A little backstory first. I had been working in the yard one day, and by evening had an itchy spot…read moreon my arm that I thought was probably a mosquito bite, no big deal. The next day, my husband and I went out of town for a couple of days that we had planned a week earlier. During the time away, the bite continued to itch, then hurt, turned red, warm and swollen, which kept getting bigger. I took progressive pictures of the area with my phone because it was so unusual. On the way home, I told my husband that I really wanted to stop and have it looked at because something was just not right. That is what led us to this particular Urgent Care.
The ladies at the desk were extremely friendly. The wait was not long at all. This was a Tuesday afternoon around 2:30. The medical assistant was very nice and seemed concerned when I showed her the area. My blood pressure was a little elevated even though I take medication for it. She said she would let the doctor know. In comes the NP. Asked me what happened. I told her that I had gotten bit by something and showed her the bite. She said, Well if you don't know what bit you, then neither do I. What do you want me to do about it? , as she stood there with her arms folded across her chest. I explained that it had been getting progressively worse with each day and was now hurting. I told her that I had photos of it, and she shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want to see them. She asked me if I was having any trouble breathing, which I was not. She looked at the bite, pressed on it a few times and said, Well, it blanches , so not cellulitis. Asked me if I needed a slip for work, I didn't. Then says, well, I could listen to your lungs, which she did. Then says, Okay, you're all set. I left with no paperwork, or any info at all.
After I got home I looked on my chart online to read her notes. She documented that the area was not warm, it was, not tender, it was, and that my uvula was midline. Hard to tell that without looking in my mouth. So that is documenting something that didn't happen!
Thankfully I was able to get into my doctor the next day. She actually listened to what I was telling her, looked at the bite, and the photos that I had taken. With a couple of questions, figured out that more likely than not, it was the bite from a brown recluse!!! I was started on a treatment right away! I could have been getting treatment a day earlier if the NP at the Urgent Care had actually listened to what I was saying.
Don't go here unless you have already diagnosed yourself.
The two stars are for the 2 ladies at the front desk and the medical assistant.