Swelled leg and fat foot

Five day's ago I was working in my garden, sat in the grass and was bitten by an unknown source. Now my leg is swollen big time, below the knee, and my foot is twice as big as it should be. My neighbor's little 4 year old was bitten in her yard, above the knee, and now the swelling has traveled up toward her crotch. Don't laugh, this is not funny to a four year old.

Does anyone know what kind of insect might be doing this? This swelling is not only awful looking, it is very painful with no discernible evidence of where the bite occurred.

I have gardened all my life and have never been leery of what lurks out there but now I wonder.

I went to the walk in clinic, waited a lengthy time and left when the only people that came and went were salesmen. None of the patients were called the whole time.

I'm 51 and I can handle this, but I don't think little kid's should have to.

I had on at the time, long pants, socks and shoes and still got bit. I never felt any bite. I didn't feel any symtoms until the next day and then it felt like someone had kicked me in the shin as hard as they could.

Does anyone know anything about this?

Anne

Oh, how awful, Anne! There are no areas which present themselves as bite sites? Is there more discoloration or swelling at any one point on either of you?

Does this help any?
http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/hw95940.asp

Sounds like a spider bite... please treat it as an emergency because it is...
Sheila

I think with such swelling and pain, you should probably see a doctor.
We have yellow flies here- when they bite my mum she gets the same way- if too many bite her she has to see a doctor.

Anne if its as described get to an emergency room and so to the 4 y/o, any open area of the skin presents an oppurtunity for bacteria to enter the body yesterdays scratchy mosquito bite is an open door for bacteria. Sounds like an acute infection that needs medical intervention.

Isn't it odd that both she and the neighbor's little girl have the same type of symptoms? That would indicate some kind of bite from the same insect, or exposure to the same allergen/toxin wouldn't it?

Purpleice - you around? How are you doing?

This sounds serious. Pehaps a brown recluse or other type spider. Nothing to fool around with. You and the child need medical attention immediately. You probably don't see a bit mark because of the swelling.

Hi everyone,
I'm alive and still kicking. I finally got to see a doctor and it only cost me $48.00 to find out I had been bitten by an insect of some sort. My leg and foot are still swollen and red and sore but I have no infection and the swelling should subside in 3 to 4 days.
I've never had an insect bite that affected me for this long (8 days) so far. I can't wear a shoe on the fat foot. I love it, he didn't give me any prescriptions for anything but the itching (that I don't have) and a $48 bill to tell me something I already knew. The four year old is on antibiotics.
Oh well, at least I'm not going to kick the bucket just yet.

Thank you all for your concern and advice but your not rid of me yet. I really appreciate everyone's input and I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you.

Thank you Gardenwife for the e mail.

You are all such good people, like friends I've never met. Thank you!!

Anne

Given the circumstances of your post, we were worried about ya. Glad you went to the doc, anyway. :)

Any new landscaping in the neighborhood?? Here a lot of apts and such will bring in palm trees (not native here) and they are infested with bark scorpions. My dog has been bitten twice (Akita) and we have found several in both the yard and house this year. Our native local brown scorpions are nasty but not overly toxic. These bark scorpions are big time bad news....

my guess would be a spider bite. They are some of the most toxic things you might come across in your garden. I got one in bed one night from a little green garden spider and that hurt like crazy. No allergic reactions, but ouch!

GW, one of those tiny green spiders almost cost me my eyesight about 35 years ago. Had we not gotten me medical attention immediately it would have. As it was, I had a very swollen irratated eye for a couple weeks.

What, one of the little jumping ones?

Where is Purpleice? Anyone heard?

"eyes"

Just my awful experience, I am sorry to hear about yours.

I'm very allergic to tiny black ants that bite. I also swell with mosquito bites, I just take an allergy pill if I know that is what caused the swelling. I also was bit by a catus O. 'Bunny Ear's' I didn't even know that I had hit with my hand. The hand itched for t 10 days, and I scratched. So I finally went to the doctor, the hand had turned purple at this time and was twice the size that it should be, stinging the whole time.

The doctor took and exray because it looked broken, then he found out it was tiny little nasty spines. It cost a bundle to find that out. Thank goodness it wasn't infected. Allergy pills brought down the swelling, itching, and the purple color. Now you all know why I don't like cactus.

Get well, if you are too uncomfortable you may want to try some ice on the swelling. Norma