I feel fire....

'Agrab' is the Arabic word for scorpion. We have to be aware of scorpions or 'Scropions' as the locals say. As I am sure all of you are aware, just one sting can be deadly. Living in dark places and hiding under stones, furniture and sand, it is easy to drop your guard when you are busy and have things on your mind.

Zakia, a very good friend of mine, came to me today panic stricken, holding her thumb. 'I feel fire' she said 'I think I have been bitten by a scropion' 'What!' I yelled, fear filled me as I didn't know what to do with a scorpion bite. 'There, under the box' She cried. Hassan had come to the rescue as word had spread quickly. Big and black, about an inch long, she scurried from under the box to a cupboard. Hassan moved it and stamped on her. Dead!

'What do we do Zakia? Are you ok?' Aurelie and I had no idea what treatment to give, we just needed to get her to the hospital ASAP! She yelled at us to tie a tourniquet around her wrist - tightly! The bite was on the thumb and she felt it burning as the poison went into the bloodstream.

We were told to find lemons and cooking oil, no water for her, just lemons, garlic or onion. She ate the lemon, drank oil with lemon juice (It's an old wives tale to stop the heart racing) and cut the thumb to push the poison out.

An arabeya came and we drove her to the Mostashfa Dowli (International Hospital) the driver had his hand on the horn most of the journey, telling everyone to get out of the way. She was rushed in and within minutes she was having the antibody injected, they know you have to act very quickly, it really is so dangerous and deadly.

Poor Zakia let out an ear piercing scream, as the antibody made it's way around her body 'I feel fire' she exclaimed as she tried to breathe. The nurse told us it was a normal reaction and to wait just 5 minutes. Thank God she was ok. It was her 2nd bite!

No water or food for the rest of the day, just black tea with lemon. Poor Zakia was so exhausted and felt so poorly, but said it was best that the scropion bit her and no-one else, as we wouldn't have had the strength to fight it! She is an unbelievable lady, who puts everyone before herself, we couldn't believe she had said that. She will have treats from us tomorrow as she can eat, bless her.

Scorpions are blind. So when they walk into something, or something walks into them, they react by stinging! There are 3 stages of the bite until the poison is injected. If all 3 are released, then the effects are rapid and very serious and if not treated, you may die within 6hrs!

I hope that this never happens to anyone I know. It was VERY frightening, but at least I am armed with some information IF it does happen.

NB Not all people go to the hospital, they just eat lemons and have the Qoran read over them.

After a traumatic start to the day, we then visited the Sunshine Orphanage in Luxor, but that is another story :-)