my boil, spider bite, infestation... who knows

about a month ago i got this wierd bite. it got really swollen, hot, and painful. i left it alone for a week or so. when it kept worsening, i started taking antibiotics, which didn't seem to help.

the islanders swear by the bush medicine technique of placing a hot pepper leaf on the boil (pronounced "bile") and letting it come to a head. at this point you are to lance it ("jug it"... pronounced juge) and get the "mommy" out. let's just say this method did not work.


the boil/bite kept getting more and more painful. after i had fevers and swelling in my foot we decided to surgically intervene.


the whole team was there for moral support, which was really just to see the show (thanks guys...). i decided i wanted to numb it myself and joe would do the incision and draining.


something i thought i'd never do... injecting lido into my own leg (it seemed less scary than some one else doing it). joe then cut it open but only blood came out (no pus).

dr. david (our stateside director) suggested it is probably a spider bite, which is self-limiting and would heal on its own. it is still a small nodule but not painful or red... this only reinforces my theory that bugs LOVE me despite my passionate hatred for them. :)