Monday, August 3, 2009

Rabies Needles Are Not Really A Foot Long...

Apparently, the Tetons are safer than my house. Last night, a bat flew in a crack above our window, settled on my right butt cheek, and woke me up with a scratch, or maybe a bite, before flying back out. MDH told me that I had to get rabies shots.

Rabies needles are not a foot long. They are not inserted in the abdomen, or the eyeball. They hurt more than flu shots, but less than tetanus shots, and far less than the old penicillin shots. I do need to go in for repeats for about a month to kill any possible rabies viruses (virii?) before they can lodge in my central nervous system and kill me.

I don't think the doctor had ever treated anyone bitten in the butt by a bat before, though. Sheesh! I've been attacked by adult peregrine falcons. I've been attacked by baby peregrine falcons. I've had rocks (little ones) fall on me. But biting butt bats are way, way too much. Maybe we need a new, more batproof house!

I know this is a bit off-topic, especially for a first post, but it was too rare not to share...

4 comments:

richard said...

Amy, my goodness that sounds awful.

I am glad you are alright.

Yes, indeed, biting butt bats should definitely be posted. So thank you.

tt2007 said...

A bizare accident indeed. How many shots did you get?

AmyRies said...

Five so far - two immunoglobins and three vaccinations. I've got to go in four more times between now and August 28th.

It'll give me a new, vaguely Yiddish-sounding curse: "May a bat bite you upon the ass!"

tt2007 said...

All sounds very painful! Presume that the immunoglobulins hurt more than the vaccinations. Good luck with the remaining shots.