An Atlanta man was an avid outdoorsman with a passion for hiking and camping. However, in a bit of irony, he ended up getting bit in his own back yard by a venomous snake. It was a copperhead that bit him on July 3.
Rafael Freitas says he's lucky to be alive after the venomous snake bite landed him in the ICU for three days. Speaking with People, he explained, "My girlfriend, Leslie, and I were getting ready for our Fourth of July party. The night before, we were taking a night swim. We noticed there were some leaves in the pool, so we got out. No one else was at the house. We go to the side to get the netting to scoop the leaves up. She went in front of me to the shed, and I stayed outside of the fence waiting for her to hand it off the equipment to me."
However, he felt something strike him in the foot. He said, "It was the worst pain ever. Never felt anything like it. I looked down immediately — I thought I stepped on fire or something. I was like, 'Why is there fire out here?'" However, Freitas quickly realized that he had been bit by a snake. That's when he saw the copperhead coiled up nearby hissing at him.
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He said, "I was like ... we got to move quick and go to the ER. So I immediately go hopping to the kitchen sink and I'm just running cold water through it while my girlfriend is packing up our stuff to run to the ER." However, his battle was just getting started.
Venomous Snake Bite Lands Man In Hospital
Freitas said, "We get to the ER and the protocol for this thing is so messed up: If you ever do get a snake bite, a venomous snake bite, the protocol is they don't immediately give you the antivenom because it isn't always needed. They have to wait and see how much of the venom got into your body. And the way they do that, they looked to see how far it spreads within a certain amount of time."
Freitas ended up being in the ICU for three days. He said, "That meant I was in excruciating pain for 10 hours, until the antivenom came." The man continued, "They gave me two rounds of morphine before that to help with the pain. That didn't work. I was admitted to the ICU and they ended up giving me Dilaudid, which is a much stronger painkiller medication than they give you at the ER."
Fortunately, he got the anti-venom, but he's still recovering. He said, "I have a follow-up appointment this week with the infectious disease specialist who saw me in ICU to check my ankle. I'm not sure if I will have any long term issues. As of now, I'm really focusing on managing the swelling as much as possible and trying not to worry about things that are out of my control."
