A mother-of-one has told of her horror after a “bad cold” left her in an induced coma with sepsis causing her hair to fall out.
Leah Denney, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, was an otherwise healthy adult.
But in late 2022, the now 28-year-old began to suffer from body aches, high fever, and had difficulty keeping food and liquids down.
Worried that cold medicines had failed to cure the infection, she went to an after-hours urgent care centre. However, she says she was told it was simply a urinary tract infection and was prescribed antibiotics.
At a second appointment, she was given more pills, despite severe stabbing pains in her chest and side, she says.
Leah Denney, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, was a generally healthy adult. But in late 2022, the 28-year-old began to suffer from body aches, a high temperature and was struggling to keep food and drink down.
Worried that cold medicines had failed to cure the infection, she went to an after-hours urgent care centre. However, she says she was told it was simply a urinary tract infection and was prescribed antibiotics.
At a second appointment, she was given more pills, even though she was experiencing sharp, stabbing pains in her chest and side, she says. It was only after going to the emergency room with a “gut feeling” that her cold was “something worse” that doctors discovered she was suffering from a combination of flu, strep A, pneumonia and a kidney infection that had led to sepsis.
It was only after going to the ER with a “gut feeling” that her cold was “something worse” that doctors discovered she was suffering from a combination of flu, strep A, pneumonia and a kidney infection that had led to sepsis.
Doctors drained 2.8 liters of fluid from her right lung and placed her in an induced coma for 12 days.
Ms Denney, mother of four-year-old Ralphie Denney, is now urging people not to ignore any worrying symptoms.
Recalling his ordeal, he said: ‘It was horrible. The thought of never waking up, of not being there for my son or my family, of never seeing myself again, was pretty terrifying.
‘Even now I think about it and it tears me apart to think of Ralphie leaving me and his last memory of me being sick on the couch.
‘It was the week before Christmas 2022 when it started and there were a lot of colds.
‘I felt generally unwell, I was cold and hot, had a runny nose, headaches and body aches. I thought it was a bad cold.
‘I had no appetite. I was resting and trying to drink fluids, but I was constantly vomiting and not getting better.
“It was really scary, I had never felt this bad before.”
After initially visiting the urgent care center for the second time, “I had a gut feeling, I wasn’t happy with what they told me, it seemed like something was worse,” Ms. Denney said.
‘The next day I begged my mother to take me to the emergency room and she told me that by now I looked like a zombie.
‘I was very emaciated and grey, I felt like I was dying.’
Doctors at Kettering General Hospital put her into a coma at 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day, she said.
“I don’t remember anything other than waking up on January 12th.”
Sepsis, nicknamed the “silent killer” because it is extremely difficult to recognise, kills nearly 50,000 Britons every year.
It occurs when the body’s immune system is overactivated, triggering a series of reactions that can lead to organ failure.
Bacterial infections are often the culprit, but viruses like Covid and flu (against which antibiotics don’t work) can also cause sepsis.
Early detection is key. In its early stages, it can cause chills, aches and pains and can be mistaken for the flu.
Suspected patients should receive antibiotics within one hour of arriving at the hospital.
Every hour of delay in diagnosis increases the risk of dying from sepsis by one to two per cent, estimates The UK Sepsis Trust.
But the after-effects suffered by survivors can be life-changing.
Former MP Craig Mackinlay, 57, received a warm welcome when he returned to Parliament in May, having lost his hands and feet after developing sepsis in September last year.
This caused her hair to fall out, the skin on her hands and feet to peel off “like a snake” and she began to suffer from joint pain and memory loss, something she still struggles with now.
Now Ms Denney is urging other Britons who are unhappy with their diagnosis to seek a second opinion and get any unusual symptoms checked out as soon as possible if they think something is not right.
Despite making a good physical recovery 18 months after her hospitalisation, Ms Denney says she soon began to suffer from post-epis syndrome (PSS).
He also suffered damage to his gum tissue, which left him with loose teeth, as well as to his ears and face.
Mr Craig decided to resign as MP in part, he said, because “it would be difficult to maintain the 70- to 80-hour work weeks that were the norm before my illness”.
Despite making a good physical recovery 18 months after her hospitalisation, Ms Denney says she soon began to suffer from post-sepsis syndrome (PSS).
This caused her hair to fall out, the skin on her hands and feet to peel off “like a snake” and she began to suffer from joint pain and memory loss, something she still struggles with now.
He added: ‘Medically, I improved very quickly when I woke up.
‘Post-sepsis symptoms appeared immediately: difficulty sleeping, lethargy, and a thick layer of skin on the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet began to peel immediately.
‘I was shedding my skin like a snake, it made me feel disgusting.
‘I have a lot of pain in my joints and muscles, even now I have problems with my ankles, knees, hips and wrists, I have never had these problems before.
‘Four months after I started losing my hair, I have alopecia areata, I’ve always had patches in the same places, I knew this was different because my hair was falling out in clumps.
‘It is a delayed response of the body to a trauma that has happened.
“I still have problems with my memory, I have to check my phone several times a day to remember what day it is, which is quite frustrating.”
Now Ms Denney is urging other Britons who are unhappy with their diagnosis to seek a second opinion and get any unusual symptoms checked as soon as possible if they think something is not right.
She said: ‘If you feel something is not right, get a second or third opinion.
Sepsis, nicknamed the “silent killer” because it is extremely difficult to recognise, kills almost 50,000 Britons every year. It occurs when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive, triggering a series of reactions that can lead to organ failure.
Former MP Craig Mackinlay, 57, received a warm welcome when he returned to Parliament in May, having lost his hands and feet after developing sepsis in September last year.
‘If I had stuck with the original diagnosis of a urinary tract infection, I would be dead.
“It’s all about trusting your intuition. You may feel like it’s a waste of time, but it will save your life.
‘I went to the doctor after hours twice and then went to the ER, where they detected it immediately.
‘If I can help save the life of someone who knows about sepsis and the things to look out for, then I feel satisfied knowing that happened.
“It’s very scary, you never think it’s going to happen to you.”