Lafayette woman suffers painful effects from spider bite

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A Lafayette woman is thankful her leg didn't have to be amputated after being bit by a spider in her sleep. Now she's sharing her story so other people are more aware of the dangers of brown recluse spiders.

"When I woke up, I thought it was just a bug bite but then it started getting bigger and the pus started coming," said Elizabeth Matthews.

For now, Matthews is stuck in a Lafayette rehabilitation center. She hopes some day soon, she can walk without pain. She's been wheelchair-bound for more than two weeks and it's all because of a spider bite.
    
On Oct. 18, a brown recluse spider bit her on the leg while she was sleeping. When the bite started swelling, she went to the doctor, where the wound was popped and she was given antibiotics.

But it kept growing and doubled in size in roughly 24 hours. Therefore, she went to the hospital where doctors brought her immediately into surgery.

"They removed the dead tissue because the venom from the spider killed the tissues," Matthews said.

While connected to a wound pump, Matthews said she's still in a lot of pain. And Purdue Insect Diagnostician Dr. Tim Gibb said he's not surprised. He said the spider's venom eats away at cell tissue and a bite should be taken very seriously.

"There have been instances where amputation has been required because of brown recluse bites," Gibb said.

Gibb said brown recluse spiders are one of the few spiders that will actually bite people. He said they get their name from being reclusive, or hermit-like.

Gibb said brown recluse spiders are often identified by their brown color, 3/4-inch length, and one other distinguishing characteristic.

"What we use as a character to identify the spider is a violin shape on the back of the head," said Gibb.

Gibb said to avoid a brown recluse spider bite, check shoes and clothing before putting them on. Also, be on the look out in garages, basements, or any other place where it's quiet and dry. As for Matthews' case, if you wake up to bug bite that keeps getting worse, get it checked out immediately by a doctor.