Poisonous spider alert!

[RuthK]

All

Thought I'd let you know about what recently happened to me so that you are aware and take precautions.

A month ago I was sitting outside with my (then) 2 month old on a towel (which had been left outside from the night before). Later that day I felt what appeared to be a painful pimple coming up on the inside of my thigh. The next day the area was swollen to the size of a hand. I went to A&E and they confirmed it was a spider bite and sent me home. 6 days later I was back, with a massive abscess and swelling all down my leg. They drained the abscess (normally requires a general anaesthetic, but as I'm b/f it had to be done under gas and air - passed out!) I needed IV antibiotics and daily dressings for a month. I now have a scar on my inner thigh (there goes my porn star career).

The doctor donfirmed it was a white-tailed spider that bit me. Apparently the red-back spider bite is very similar. Although the doctor said it would not kill a child or baby it will make them much sicker than me (and I felt pretty ill). According to my husband's research, over 90% of white-tailed spider bites occur when one sits on them whilst they rest in your towel!

The scary thing is my baby was right next to me, so thank God the spider bit me and not him!

So be on the alert. Another one was walking towards me today as I was hanging out the washing and I killed the little bugger with all my might!!

[Mum&bubs]

ahhh how scary! I hate spiders! In fact i hate all bugs espeically roaches! If one comes flying through our window you should see my run...i will get stuck at one side of the house cause one is on the other side blocking me off lol (embarrassing but true) I once had to sleep on the kitchen floor as one was in my bedroom flying around :( seriously i feel like im goin to have a heart attack when i see them! Spiders are just as bad! Totally agree with you to be on the look out! We have an old house so i know those creepy crawlys are around!

[Jax Tellers Old Lady]

i have had that happened to me and first i thought it was a mossie bite and then i started getting a big hole in my leg and couldnt walk on it. i hate spiders i scream if i see them and get my partner to crush them

[sugar n spice]

Oh i hate spider, i scream, well if there big dark black ones. i have known people who have been bitten by the white tail and i always stress about them not that ive ever seen one. not sure what they look like. hope you get better soon

[reAllytee]

White tails are nasty little things !
Glad your better now :thumbsup:

[Pixie]

ahhh I feel your pain I was bitten by a white tail spider 5 years ago...my goodness it was horrible and painful!!! Very lucky it was you not bubba!

[mamabear]

Thanks for sharing that. Now I'm going to ask a dumb question. What does a white tail spider look like. Befoer you say " it has a white tail dummy" I mean is it big/small, black/brown, hairy??? etc

Thanks:confused:

[Jem]

Thanks for sharing that. Now I'm going to ask a dumb question. What does a white tail spider look like. Befoer you say " it has a white tail dummy" I mean is it big/small, black/brown, hairy??? etc

Thanks:confused:

http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/white_tailed_spider.htm

[nkenward]

Usually the size of a 20c piece. Some people get confused with a common black house spider - but it will definitely have a white line on its back.

[melbourneprincess]

Eeuuuuuwww...Jem...that pic has given me the CREEPS big time...

I think this what what I killed on our back screen door a few weeks ago (with about half a can of Mortein). Ugh. They are hideous.

I hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE spiders... :eek:

[Miaow]

Sorry to hear about the bite it sounds very nasty - I knew a guy years ago that had a scar about 10cm diameter from a white tail..

I went to put EJ in her cot a couple of months ago and as i started to put her down (it was darkish) i noticed something move on the sheet - i turned the light on and it was a small white tail :eek: I cant work out how it got in there and until that time hadnt seen a white tail in the house at all but in the space of a week or so i killed 3 .....

I now check her sheets before i put her in there - it was just lucky i didnt put her down....

[melbourneprincess]

Cathyn, I *always* check DD's bed before I put her in (even though I have never had - and touch wood, never will have - the experience of finding a spider in there). DH thinks I overreact, lol, but I just like to be safe!!!

And yeah, there was a period a month or so ago, when there just seemed to be spiders everywhere - we found some in the towels in our bathroom!!! Eeeeuuww! And I think I read somewhere (in the paper??) about there being a 'spider plague'.

God I hate them!! :eek:

[Sarie]

My dad was bitten on the ankle from a white tail quite a few years ago. The initial bite was bad enough (it was in his sock and he was bitten 5 times on the ankle) but then every six months, pretty much to the day, he would get a bout of celulitis (sp), which is basically blood poisoning. His ankle and leg would swell and become red and shiny. He had to make sure he got to the doctor straight away for anitbiotics and put his foot up for a couple of days.
Make sure if you notice your leg getting red and you get aches in your legs or even neck and underarms you get to the doctor and get some antibitotics, it can make you very sick.
:hugs: I don't want to worry you, just so you know it can happen.
Sarie

[RuthK]

Sarie

Thanks for the warning! The wound is in the inside of my thigh so I'll keep an eye out for sure

R

[Sarie]

You tend to notice the reinfection in the glands first so if you get any cold symptoms then the aches and redness pack yourself off to the doc!

[jessgray]

i hate white tails! we get them in myhouse too much! for me even once is too much lmao
i was bitten by a large white tail when i was 15 on the ankle twice. at first i felt something feel like a itchy bite so i scracthed my ankle and then i had a sharp pain. i lifted my pants and saw on my sock a spider.boy was i freaked out lol my gp told me when i was taken to see him that if i hadnt been wearing my sock i would have been needing to go to hospital.

[jaimie]

One day I picked jazz up after putting a clean singlet on her and felt something sharp. I basically held her by one arm and reefed the singlet off her. It was caught up inside the singlet.She wasnt bitten luckily (turns out it was only a huntsman but still). But that scared the **** out of me.

[melbourneprincess]

only a huntsman

ONLY A HUNTSMAN!!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have died. :eek: :eek:

I have been following this thread, and I can't believe so many of you have been bitten by a spider!! That is my worst nightmare.

And huntsmen....eeeeeuuuggghhh....!!! They make me shudder. Especially when they GET UP ON THEIR LEGS and run. :eek:

(Maybe I'd better stop reading this thread, I am freaking myself out!!!)