Days Since Last Accident: STILL 1...

"Remember that time when you got stung by a scorpion?" -- a phrase that I will frequently direct at Lisa.

A few fun facts I've learned in the last 16 hours:

• There are 56 species of scorpion in Arizona, only one of which has strong enough venom to be considered lethal.
• Although incredibly painful, scorpion stings aren't generally dangerous for healthy adults; only the very old or very young need worry.
• Pain, numbness, and tingling are all to be expected and not a significant cause for concern.  The symptoms to be on the lookout for include drooling and rapid eye movement.
• Poison control is an excellent support in case of a scorpion sting.  They will frequently call to check up on the victim, giving knowledgeable feedback regarding symptoms and concerns. 
• If you HAVE to get stung by a scorpion, try not to let it sting you just above your wedding ring.  The finger will swell, and you will end up in this sort of situation:

 Poison control's biggest concern was Lisa's wedding ring, which was stuck soundly on her swollen finger.  Fortunately (if one can consider a lost wedding ring to be fortunate), her ring was just a cheap replacement since her actual ring got stolen from a gym in Georgia, so the welfare of the ring was of no concern.  Poison control suggested the E.R. to remove it; Lisa figured she had a cheaper option in Grandpa Casdorph.  Grandpa came over, tools in hand, and was able to cut only the spacers attached to size Lisa's ring and then, after spraying Lisa's finger with Windex, pull her ring off.

She was forced to act particularly calmly throughout the entire ordeal because she didn't want to make my kids panic.  She told Dylan she was trying to be as brave as he had been the day before, and even as her pain and symptoms clearly intensified, she put on a great front.  She even managed to play some Phase 10 while waiting to see just how she would react to the venom.

She had a pretty terrible 4 hours.  Pain, and lots of it, was compounded by a headache, dizziness, nausea, and sweating.  Armed with information from my Aunt Sally that she will likely experience the intense pain for at least 30 hours, she focused on lessening the other symptoms.  By 9 pm, she happily reported to Poison Control that the dizziness w, as subsiding, leaving her mostly with the just the pain.

Of course, Brett and I think it was just a huge ruse to get out of packing the Uhaul.  Arizona was just a temporary stop for them on their way to their new life in Las Vegas, and a change in plans has them moving this weekend instead of mid-week next week.  Lisa insisted, as she lay in pain on her back on the driveway helping direct the traffic of her packed belongings, that she really would have rather been loading the truck.  We joked that we'll see what she says when she and Brett have to unload it on Saturday.

I haven't spoken to the patient personally this morning, but Brett reports that she says she slept well and feels a bit better.  We are all hoping she will have a speedy recovery (some research indicates the effects can last 7 to 10 days), and that she will be well enough to drive to Las Vegas tomorrow, to help unpack, to work for my Dad installing lockers in St. George on Monday, and to be unaffected by the venom during our family's upcoming trip to Puerto Rico.

I am hoping I will soon lose the urge to whip around suddenly in a panic each time a stray hair or string convinces me there's a scorpion on me.