I was wondering only yesterday how you were getting on.......that wound still looks grim but it must be heaps better than it was.

Grim? I'm DELIGHTED with it! I've purposely not posted any of the vomit inducing pics of it when it was at its multi coloured necrotic worst! I've been very lucky I could have lost a finger or two or even my hand apparently!

*I suppose it looks lovely to me comparing it with what was revealed under the dressings every day at the doc's.

I have absolute trust in my Greek doc and he is pleased with it too.

I think I should stop putting cortisone based healing cream on it now and perhaps switch to a good non perfume hand cream. As overuse of those cort ones can result in thinning of the skin apparently. But it is still all very 'thick and leathery' and I do tend to 'overheal' once I get healing - usually have keloid scarring probs on account of that.

It was a huge wound at the height of the 'danger period' and if you'd asked me then I would have said it would NEVER look as good as it does now.

Tough old bird - deadly spiders bite me and they drop dead (well at least I am hoping that that's what happened to this one - they only bite if you 'press or lean' on them - I'm hoping that I pressed or leaned on it hard enough to kill it AFTER it bit me!)

Good grief, you were so so lucky really weren't you because it sounds as if it could have been even worse than it already was.

It must be quite a difficult decision - whether to switch from cortisone cream to normal for the very reason that you said, but on balance I would probably opt for the switch because of the healing delay thing. You must want it to be over and done with now you poor thing.

I bet no spiders get a sympathetic lift outside anymore in your world, unless it is on the end of your boot!

Family in Canada were terrified of spiders when they came here, and seeing their scars and deep holes eaten by necrosis I understood.

They taught me to shake everything out before moving

No free health care there, clearly

Well if you go for residency there is a sort of public health care (think it's sort of means tested). And the equivalent of GPs at the old hospital. But the waits for all tests etc are very long.

I'm registered in the UK, my earnings are generated in the UK (remote worker for UK employer) my pensions are paid in the UK and I pay my tax etc in the UK (and here as well on any savings here).

There are excellent private clinics and surgeries. You don't get doctors who see you 'for everything'. They specialise and you see the one who specialises in whatever your problem is - gastric, skin, neurological, whatever.

The cost for private medical services and appointments here is very reasonable indeed. And the clinics are very modern.

Few examples - last time I took myself and my daughter along for breast screening, with a full checkover for her too I think the whole bill was less than £200 - state of the art women's clinic and all most modern equipment.

When I needed a radiologist for kidney scans a while back the cost was under €80 - again in a top flight clinic specialising in just that and your results are printed off and bound into a folder with the photographs and full report while you wait.

The cost for an initial appointment at the doc is €40 after that every appointment was €20.

Best thing of all is you phone and are seen the next day usually. Oh and of course you get to CHOOSE which doctors/clinics/specialists you see - no question of being restricted to your area or being 'registered' with one. You can see as many as you like.

In the case of the doc - you can just wander in and they will usually see you as soon as they are free. Same for the clinics that do the blood checks etc - my daughter in law has to use those when here (she is on warfarin) they take your blood and you get full reports before the close of day.

Now DENTISTS! Well that's another matter. I will be digging into my piggybank to pay the Dentist next week! But still probably cheaper than private dentist costs in the UK.

I've only been in the public hospitals here twice in 6 yrs or so. First time was for emergency burst appendix and they took very good care of me (my own room!)

And last time to the A&E initially with this spider bite because it was late at night at the weekend. All I will say is this - if I can possibly avoid doing so I will never go to the overstretched A&E again!

Unfortunately I'd just got a new phone and none of my numbers had been transferred to it and EVERYONE was screaming at me to get to the hospital without delay as minutes and hours are crucial with nasty spider bites. Oh and I wasn't thinking very straight either at the time! Just called a cab and headed for the hosp.