Incubation
It seems that I may have brought a little stowaway back with me from Brazil. A couple of weeks into the trip, I noticed that I had a small lump on the bottom of my left foot, between my big toe and second toe. That wasn’t very surprising, because I am — as I have said before — a mosquito magnet, and had gathered a impressive collection of bites by that time. However, this one seemed a bit different.
[Squeamish readers, please look away now.]
The lump was clearly filled with fluid or pus, but had a distinct, dark spot about 3 mm across at its centre. It wasn’t itchy or particularly sore, but as it got larger over the following days, it started to press into the sole of my foot uncomfortably as I walked. It was tempting to pop the blister with a sterile needle, but since I couldn’t keep the area clean very easily, I decided against it. I kept plastering it with sticky, pink Germolene and cleaning it with antiseptic, and kept it covered with a plaster as much as possible.
When I got back to the UK, I made an appointment with my GP. She, and the two medical students with her (who were muttering darkly that they always got insect bites), were baffled. Rather than poke about without knowing what she was dealing with (a consideration I greatly appreciated), she called a consultant in Infectious Diseases. The upshot was that the consultant thought it might be some kind of burrowing insect, possibly the human bot fly. The larvae of this delightful species burrow into the skin of humans then spend the next 8 weeks developing in their cosy space before emerging to pupate and later emerge as an adult fly. Biologically interesting, to be sure, but not the kind of biologically interesting thing I want going on in my own body.
The lump is deflating now, but the black spot is still there, which suggests that the larva (if it is a larva and not something harmless like a splinter) is probably dead. This isn’t necessarily a good thing, because it’s likely to get infected. I’ve got an appointment with the consultant next week, so hopefully whatever it is will get properly evicted. I’m surprised that I haven’t been more horrified by the whole thing. It is actually quite interesting, and apart from the slight discomfort, my little lodger hasn’t been too much trouble. Mind you, if it was still squirming around visibly, I might feel differently.
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Pics or it didn't happen.
by Jon @ 20/09/2007 7:56 pm • Permalink •
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Don't you just love the NHS - I would have though a reasonable practical rule is: that if it came from the tropics, it needs dealing with immediately - Instead you get the classic "We haven't got a clue, but come back next week - if you die in the meantime, don't forget to cancel your appointment..........."
by Jonathan Briggs @ 20/09/2007 8:12 pm • Permalink •
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Don't you just love the NHS - I would have though a reasonable practical rule is: that if it came from the tropics, it needs dealing with immediately - Instead you get the classic "We haven't got a clue, but come back next week - if you die in the meantime, don't forget to cancel your appointment..........."
Personally, I'd be hopping mad.
by Jonathan Briggs @ 20/09/2007 8:14 pm • Permalink •
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Oops!
by Jonathan Briggs @ 20/09/2007 8:16 pm • Permalink •
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What, no photos for us non-squeamish readers? (grin)
by Harald @ 21/09/2007 1:35 am • Permalink •
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This kind of thing never happens on glaciers. I recommend you consider changing subject (reindeer don't bite and Polar Bears can be shot from a distance)!
by Ian @ 21/09/2007 3:14 pm • Permalink •
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Just don't eat a Polar Bear's liver - Not that Bsag would, she being a vegetarian and all that - I have an acquaintance who is a Jain, they make Vegans seem hedonistic in their eating habits, and being kind and firm in the belief that if you don't know something, I'll leave to find out why - First prize, a photo of Bsag's eruption.............
by Jonathan Briggs @ 21/09/2007 4:02 pm • Permalink •
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Low level overdoses of retinol (Vitamin A) cause osteoporosis and birth defects. Higher level overdoses are fatal.
0.3g of polar bear liver (yes, that's right, a third of a gram) contains the Daily Upper Level Intake for vitamin A; more than about 30 grams of liver will kill the consumer. And according to online sources, retinol overdose is unpleasant...
(How did we get this far off topic?
by Harald @ 21/09/2007 4:17 pm • Permalink •
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I admire your Stoicism.
Here's hoping it gives you no additional trouble.
by Milan @ 21/09/2007 7:04 pm • Permalink •
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This is why I never leave Twickenham.
And there's me with a fly theme going on at the moment.
by Lighty @ 22/09/2007 2:01 pm • Permalink •
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Jonathan Briggs: Well, to be honest, I think they did the right thing. It's obviously not infected (yet), and not even painful, so a couple of days wait is no problem. These bot flies don't actually do you any harm, in fact many people advise that you just leave them for 8 weeks to do their thing and emerge naturally, as long as they aren't in a sensitive or unsightly part of your body.
Harald: Nope. I'm not exposing my naked Hobbit feet to the nation
Ian: Though reindeer antlers can give you a nasty gouge if you get too close. I've realised, however, that I'm really not a tropics person. I love the wildlife and the vegetation but I really don't cope well with the heat. I think it speaks volumes that when we went on an early morning boat safari when it was quite cool, everyone else was muffled up in their jackets looking cold, and I rolled up my sleeves with a satisfied expression on my face. I'm a cold weather/temperate girl at heart.
Harald: Well done! Google?
Milan: As I said, it really could be a lot worse.
Lighty: I have to say that I'm quite enjoying being cool again. You can't snuggle under a duvet at night when it's 40 degrees Centrigrade.
by bsag @ 22/09/2007 4:31 pm • Permalink •
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I knew the basics from going to school in Canada
, but I had to get the dosage details from Wikipedia...
by Harald @ 24/09/2007 3:04 pm • Permalink •
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I live in England, what's my excuse..................
by Jonathan Briggs @ 24/09/2007 5:13 pm • Permalink •
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Have you heard of the "meat cure?"
From what I read (in a book by Tim Cahill) the bot fly larva has a snorkel to breathe which protrudes slightly from the skin. You clamp a piece of meat over this. The bot fly larva can't breathe, and so starts digging its way to the surface, through the piece of meat. You let it. Then, once it's crawled out, you throw away the piece of meat, with the larva still in it, but no longer in you.
In the Tim Cahill story, the guy had the botfly larva in his scalp. He let it go to maturity, and while at a ball game, the newly minted bot fly crawled out of his head and flew away.
by SteveC @ 03/11/2007 1:21 am • Permalink •
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