Hi all, new here, but not to HA. This is my second time with a rabies fear. Four years ago, I was semi worked up about a loved one. It was a short lived fear.

This time it's about me. I was taking one of my daily walks, over 10 days ago. I went later than I usually do, toward dusk. It was a beautiful evening, and I hadn't a chance earlier, and I made a promise to myself to walk at least 5 days a week for 1/2 hour. I have a rule to never listen to music and stay aware on walks, but since I was literally across the street (diagonally) from my home, I decided to let myself listen to some music. It was just past sunset, by like 15 minutes, and as a pass a tree, I suddenly felt something hit my left cheek. I can't even tell you exactly where. I assumed it was a beetle, as it felt like a sting, and some have scratchy spiny legs, and it felt like something smaller than a US quarter, more like a nickel size or between nickel and quarter. Felt like something zoomed past me. Nothing hit my glasses, just part of my cheek. In any case, it stung for a few minutes. I came home. Didn't see anything on my face that warranted any concern. Later I mentioned to family that rude beetle hit my face on my walk, and I said, jokingly, but in moment of concern, "I hope it wasn't a bat". I worry a lot about cellulitis, and other skin infections, so I don't let wounds go unattended. There was nothing noticeable on my face. Because I broke my rules and was listening to music on earbuds while walking at night, I would not have heard a bat. I didn't see either a bat, or the "beetle" I assumed it was, as it was super fast, and I was in slightly darker area of the street (Streetlight was further down street, and there was another tree).

Fast forward last Friday, taking walk with my spouse and we see a bat. Higher up, like around tree line. And then it clicked. Could this really have been a bat??? Fast forward to this past Sunday, we heard what sounded like a bat outside. SO now I'm sort of convinced I was probably hit, maybe scratched or slightly grazed by a bat.

Because it's been over a week, and there weren't any marks to be seen at the time, there was no way I would have known then. And now it is probably too late. It's been about 10+days. Because I didn't see anything on my face last week, I didn't really think bat bite/scratch, and so I didn't have the notion to go to doctor. Would they even give me the shots without exposure proof, or wound??

I have scratch throat, little chest congestion, itchy eyes. Usual for my yearly allergies. My sinus feel congested, some eye pain. I'm tired. I think my face looks wild, I don't know if that's anxiety and fear or rabies. I know that less than 1% of bats in USA have rabies, and I know that you need to get bitten or scratched to be exposed. But I keep thinking that perhaps I had the tiniest bite, and didn't notice??? I had some red marks that came and went before, and since that night. I assumed it was just my blotchy skin.

I no longer have a therapist, I haven't met with my new GP yet, and am not on meds. My family is tired of me talking about rabies. They are like how can you have rabies without a bite. But what if I did have a bite/scratch and it was just too small for any of us to see!!!

I literally have no peace about this. How have others gotten themselves out of this HA rabies loop???

TIA