NEED TO KNOW
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A woman thought her health issues were tied to a stomach bug, and doctors thought it was an autoimmune disease, but it was actually sepsis and toxic shock syndrome (TSS)
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“I could barely hold my 18-month-old son because I was so weak,” Audrey Leishman recalled
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She has since created a foundation to spread awareness about the health issues
A Virginia Beach woman thought she had a stomach bug, and doctors thought she had an autoimmune disease. It ended up being something much deadlier.
Audrey Leishman started experiencing symptoms of what she initially thought was an upset stomach a couple of days after having her Intrauterine Device (IUD) removed in March 2015, according to the nonprofit Sepsis Alliance.
“I underwent an IUD removal in hopes of trying for another baby shortly after,” Leishman, 42, recalled. “Two days later, I started my first period in 18 months and resumed tampon use. That Friday evening, I slept with one as I had done several times in the past.”
The next day, the mom-of-three said she started feeling unwell, experiencing stomach cramps and “severe pain in my right elbow and left big toe,” along with a high fever, nosebleeds, diarrhea and shortness of breath.
“I could barely hold my 18-month-old son because I was so weak. My temperature was 102°F,” said Leishman.
Audrey Leishman.
Credit: Audrey Leishman/Instagram
She eventually went to urgent care, where doctors initially thought she had some form of an autoimmune disease, Fox News reported.
“I actually thought I was going a little bit crazy … I hadn’t injured myself. I was really confused as to what was going on,” said Leishman. “They took a very long time to figure out what was going wrong with me.”
“They kept testing me for different things,” she continued. “Eventually, they admitted me, and I was in the ICU for a total of 10 days — five of which were in a medically induced coma.”
Audrey Leishman
Credit: Audrey Leishman/Instagram
Leishman was eventually diagnosed with sepsis and toxic shock syndrome (TSS), per the Sepsis Alliance.
Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that harms the immune system, tissues and organs. It can lead to organ failure or death if not treated urgently, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
TSS, per the Mayo Clinic, is a rare complication that comes about due to certain types of bacterial infections.
“I had never heard of sepsis, and I realized that was why I almost died,” Leishman told Fox News. “If I had known what the symptoms were and what to look out for, I would have sought treatment earlier.”
“When I finally did wake up [from the coma], it was quite the process of relearning how to walk again, dealing with at-home physical therapy and being on a peripherally inserted central catheter,” she continued.
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After realizing how little is known about sepsis, Leishman created the Begin Again Foundation alongside her husband, Marc Leishman, to spread awareness about the health problems.
“In a time when people are struggling, if I can help ease that burden … so they can focus more on the recovery,” she said, adding: “It is my absolute passion and honor to continue to do that. And that is the main focus of the organization.”
Read the original article on People