In one of those remarkable displays of the brain’s recall ability, I immediately pictured the U.S. Army Special Forces instructor who had given my class a lesson on poisonous snakes during my training in the mid-1960s. His first remark on what to do if bitten: “Don’t panic. You’re probably not going to die, but get medical attention as soon as possible.”

I took him at his word. Being dirty and sweaty, I showered, changed clothes and made sure my dog had plenty of food and water.

All this took about 10 minutes, and in that time the swelling above the red bite marks had become noticeable. The pain was also increasing, but nothing I would term excruciating.

I called my primary physician, Dr. John Lanham, who told me to come right in. He has had experience with snakebites from his time practicing medicine in a remote area of Sudan. It took him about 10 seconds to assess the situation and send me off to MJH’s emergency room.

“The nature of the venom is hemorrhagic, and that’s why you had the bruising,” Lanham said. “Some of the venom ruptures red blood cells and some of it lets the blood leak out, which causes the swelling.