Georgia Man Gets Bitten by Brown Recluse Spider — and Almost Loses His Leg: 'Very Lucky'

A singer from the Metro Atlanta area is recovering after he was bitten by a brown recluse spider and nearly lost one of his legs. 

Gabe Lustman recently spent five days in the hospital after suddenly noticing the painful spider bite on his leg, according to ABC affiliate WSB-TV and FOX affiliate WAGA-TV.

The 30-year-old musician told CBS News that his “whole leg was starting to swell up” and was turning “nasty colors” as a result of the “little” bite. Red streaks, similar in appearance to scratch marks, also appeared.

"I thought it was fluid retention or something," Lustman told WAGA-TV. "It got to the point where I couldn't walk, I couldn't eat, [and] I was nauseous."

So Lustman sought medical treatment at Wellstar North Fulton in Roswell, per the outlet. There, he learned that he was bitten by a brown recluse spider.

"I came in at a very, very lucky time," the musician told CBS News. "Because if I didn't, I could have lost my leg."

Lustman received treatment for an infection that started in his ankle and subsequently “spread up my leg and into my blood stream,” according to a post he shared on his Instagram page.

Lustman waited 48 hours before he chose to seek treatment for the bite, CBS News reported.

Doctors later informed the musician that the infection could spread uncontrollably had he waited another 24 to 48 hours to seek medical assistance.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Luckily, doctors were able to treat the injury in enough time to save his leg.

Lustman still isn’t sure when or where he was bitten, according to WSB-TV and CBS News. He has since left the hospital, but is still not back to full strength.

"I can walk again, but when I touch my leg, if I bump it or something, it's still painful," he told CBS News.

Many of the symptoms Lustman experienced are listed by the Cleveland Clinic as classic signs of a brown recluse spider bite. Bites typically go unnoticed at first, the Clinic says, “because its bite is painless.”

Bites typically heal after about three weeks, though some can take several months to heal if “the skin around the ulcer breaks down” and creates a wound.

“If the wound is left untreated, the wound could result in an infection or scarring,” the Cleveland Clinic says.