drooling
• Sweating
• Restlessness or excitability and sometimes inconsolable crying

We had taken her to Cardon Children's Medical Center...this is important information because they are one of only a handful of ER's in the Valley that are running a clinical trial for the medication Anascorp.  It is an antivenom that has been used in Mexico for several years, but does not have FDA approval in the States yet.  

This medication is AMAZING!!!  30 minutes after receiving the Anascorp she was markedly better....1 hour later she was back to normal.  According to the physician that treated Zoe, these symptoms would have likely gotten worse and continued on for up to 12 hours before they would begin to taper off without the antivenom.

I am so thankful to the nurses, the doctor, and every one of you that encouraged me and calmed me down during this madness even though you were likely crapping your pants too.  I was able to do what I needed to do because of the strength I gained from your pep talks.  I am seriously surrounded by amazingness and I love you all so much!

Having read my blog before...you know that scorpions are not new to our house.  We have been co-habitating with them since we moved in.  Up until Wednesday, they were just annoying...Baylee was the only other person in the family to have been stung and her reaction was nothing but some pain and numbness.  John and I had discussed calling an exterminator, but simply had not gotten around to it yet....well we got around to it pretty friggin fast after Wednesday.  They came and sprayed on Friday.  According to the exterminator we will see them more for about a month but they will be dead or dying....in three months they should be pretty much gone from the house.


and if they aren't....we will be moving :-)