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In Belize, both Sandy and I were sometimes the focus of insect bites. We had begun an oral prophylaxis for malaria, so we weren’t much concerned about that.

But when we returned to Kentucky, we both had a few bites. I had three on my arm, and two healed rather quickly. But one bite continued to itch terrifically. After about 10 days, it had continued to stay inflamed and a small lump formed under the skin.

I consulted my primary care doctor, who prescribed an antibiotic for a week. That had no effect. On a second visit, two more powerful antibiotics were prescribed for a 10-day period.

After a few days, there was no reduction in the itching or inflammation. However, a tiny hole had opened in my arm. No blood was leaking out, but occasionally I would feel a sharp pain and a brown liquid would emerge from the hole.

I was beginning to understand finally. Excreta! Something inside was taking a dump.

I was already on tour, but finally had a morning when I could consult with a surgeon in Council Bluffs, Iowa. I had to be in Kansas City that evening, but thought I might have time to deal with this.

The doctor examined the site on my upper arm. I related to him the above info, and told him that I thought I had an insect larva growing there and that we should simply excise it. He agreed.

So he put me on an operating table in his office, and opened up my arm. Sure enough, he removed a small grub about 1/3-of-an-inch long and almost 1/4-inch in diameter.

The doctor laughingly said, “probably my veterinarian colleagues see this a lot more than I ever would.” A single suture closed the wound and I was on my way, needing only to remove the stitch a week later.

Our son and grandson, Bryan and Vaughn had joined Sandy and I in Belize for a week during the summer. So recently, Vaughn’s class invited Bryan to speak to them about traveling in Belize.

During his talk, he mentioned my experience above. This really grabbed the attention of those ninth-grade students, according to Bryan. For the next half hour, they showered him with questions about the ‘alien’ in my body. It really captured their imaginations for some reason.

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