I Was Bitten by a Black Widow in Arizona. Here’s What Happened Next.

Despite the vast array of things that can hurt you in Arizona, I've been relatively unscathed in the three decades I've lived here. Last summer, I saw a Diamondback rattlesnake hanging out in front of my house. I gave it a wide berth.

Even under the best of circumstances, accidents happen. Our very own "Snake Guy," William "Bill" Schumacher, a man who's relocated hundreds of snakes across Cochise County, was bitten by a Western Diamondback in his own backyard while clearing some brush from his property last summer. He had to have many vials of antivenin in order to recover from the ordeal.

You can read more here: The Story Behind 'The Snake Guy' And His Recent Snakebite.

Encounters with desert wildlife happen to even the best-trained and most cautious among us. What happened to me two days before Christmas, though, was unexpected, and like Bill, it happened at my home when my guard was down.

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My Encounter with a Black Widow Spider

On Christmas Eve Eve, December 23rd, my daughter called me. She was planning to host a Christmas Eve dinner at her home and wanted to know if she could have a box of her childhood ornaments. I haven't used them in years, so I was happy to free up some space in my shed.

Rooting through the gloom and dark spaces, I reached for a stack of boxes, but I didn't see the web until it was too late. I felt a slight tickle on my hand as a black widow spider dropped to the ground.

The next few minutes unfolded like a slow dream.

I saw the black widow on the shed floor.

I took off my flip-flop (it was December in Arizona, but yeah, I was wearing flip-flops). 

I beat at the floor of the shed until I was satisfied that I'd dispatched the little beast.

Then, the hand holding the flip-flop did something weird. It began to balloon as I watched it.

Oh, no....

Hey, did you know Black Widow spiders are among the most venomous in Arizona? I know now. Read more about the List of Arizona's Top 5 Deadliest Spiders

Taking Immediate Action Against the Spider Bite

I ran to the house and immediately swallowed two Benadryl tablets. This classic antihistamine makes me tired, so I haven't taken it in years, but I had a bottle on my kitchen counter for one of my dogs who suffers from allergies. I'd never been bitten by a black widow, and to me, that made sense.

I wasn't sure what to expect next, but here's what I found on the web (the Internet Web, not the Spider Web). This is what happened as the spider venom began to take hold.

What Happens When You're Bitten by a Black Widow Spider?

I didn't experience all these symptoms, but according to the Cleveland Clinic, here's what happens when you're bitten by a black widow.

Like me, you may not feel the bite at all. I felt a little tickle, either from the spider's web or the arachnid herself, but I didn't see an entry wound.

After a few minutes, a strange, crampy pain began to move across my hand, followed by slight redness and swelling, not just where I was bitten, but in my entire appendage. My fingers began to look like strange little sausages. Some people see red fang marks at the bite site, but I didn't see anything like that.

What are the Symptoms of a Black Widow Spider Bite?

Black widow venom interferes with chemicals in nerve endings, which can cause painful, body‑wide muscle contractions and autonomic symptoms like sweating and nausea.

The initial tingling I felt turned into muscle aches and spread up my arm. Everything I read online recommended icing and elevating the bite site to prevent the venom from spreading.

About an hour after I was bitten, my ring finger began to spasm, and my arm ached all the way up to my collarbone. I was also slightly nauseated and sleepy, but the tiredness was probably from the Benadryl.

Other symptoms people can experience include:

• Severe muscle cramps and spasms that spread from the bite area
• Abdominal, chest, back, or shoulder pain, depending on bite location
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sweating (sometimes heavy)
• Headache
• Trouble breathing in more serious cases
• Fever or chills

Some of the less common, but serious symptoms include high blood pressure, seizures (rare, but possible), and weakness or difficulty moving limbs.

Here's What to Do Immediately If You're Bitten by a Black Widow

If you're bitten by a black widow, WebMD recommends:

• Wash the bite with soap and water
• Apply ice wrapped in a cloth to slow the venom spread and reduce pain/swelling
• Keep the area elevated if possible
• Stay calm and limit movement to slow venom circulation
• Seek medical care right away, especially if symptoms spread beyond the bite site

I followed the instructions and didn't seem to have any serious reactions, but ultimately, I decided to get some trained medical eyes on the situation.

I needed reassurance that I wasn't missing anything, so I visited a local urgent care. The doctor checked my vitals and told me to continue to elevate and ice my hand, take ibuprofen for the pain, and head to the ER if any of the symptoms got worse.

My Review: A Black Widow Spider Bite

Getting bitten by a black widow spider was absolutely no fun. It disrupted my day, caused me physical pain, and a whole lot of anxiety.

The worst part? I woke up the next day and didn't even have any superpowers. My daughter reminded me that this was just a mundane arachnid, that superpowers generally come from radioactive spiders. But I still feel likeI got ripped off.

Final Review of Getting Bitten by a Black Widow: Zero stars. Do not recommend.