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>In follow-up to your "Arachnophobia" JP: > >i find it highly amusing and something i can really >relate to when people have scorpion tales. when i >lived in southern AZ i came upon one in my kitchen >sink. normally, they are speed of light fast. i think >maybe he/she was semi-retarded by having to come >across some water as i believe it came up into my >place through the plumbing. i smashed it before it >could react and thought nothing more of it. didn't >know that they usually travel in pairs. if you have >one in your home, you most likely have another >lingering somewhere. about 1-2 weeks later i get up in >the morning and decide to do some dishes before going >to work. the plastic tub or whatever you call 'em in >the sink is full of dishes, and later to learn, a >hidden scorpion. i fill it with soap and water and >wash the dishes. when i think i'm done, i reach into >the tub and grope around to make sure i got >everything, no remaining silverware to wash. i have >this shooting pain go through my finger and up through >my arm. broken glass? a knife? it then dawns on me >what it might be. i dump out the water and sure >enough. kill it. being a yankee and completely >ignorant of the situation i panic (come to learn later >that most scorpions in the U.S., unless they're being >brought in from mexico in produce, cannot make an >adult sick unless you're allergic-i don't know about >the species prevalant in certain parts of texas-but in >southern AZ the most prevalant is the bark >scorpion-small and light brown/dark yellow-quite >benign except the pain they inflict)anyway, i freak >and call the ER at the hospital i work at which is one >town and 1/2 hour away. for some dumb reason they tell >me not to take a chance or waste time and to go to the >ER in the town i live. i BOLT over there and ask to be >seen immediately!. some hippy pony tailed goateed male >nurse with a badge declaring his nickname, something >like "junior" casually meanders in and asks "what's >up?" i tell him. he asks what the scorpion looked >like. he tells me that if my only symptoms are local >pain in the area where i was stung, then i'm probably >not allergic and there is no problem. just ice it and >take aspirin. i go to work feeling stupid and hurting, >especially anytime i have to type. but i also learned >a valuable lesson. so dearest fellow americans, don't >worry about the scorpions in america, unless of course >you know you are allergic, or if you have swelling, >asphyxiation and shortness of breath. or if it turns >out the scorpion was imported from another part of the >world where the species may carry significantly more >venom.

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