I was bitten on the leg by one three years ago in the UK. At first I only had a small, raised bite mark, which went away after a week of applying some antiseptic cream. Then, one morning a few weeks later, I woke up with an *extremely* painful leg and could not put any weight on it.

My wife took me to the local hospital and I was admitted with an infected wound and put straight onto IV antibiotics and a heart monitor. I spent a month in intensive care while the doctors worked to find an antibiotic that was effective against the infection, all the time I was on Oxycontin for the pain.

The leg suffered nerve and muscle damage and I had a large ulcer that took a year to heal. At one point there was talk of plastic surgery. I was never told directly I might need an amputation, but looking at the pictures, that could well have been the outcome if the damage got worse. My leg was in bandages for a year and was cleaned & redressed 2-3 times a week at a local clinic.

I had to learn to walk again, starting with a frame and then onto crutches. My leg is now healed, but looks like it has had chunks carved out of it in both the upper and lower sections, and I can sometimes be unsteady on my feet due to the effects of the nerve and muscle damage.

Several other people in the UK have also reacted badly to false widow bites and lost fingers or needed skin grafts.

Pro tip: If you think you have been bitten by a false widow, have it checked out.