{Rattlesnake Bite}

Have you ever known anyone who was bitten by a rattlesnake?

I never have.... until now.

Last Friday (Aug 5th) Jared's nephew, AJ, was out at the Rockin A Ranch with

Cameron. (jared's brother.) They were building a fence. AJ went down to lift

a lodge pole and got bit by a rattlesnake. Cam immediately put a tourniquet on his

arm and they took off to the ER in Casper, WY. Good thing it was only 15 minutes away.

At the ER he went immediatley back to the room and they started working on him.

See picture below.....

when they removed the tourniquet--- IMMEDIATELY- AJ started throwing up and went into Respitory Failure! They put a vent down his throat and started giving him Anti-venom. They

knocked him out to help relax. They put him in ICU.

I went and spent a 5 hours in the ICU with AJ. They needed to take his blood and stopped the IV's. AJ kinda woke up, but kinda not. He mouthed that he needed water. I told him that they would get him some later. They could not get his veins to give them blood. They called another blood sucker to come help... she could not get it either. They called one more. AJ gave them the "hang loose" sign to let them know he was okay. He then mouthed throat to me. --remember he's still out of it and he has a tube down his throat-. I just talked with him and let him know that he was okay.

After they got his blood- they let the IV's go again and once again AJ was in a deep sleep.

I talked with the nurses. I had never known anyone who had been bit by a rattlesnake.

The nurse mentioned that it was very good that AJ was strong. He

would recover quickly. If it would have been someone out of shape, they would be dead.

I learned that snake venom attacks your nerves. Your nervous system is shot for a while.

It wipes you completely out and you are exhausted for quite a while. When

visiting hours were over- I left. I had to get home. Thank goodness for a YW of mine that

came and spent the day with my kids.

Kari & Joe- the parents of AJ- were coming up the next day.

I gave the ICU nurses my number as well as Kari & Joe's numbers.

The next day- AJ was doing so well that they took the vent out of him.

His hand is still pretty swollen! He was bitten on his left hand.

Ring finger. By where your fingers bends.

This is AJ- the day after being bit by the snake.

{The snake had 9 rattles. Mid sized- it was killed, skinned

and will be made into something cool for AJ to always remember. }

SO NOTES TO SELF

if someone gets bitten by a rattlesnake.

-put a tournequit on. Not super tight but tight enough

-DO NOT elevate.

-get to the ER ASAP.

AJ is doing well. He is at Cam's house resting and recouperating. He cannot do ANYthing for one week. Then after that- he still needs to take it super easy for quite a while.