The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Jaycee Worrall is home and doing well after being bitten by a snake. Calista Worrall wrote, "The girls and I were on a walk at our campsite. We were coming back when I heard them yell "Snake" it was then that we heard the rattle. It was cold, so the snake took forever to slither into the grass." She considered this to be a God-given thing because she was able to see the rattlesnake and know how long it was about, 18 inches. "Jaycee was able to walk back to the campsite and said it only felt like a bee sting. (Miracle) Jamie had hurt his back earlier in the week and was icing it, so the ice pack was ready to put on her leg. I asked campers around us if any of them happened to be an EMT, no one was, but the lady next to us was able to get cell service and call 911. I was able to talk to dispatch and know what we needed to do, while Jamie and Alex were able to unhook the boat. We headed up the road where we met Rocky, a forest ranger/first responder. (another miracle) He has worked the area for 19 years and knew all the answers to questions about the terrain that I didn't know. We parked on the side of the road where it was safe, and there was enough room for Mercy Flight. Jaycee was doing great, and all of her vitals still perfect. Her mouth, face, and fingers were starting to tingle. God brought us Val, who is an EMT and a respiratory nurse. (Miracle) She said that everything looked great, and it was just a reaction to the snake bite. At that point, Jaycee was doing great, and we are all praying it was a dry bite. The ambulance gets there about 45 minutes after the bite, and they call off Mercy Flight. A couple whose house was nearby offered to keep my car so that I could go with Jaycee. (Miracle) We head out in the ambulance and headed to Helena. There were about 6 miles of construction on the interstate. It was just two-lanes, and you are supposed to go 35. (Miracle) We went through the construction at 70 and never saw a vehicle." Calista continues to write, "Thank you, Jesus, for stopping traffic." They got to the hospital, and the doctor on call has seen a rattlesnake bite before." They started given antivenin to Jaycee and give her some pain medication because the pain was starting to get worse.

"During this time, Jamie was getting the girls settled with some friends that had come to camp with us. It was not super practical for them to come camping this week because they ended up bringing three vehicles and came at three different times. But God knew that we needed them there. The girls stayed with them when Jamie was at the hospital, and they had a great time camping and on the lake. Jamie got to the hospital just as they were moving Jaycee to the peds floor. God gave us AMAZING nurses and doctors that were not afraid to be real with us. We realized how rare this really was and are so grateful for hospital staff that was humble enough to realize they did not have all the answers. Poison control was on speed dial. (Miracle) God provided a surgeon that was on call that knew how much her leg could swell before we had to move to the next awful step. She was reassuring that we weren't going to get to the point. Jaycee was glad because

the probe they use to check pressures in her leg did not look fun. It was not until 12 hours after the bite that the worst of the pain happened. In the end, she had 17 vials of antivenin, and she came home just on Tylenol." She ended with, "We are blessed!! Thank you for all of your prayers. God is good!!"

According to Montana Wildlife and Parks, there are ten snake species in Montana. The prairie rattlesnake also called the western rattlesnake, is the only poisonous snake. Rattlesnakes like open and dry country and are also prevalent in ponderosa pine areas and mountainous grass forests. It often dens on south-facing slopes in areas with rock outcrops. "Rattlesnake bites are extremely rare." In July, more rattlesnakes are seen than any other month.

Prairie Rattlesnakes den together but travel up to 7 miles from their dens during the summer. Their eggs are hatched towards the end of summer, and they usually have between 7-21 baby snakes. The young look like their mother, but the colors are brighter. Prairie Rattlesnakes eat a variety of animals, including mice, ground squirrels, and rabbits.

Dogs get bite more often, and the best action you can do is to get your dog vaccinated. The vaccine works by creating protective antibodies that help neutralize the venom, so dogs experience less pain and swelling after a snake bite.