Posted on 05/21/2010 12:52:56 PM PDT by Willie Green
PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. -- A Paulding County woman is recovering from major surgery after being bitten by a brown recluse spider at her home.
“I would have never known in a million years that a spider could ever do this much damage,” said Victoria Franklin.
Franklin was at WellStar Windy Hill Hospital Friday morning, recovering from an April mastectomy.
“I didn’t flip out over that. I was glad to be alive,” she said of her surgery.
She found out she lost her left breast when the hospital staff told her after she woke up from an 11-day coma.
“She said, ‘You’re in ICU and you’ve lost your breast from a spider bite.’ I said, ‘What?!,’” said Franklin.
Doctors told her she’d been bitten by a brown recluse spider. Franklin said she first noticed lumps on her breast on Easter Sunday but didn’t think much of it. As the days progressed, she began to feel much worse. By Friday, she couldn’t take the pain anymore.
“My breast had turned black and it got so big, I couldn’t even fit it in my bra,” said Franklin. “I woke up in excruciating pain and the smell was so strong I couldn’t do anything but call my friend and say, ‘Please come get me,’” said Franklin.
She got to the emergency room but the gangrene had already set it and the breast and muscle had to be removed.
Doctors identified the brown recluse spider as the culprit.
Franklin will undergo breast reconstructive surgery. She will also have to learn to walk again.
She urged others to head to the doctor at the first sign of a bite instead of waiting like she did.
Got bit a few years back in Long Island while visiting relatives. Slept in an unused guest room.
At first I thought it was a mosquito bite, but it very quickly changes. My doc told me I was hours away from losing my leg. Instead I got a huge chunk taken out of my hip due to tissue necrosis. Its kind of an exponential progression.
Fortuantely for me I got back a lot of the removed tissue, but I still have a nasty scar and some neurologic pain now and again.
Spider ping.
No. I'm in Ill. I got bit on the forearm while removing ceder shingles. They like places like that, thus the name. Didn't know it until later. Luckily I seem to have a great immune system, it was still pretty ugly and I have a small scar.
Tore down a fence next to a wood pile. Must have been in there somewhere. Of course I was wearing shorts :>)
Breasts aren’t genitals.
The worst part was I had a relapse and had to go back in. The doctor told me if that round didn't work I would lose my leg. Uggghhh.
I don’t see how you could wait to get medical attention until your breast swelled up and turned black. I just don’t. I mean, ordinarily I’d be thrilled if my breast swelled up, but pain and ugly colors, no.
I thought they had a fiddle shaped mark on their back. I remember seeing on on the Natchez Trace north of Jackson, MS.
I was at Ft. Bragg getting ready to go to Europe when I got nailed with mine. When I said my left arm looked like Popeye, that was not an exaggeration. My forearm was swollen up to at least twice its normal size...probably closer to 3x. Fortunately, I sought medical attention at the TMC when I first noticed the symptoms. The PA got a bed pan and I couldn’t believe how much puss and who knows what he drained from it. The swelling was so bad the docs were worried it was going to cut off circulation to my hand, and I had to stop wearing my watch because the strap wasn’t long enough to go around my wrist.. You could squeeze my forearm and it would leave a deep impression of your fingers for several minutes afterward like a lump of clay.
I think I would have gone to the doctor after a few lumps appeared, as that would be unusual. I can’t believe she waited till the gangrene set in.
Must have been a black widower.
Waited a little long to seek medical attention.
The bite of this spider causes a painful redness and blistering which progresses to a gangrenous slough of the affected area. Seek immediate medical attention.Oils from God
Blends: Purification, Thieves, Inner Defense, Pan Away
Spider Bite blend: 1 drop lavender, 1 drop wintergreen, 1 drop Melrose
Application: NEAT (no added oil for dilution), 1 drop of any of the above blends every 10 minutes until you reach professional medical treatment.
Plantain is the folk remedy of long standing. A poultice.
Well look at Mr. Big Brain there.
My sister went out to her garden one summer night to check out something. Unfortunately, she went barefoot and felt a slight bite. Soon, her leg was swelling and she was hospitalized. One doctor felt that the leg needed to be amputated and made plans accordingly. Then, another physician took a different tack and began another treatment. The treatment was successful and the leg was not amputated and she is fine today.
But my sister is scared to death of brown recluse spiders and it bothers her to know that at any given time one is just a few yards away from one, inside a house or out.
In the southern United States.
My mother has her house treated and it's gotten better but it's just habit for me.
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