Beware horsefly bites!!!

[kefalonia1]

Saw this massive horsefly flying around in circles making a strange noise in the chemist shop of all places, avoided it(or so l thought) and left with my warfarin. Fast forward to yesterday morning, woke up with shooting pain on the bridge of my foot the over the next few hours my whole foot and ankle doubled in size and went a black colour and it was really painful and throbbing. Having nearly died with sepsis a few years ago l tried to get a Doctor to look at it but no one would let me. l then decided to see the chemist owner who told me l had to get a Doctor to give me antibiotics because it was obvious it was infected and had gone rock hard. Then rang the Doctors surgery again and told them what the chemist had said. Within minutes a Doctor was on a video link and l was filming my black foot, then he sent a prescription directly to the chemist shop. The moral of this story is- if the chemist refers you then a Doctor must react immediately, l had previously read of one woman who lost both legs to sepsis after a horsefly bite, thankfully l am now on the mend even though my foot is still hard but the swelling has gone down. Please be aware how serious this is, l want you all to be safe out there, sepsis joined forces with infective endocarditis and destroyed my healthy heart causing total heart block, an AVR, and pacemaker. Never take a chance people please! Take care, Sue.

[Kristin1812 Heart Star]

Hi. What a very scary experience. I’m glad it’s mending now.

Are you sure it was a horsefly? Sounds too big!

[kefalonia1 in reply to Kristin1812]

Hi, l'm not completely sure but there are a lot around the village where l live because of the farms. l am tempted to hire a hit man to find it and kill it, either that or the first receptionist who was horrid and would not listen to me. l don't want to kill her but l hope she gets bitten by one, she could have killed me!!! Take care, thanks for your reply. Sue.

[woodlandwonders in reply to kefalonia1]

Thank goodness someone helped you get treatment. Hope you feel better soon.

Did you feel it bite you? They are instantly painful as they take a massive chunk of flesh, without the courtesy of injecting you with anything! Do you think it could have been a spider? They are starting to come in and love beds. I had a reaction to a false widow bite a few years ago. Sounds quite similar.

[kefalonia1 in reply to woodlandwonders]

Hi, you may be right, l didn't feel it but l saw it in the chemists and it was twirling around my feet with flip flops on. (Me not the horsefly) l also have a really high pain threshold, so the culprit remains a mystery. l am hoping the antibiotics make it go away soon. Pleas let me know what a false widow spider looks like, l will spray my bed with jungle formula now!! Thanks for your reply, Sue.

[woodlandwonders in reply to kefalonia1]

I must admit that I do flip my covers and pillows every night now They dont mean to bite you, they are quite passive, so when they do its normally in self defence. Unlike horseflies who totally mean it.

I'm a Vegan, so wont squash anything if I can help it. Except horseflies and ticks!

[kefalonia1 in reply to woodlandwonders]

Hi, thanks for your reply. l looked it up on google and yet again its the pesky horsefly females who bite you. They cannot reproduce unless they have a hosts blood inside them. So now my blood is a lVF clinic. l hope the rat poison (warfarin) has killed her.!!! Sue.

[woodlandwonders in reply to kefalonia1]

That made me laugh out loud IVF clinic. Brilliant!

[lettingoffsteam]

Same here re cellulitis last year following a tiny bite.It was really nasty but your horse fly experience sounds terrifying Sue.

[kefalonia1 in reply to lettingoffsteam]

Hi, it sounds silly but l was so worried, especially having gone through so much l couldn't stand another 3 months in hospital or worse! l am trying to focus on the coming weekend we are going to Paignton and eating in a wonderful fish restaurant but l will be limping, never mind. Take care, Sue.

[lettingoffsteam in reply to kefalonia1]

That sounds lovely...have a great time!😃

[kefalonia1]

Hi Jo, thanks for your reply. lts very interesting to think about my pacemaker making me more sensitive to things, l have developed very sensitive skin. Take care, Sue.

[Mymillie]

Good to hear you are on the mend! I went to the chiropodist today, she looked at what I thought was atheletes foot on my toe and said it looks more like an insect bite, it had some pus but it was only small. She said that they have had an awful lot of people come in with spider bites on their feet recently. It's the weather and time of year I guess!

[kefalonia1]

Hi, l am going to wear filled in shoes now just in case. Take care Sue.

[Grayjay]

I take Antihistamine one a day not just for hayfever but to prevent allergic reactions to insect bites such as Horseflys.

[kefalonia1]

Hi, thanks l will do the same, take care Sue.