It happened so fast...

I had never really given much honest consideration to how persons infected with HIV actually contracted the virus. I don't feel that I was judgmental of those persons or assumed that they had gotten it by making use of illicit drugs or having unprotected sex. Obviously some people get the virus through blood transfusions, birth, accidents, etc. I'd never thought about someone being at risk of contracting HIV, or other blood-born diseases including Hepatitis B, by a human bite. And NEVER did I consider that that person could someday be me.

Don't panic. I am very confident that I do not have HIV. I'm also informed that because I've received two of the three Hep B vaccination rounds that I'm technically "immune" to Hepatitis B. I did however have the dreadful experience of being bitten by another human being. She bit me long and hard enough that she broke my skin, hence the risk.

It all happened very quickly, and no it was not under normal circumstances that it all took place. I've been working at a children's psychiatric hospital for about half a year now, which really isn't all that long... but oh, believe me, it has been a very long time. Psychiatric hospitals are NOT normal circumstances... at least they shouldn't be. It's much too restrictive, especially for children and that is my very simple basis for determining its abnormality.

All that to say, it happened fast and yes she meant to bite me, but I don't think generally she meant to maliciously harm me. She bit me on my right forearm. Broke my skin open in two spots, but strangely enough (to me) I didn't bleed. Thankfully, she doesn't have gingivitis and bleeding gums. She kept her blood to herself and I kept mine, thank you very much.

I had to get a tetanus shot, which honestly hurt a heck of a lot more than the bite and bruise that followed. That part was way way way worse.

Much worse than the shot, though, was the new and huge fear of the unknown. The microburst cloud that comes out of nowhere.

The doctor that saw me less than an hour after it happened didn't think that I needed to be tested at all. He didn't order the tests and actually subtly discouraged me from requesting it. He told me that, as we know, HIV cannot be passed in saliva, and since their was no blood from either of us... no need to test. Divine intervention spared me from even having her saliva on me. I was wearing two long sleeve shirts that day... not common for me up until that point. Now every day I'm wearing at least one long sleeve layer!

The follow up doctor that I saw a week after the incident talked with me a little more candidly about the whole testing thing. He told me that because I was bitten by another human being and my skin was broken in the process of it, that I qualify for testing. He didn't think that I had any reason whatsoever to worry, but I did qualify and he encouraged me that the safest route is to be tested to find out for sure.

Did you know that HIV can take up to six months to surface? The full and complete testing requires four blood analysis samples. The first comes just after the incident, the second six weeks after, the third three months after and the fourth and final test six months after.

I'm happy to say that my first test results showed that I am free and clear of HIV and Hep B. It also showed, as I mentioned, that I've successfully been immunized to Hep B. One down, three to go. I'm quite confident that I'm okay and that when I get my final results I'll still be in the clear. I'm looking forward to being in that spot, but feeling great in the meantime too. What's a girl to do?!

Oh, and here's a sticky note to put in your "Crazy Scenarios File" in your brain: if someone bites you and won't let up, poke him or her in the eye. I accidentally poked her in the eye when I was trying to get my hand on her forehead to attempt to break free. I think it surprised her JUST enough that she loosened her grip on me and I was able to break free. THANK YOU other staff person who came to help me too!!