Archive for July 2013

Last week, I relayed the story of Heather Barnes, a college student studying marine biology, who had just survived 16 hours treading water in the blazing sun, all the while being stung by jellyfish, after being swept out to sea off the coast of Honduras. Her story is a good one.  Certainly because it ended happily, but also because she offers us many good lessons for the time when we might need to fight for our lives. What are the lessons?  It is helpful mix of what to do, but, maybe more importantly, what NOT to do.  For such a smart woman, she did several really dumb things that created her problem in the first place.  But, then again, we all could have probably made the same mistakes, and I’m not so sure that I could have lasted as long as she did to make it back to shore. Anyway, […]

Despite common belief, death caused from the bite of a venomous snake in the United States is exceedingly rare.  The Wilderness Medical Society reports that, of the roughly 45,000 snakebites that are reported each year, about 8,000 are confirmed venomous, and of this number only around 10 actually result in death (typically because the victim was very young, very old, or suffered already from an underlying medical condition, like an allergy).  In point of fact, more people die each year from bee stings and from taking “selfies” — by literally walking off cliffs or into traffic to get the perfect angle — than they do from snakebites. Still, a venomous snakebite, in particular that of the most common one, a pit viper, is still nothing to belittle, as the injury, even if it means the low probability of death, may still be intensely life altering.  In particular, the high potential […]

If you are ever unlucky enough to be bitten by a venomous snake, don’t panic and assume that you are going to die, because the chances are, despite common belief, you won’t.  In the United States, there are roughly 45,000 snakebites reported each year, of which 8,000 are confirmed venomous.  Of this, only about 8 people die, usually due to some complicating factor — the victim was likely very old, very young, or suffered from an underlying medical condition.  What, instead, is the greater likelihood, which most don’t seem to appreciate, is that the snakebite will cause you a major life altering change.  In particular, amputation of the bitten limb.  And a catastrophic medical bill. Just ask 11-year old, Benjamin Smith, who, as the Gainesville Sun reported, was bitten last month by an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. Thankfully, Ben will be just fine thanks to the excellent medical care that he received […]