I thought I’d lose my hand after tiny spot made my finger feel like it was going to EXPLODE – then I found out the truth
A WOMAN nearly lost her hand after believing she had a spot on her finger – but the reality was far worse.
Crystal Rudd was in so much pain she felt her finger was going to explode, but it took professionals days to uncover the problem – a False Widow spider bite.
The 28-year-old was eventually rushed to hospital when the swelling had reached her arm and she was unable to dress herself.
Days before, she had seen what she believed to be a pimple, and popped it with a sterilised pin.
However, the mum-of-three quickly experienced extreme pain and took herself to A&E – where professionals told her it was most likely a horsefly bite.
Crystal, from Spalding, Lincolnshire, said: “The pain began to become excruciating.
“It began to grow bigger and bigger.
“I was prescribed stronger antibiotics but the pain was so bad that I couldn’t bend my knuckles properly and it was too painful to look after my children.”
The stay-at-home mum even had to enlist the help of her eldest child to get dressed as it was impossible to move her hand at all.
She explained the pain had travelled to her elbow, and her entire arm felt like a pulled muscle.
“My finger where I was bit, it was angry red and very tight it felt like my finger was going to split open”, she continued.
“It felt like my finger was going to explode”, she added.
Unable to stand the agony much longer, husband Stephen, 25, rushed his wife to Peterborough City Hospital.
At first, the couple were told to go home with stronger antibiotics, after a nurse claimed the wound seemed to be improving.
Crystal explained: “I was in shock I didn’t know what to do.
“I wanted the pain to stop and I felt I wanted to cut my finger off to help as it was so tight and swollen.
“I asked if I could have someone else look.”
ANSWERS
Fortunately, one eagle-eyed doctor did take a second look and ordered further investigation.
Blood tests and X-rays soon revealed the true cause of Crystal’s pain – a False Widow spider bite.
“On the ward I had a doctor speak to me and he said ‘that looks like a False Widow spider bite’,” the 28-year-old said.
“He said he doesn’t mess about and gets things done”, she continued.
“He said I would have an operation, they wanted to cut from my knuckle to just past the bite to clean it and remove the infection and around the knuckle join.”
Crystal was released a few days after the surgery but still doesn’t have mobility in her bandaged hand.
The mum-of-three said she could need physio for her finger in the future.
She explained: “In recovery I woke for pain relief it felt horrible but when back on the ward I felt relief and I was glad it was done and the pain in arm, elbow had gone.
“I saw my finger I felt sick and was shocked how bad it looked.”
She warned others to be careful around spiders to prevent the same horror happening to someone else.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to have to go through what I did being in that pain,” she said.
“Not being able to get dressed, cook, I wasn’t able to mother my children.
“I went to A&E very early on when I noticed in two days but some people may not and go for even longer than I did.
“People need to be vigilant.”
How to spot a spider bite
Identifying a spider bite can be easier if you see the spider, but you may not notice until hours later - here's what to look out for.
- swelling
- a red welt
- skin damage
- any troubling symptoms that accompany the bite
Other possible symptoms that may occur:
- itching or rash
- pain around the area of the bite
- muscle pain or cramping
- a red or purplish blister
- sweating
- difficulty breathing
- headache
- nausea and vomiting
- fever
- chills
- anxiety or restlessness
- rashes
- swollen lymph glands
- high blood pressure
Source, healthline.com