Hit in the eye by a bat!

[R0ca75]

A totally freak incident happened to me last night. I was getting the laundry in before the rain at dusk and a bat flew at full pelt straight into my left eye. At first I had no idea what had hit me but then saw the bat whizzing around in the garden.

There doesn't appear to be any broken skin but the area around my eye was red and my eye was sore from the impact for a couple of hours.

I'm not concerned anout the injury (eye feels almost normal this morning) but am I being a huge hypochondriac to worry about rabies seeing as the eye is a mucous membrane?

I rang 111 but they weren't very helpful. Would I be unreasonable to seek further advice seeing as the NHS is so stretched at the moment?

Glad you're getting treatment. You almost certainly won't have rabies, but even the chance of a fatal and nasty illness is enough to get help.

Excellent OP, I'm so glad you're being seen. Definitely sounds like a (very cautious) precaution, but it's just not worth the risk. Other moral of the story, be careful taking your advice from Mumsnet! The majority here have said YABU when you clearly were not.

I'd seriously consider putting a complaint in about your experience with 111, they gave potentially dangerous incorrect clinical advice and that needs to be flagged (and I'm speaking as an NHS clinician). You don't need to go in all guns blazing looking for blame, but please consider reporting as there's a training need there. Never mind how stretched the NHS is, it still needs to be safe.

Thanks for your advice earlier @KimmySchmitt , it was really helpful. I was just pondering that myself actually. Absolutely don't want to blame anyone and I'm not angry but I wouldn't want anyone less able to advocate for themselves than me to end up being given unsafe advice.

Also thanks @chesirecat99 for your suggestion about the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, I would never have thought of that myself!

Well this will be an interesting story for your friends/relatives! Good luck with the treatment!