A woman from Texas has shared a cautionary story after a single mistake at a friend’s wedding led to her hospitalization and a battle for her life.
In September, Ashley DeSkeere woke up feeling extremely cold and was vomiting every half hour.
The 43-year-old initially thought she had contracted a stomach virus from the wedding she attended two days earlier, as reported by the DailyMail.
However, after three days, her blood pressure plummeted, and she found it difficult to breathe, prompting her to rush to the hospital.
Doctors quickly diagnosed the teacher with toxic shock syndrome caused by a tampon.
Toxic shock syndrome, TSS, is a rare but potentially fatal condition resulting from toxins in the body.
It is commonly linked to tampon use during menstruation. Although it occurs in only 1 out of every 100,000 individuals, it can lead to organ damage, shock, and even death in up to 70% of cases, according to the CDC.
“I was very scared. I told my husband that I thought I was dying. I have never felt so awful in my entire life,” DeSkeere recalled, as reported by the DailyMail.
“I will never use a tampon again. This absolutely terrified me, and I can’t believe it happened. There’s no way I would do it again.”
The mother of three informed her doctors that she had gone eight hours without changing her tampon while at the wedding, which was unusual for her.
“I usually change them every four hours, even at night,” she said. “For something like this to happen to me, eight hours just doesn’t seem like enough.”
“Multiple doctors told me I was very lucky to have made it to the hospital, as most people die after two days with this condition, and I was on day two-and-a-half,” she shared with the outlet.
“I was told that I arrived just in time because if I had come in any later, they might not have been able to help me. It’s one of those things you don’t think will happen to you, and you don’t hear about it as much these days.”
At the hospital, DeSkeere spent five days in the ICU, receiving antibiotics, fluids, and other medications to stabilize her blood pressure.
Her loved ones have set up a GoFundMe account to support her recovery after this “extremely scary and dangerous situation.”
Furthermore, DeSkeere, who is committed to using different sanitary products in the future, is spreading a warning to those who opt for tampons.
Olekanma Favour is a resourceful, self-motivated, and result-driven writer with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and insightful content. She loves tackling complex topics and weaving engaging stories.
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