…a timber rattlesnake bit me on the foot. I was in my backyard in Chapin, South Carolina, and stepped near a bush surrounded by brush to gather my cat.
As a medical student years later, I found learning about the treatment of venomous snake bites completely fascinating. The snake’s toxin, immunizing horses against this toxin, and then harvesting the serum to infuse into humans who have been bitten. It made so much sense. Before I received my first dose of “anti-venom” I remember a small amount being injected subcutaneously in my forearm. I had this “A-ha!” moment when I realized that the ER doctor was assessing for hypersensitivity. Fortunately there was none.
I have felt sheer gratitude for my right foot ever since. It has served me well.