These spiders are usually harmless, yet this 31-year-old is lucky to have survived

Nov 15, 2012 14:37 GMT  ·  By

Not very long ago, one 31-year-old woman from Surrey almost died after a run-off-the-mill house spider bit her by the arm.

Although these arachnids are usually harmless, Natalie Hemme ended up developing a so-called Compartment Syndrome, meaning that her arm swelled up and she had to be rushed to the hospital.

This is because the spider's bite translated into the woman's developing septicemia, which could have led to her dying shortly after, had the doctors not administered antibiotics as soon as possible.

“It was agony. I was lucky to survive. You'd expect it in Australia – but not in Surrey,” the woman told members of the press.

Because the woman's arm muscles and nerves were damaged beyond repair, doctors also had to remove some of her flesh and then used tissue taken from her leg to rebuild the arm.

Presently, Natalie Hemme is undergoing physiotherapy, but her arm might never fully recover.