My wife endured a horrific skin infection after suspected spider bite in Blackpool - and still needs help
“Initially, she had some bruising on her leg and a tiny mark that looked like a scratch.”
A Blackpool resident has urged anyone with a suspected spider bite infection to get it checked out immediately after his wife endured a horrific blistering skin nightmare.
Martin Jones says his wife Jackie needed to stay in hospital for three weeks after the infection skin and parts of her skin turned black - suffering severe pain, significant blood loss and a long, difficult recovery that is still ongoing.
He spoke out after reading in the Blackpool Gazette about the shocking experience of another bite patient, Glenn Priestley, who was believed to have been bitten by a Noble False Widow spider and needed a three-week hospital stay and still requires medical treatment.
Bites from this spider, a distant relative of the black Widow, are generally no worse than a wasp sting but there have been rare cases when bacteria from the fangs lead to a serious, secondary infection.
The spiders have a dark brown, globally-shaped abdomen, usually with paler markings and while they usually live on fences or against outside windows frames, can also be found in sheds and occasionally inside homes.
Although his wife’s experience began back in May, Martin says it is one which continues to trouble her even now.
He said: “My wife, Jackie has had a remarkably similar experience to Mr Priestley.
“At the time, we had no reason to suspect a spider bite. It was only after speaking to a friend of mine who owns a reptile shop and also keeps spiders that the possibility was raised.
“After I described the swelling, bruising and blistering, he commented that the injury looked remarkably similar to those associated with certain spider bites.
“Jackie's ordeal began in mid-May when she was leaving our home to attend hospital for treatment for fluid retention. As she came down the steps outside our front door, she lost her balance and fell.
“It wasn't a particularly heavy fall, more of an undignified sit-down, but because Jackie already has significant mobility difficulties, she was unable to get herself back up. She remained there for some time until an ambulance arrived to help her and take her to hospital.
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“Initially, she had some bruising on her leg and a tiny mark that looked like a scratch, plus blistering that is consistent with spider bites. We don't know whether this was a possible bite site or simply an injury sustained during the fall.
“However, by the following day, her leg had become extremely swollen, with extensive bruising and blistering. Over the next few days, her condition deteriorated considerably. A massive haematoma developed beneath the skin, and eventually the overlying tissue became necrotic, meaning the skin and surrounding tissue had started to die.
“The pain was excruciating, leaving Jackie completely unable to walk. The haematoma continued to worsen and eventually began bleeding heavily. She also developed an infection that required treatment with intravenous antibiotics.
“The wound became so severe that it needed daily dressing changes, with significant amounts of bleeding. At one point, her haemoglobin levels dropped dangerously low, and she required multiple blood transfusions. I believe she received approximately seven or eight units of blood over the following weeks.
“Eventually, the dead tissue was removed, leaving an enormous open wound in her leg. It was only after this procedure that the wound began to show any meaningful signs of healing.”
Jackie spent just over three months in hospital, and even now, several months later, district nurses still visit her home several times a week to change her dressings, monitor the wound and check for signs of infection.
Martin added: “We cannot say with certainty that a spider bite caused Jackie's injuries. The initial fall, her existing medical conditions and the subsequent complications may all have played a part. However, the similarities between her experience and that in the the the other story are remarkably similar.
“What began as a seemingly minor injury turned into a devastating ordeal involving months in hospital, severe pain, significant blood loss and a long, difficult recovery that is still ongoing.”
He says anyone with a suspected bite that starts to look swollen or red should get it checked out as quickly as possible.