Survivors of Taipan Bite

Ann Wakefield RN, Cooktown Hospital and Community Health Service, Cooktown

This might seem strange. In the weeks before I was bitten, I'd had nightmares about snake bite and drowning at sea. I couldn't do much about the latter, but I read up on snakebite procedure, checked the location of our (restrictive) bandages, and ensured everyone in the family knew where they were.

It was 8 January, 1995, after work at about 6.00 pm. I was still 'on call' and was walking on the almost bare earth crossing of Scrubby Ck on our place (Endeavour Valley). Something touched me. I saw nothing till then. Possibly, I just walked too close to the snake. I hadn't taunted it. Nothing. When I saw the snake, I knew it was a Taipan - the glitter, the colour. It was a shiny, dark, blackish-tan, whopping big one, round 8 feet (2.4 m). I realised I'd been bitten when I looked at the mid-calf area of my left leg. There were two tiny little marks close together (4 mm apart). They looked too close to have come from where I knew the fangs would be in such a big snake. The snake was thick (diameter 8.0 cm), with a big head. Now the person 'on call' for the hospital was the patient, not the nurse.

I yelled for help. I must have yelled loud enough for the family to hear over that Lister generator we have, because Eric (my son-in-law) came running. By then, I had tied my shirt as tight as I could, round my leg above the bite. I had sat down and was prepared. Warwick (my husband) came down with the Toyota. 'Get in', he said. I said, 'No, bandages first'. When the bandages were on, I got in the car which was right beside me. Eric ran inside and phoned to advise Cooktown Hospital. Warwick drove to Cooktown Hospital. By the time we reached the Endeavour R. bridge (about 10 min later), the symptoms started: blurred vision, like looking through perspex with water running on it; and an unbelievable headache. It took 20 minutes to reach the hospital. By then, I had awful stomach cramps and could hardly breathe. There was no pain at the bite for about 4 hours. When it began, it was awful, very intense. It lasted for 6 weeks.

I'm sure (the late) Dr Mick McLoughlin saved my life. He knew exactly what to do. He took my word about the identification of the snake. I was symptomatic, anyway. He also knew my allergy record, which is a bad one.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service came for me. Two and a half hours post-bite, semiconscious, I was in the Intensive Care Unit at Cairns Base Hospital. My kidneys didn't work for 3 days. After 6 days, I was discharged, still fragile, from hospital.

The after effects of this bite have been fairly bad. My left leg below the bite is numb, not everywhere, but in a sort of jagged line, perhaps along a nerve. I get severe headaches I didn't have before. I'm also moody, according to Warwick, and I wasn't before. I'm also more driven not to put anything off till tomorrow. There are no guarantees about tomorrow. At the time of the bite, I thought I would die. And I thought 'So be it. If it were to happen, it wasn't a bad way to go'.

We see lots of Taipans here. They get relocated with a bit of lead if they're in the house. Otherwise they leave us alone and we them.

I have no fear of snakes whatsoever. If I could give advice to anyone from this experience, I'd say: 'Be alert. I never saw the snake till after the bite. The earth was almost bare on that creek crossing. That's the funny thing about this. Taipans can travel very, very fast'.

I'd say also: 'People should treat any case involving a Taipan, however small it may be, as serious and know what to do and always carry (restrictive) bandages up here. Everyone carries water. Bandages are just as important.'