It all started a week ago last Tuesday. When I went to bed, I started scratching what I thought was a mosquito bite. But, the next day - it really itched and I kept scratching at it. I started to believe that I had been bitten by some type of bug other than a mosquito. It kept itching, I kept scratching and the place on my leg started getting redder and there was a red line - which I thought was from my ever so often scratching!
On Saturday, Gary and I went to play golf and I decided to ask the lady behind the counter if she had ever seen anything like what was on my leg. She had never seen anything like this - but, she said she would flag one of the 5 doctors that were out on the course playing - when they rounded the bend. I didn't want her to do this. I know doctors in the USA do not want to be bothered in their off hours and private time. I told her so - and she just laughed at me and said it was different here in Barbados. So, before I could object she had flagged down a doctor and he very graciously looked at my leg and said that it was nothing - just a bug bite - that I should try putting witch hazel on it. OK! That was a new one for me! Gary remembered hearing how his grandmother would use witch hazel for different cure alls in the good ole days.
So, we went to the SuperCentre and picked up a bottle of witch hazel. It did stop the itching. I thought my problem had been solved. Unfortunately, when I woke up on Sunday morning - the itch and a new red line was back - just below my previous red line (which Gary had joking told me looked like I had tattooed the word Jo on my leg). Now, I was getting suspicious - this couldn't possibly be a bug bite - because it seemed to have moved!
I waited until Monday morning - and after driving Gary to work (we only have one leased car here on the island - that is another long story in and of itself) - I went to the doctor's office. No appointment is needed. The office has an open air lobby. The doctor that saw me was a young lady - who was not in a very good mood. She was complaining to the nurse about this and that. She listened to my story and looked at my leg and then wrote out two prescriptions - one to be taken for 3 days to kill the WORM and one to be taken for 7 days as an antihistamine! She said I had what is called a beach worm! Nothing else was said. No bedside manners, just the facts Jack!
What? I had a worm inside of me? Oh, I was so grossed out! I was enraged as well. I was furious. I wanted off this island. I was tired of all this. I cried and cried and did I tell you - I cried? I called my sister for comfort - she wasn't in the comforting mood that morning. Oh well - what do I do? Well, I go get the medicine that the doctor prescribed and start taking it!
I went home and read up on the medicine on the internet - side effects include throat soreness, flu like symptoms, loss of hair, etc.!! (Yeah, with my thin hair that I probably got from my great, great, great Cherokee grandmother - I really needed to lose more hair.) The beach worm comes from people not deworming their dogs and then letting their animals poop on the beach! Lovely thought, isn't it? By 5:30 pm, when I was to pick Gary up - I could hardly move - my throat was sore and my body ached big time. Also, my leg was no longer itching, it was throbbing with pain! I laugh now about this and say that neither the worm nor I liked this medicine. Well, I'm happy to report that by the next morning - my leg had quit hurting completely - the WORM died and I seemed to have survived it all!
I always wear my crocs to the beach - but, one day while I was watching Alisha learn how to windsurf - I had enjoyed mushing my feet into the sand and letting the waves gently roll over the feet and sand - and I'm sure that is probably when I came in contact with the larvae. But, I will not be doing that again any time soon! A lot of my local Bajan friends are very curious about my leg. They have definitely heard of the beach worm and many have had it as well, but they have never seen it as vividly as is on my leg - because my skin color is white. They are all so shocked at how it looks. My advice to anyone, anywhere in this world - do NOT go barefoot on the beach!
Gross, Gross, Grosssss!!! (But thank you ever so much for the warning!!!)
ReplyDeleteWhat beach in Barbados were you on mostly on that trip??
ReplyDeleteIt was the beach on the South Coast right by Maxwell Beach Villas (Butterfly Hotel is next after the villas) - lots of people gather there with their dogs under the big tree. So, don't dig your feet in sand under trees on the beach!
ReplyDeleteits usually in sand that is dead or not near the surf , as that is where animals go .
ReplyDeletewatch ot for ring worm and hook worm too .
ReplyDelete