A teacher in Texas nearly died from a rare bacterial infection she contracted after leaving her tampon in for too long.
Ashley DeSkeere, 43, woke up one morning last month with “significant chills” and intense waves of nausea, and was vomiting every half hour.
At first, he thought he had contracted a common stomach virus at a family wedding he attended two days earlier. But within three days, his blood pressure plummeted and he had trouble breathing.
The mother-of-three rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered she had developed a one-in-100,000 condition called toxic shock syndrome (TSS), which was caused by keeping her tampon in for eight hours during the wedding.
Ashley DeSkeere, 43, suffered vomiting and breathing difficulties after attending a wedding with her husband and children (pictured)
Ms. DeSkeere, a teacher in Texas, was diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome, a one-in-100,000 bacterial infection, from leaving her tampon in for eight hours. Here it appears connected to six different antibiotics.
Mrs DeSkeere, who was told she was “lucky” to be alive, is now warning other women to change their tampons regularly to avoid the deadly infection, or avoid sanitary products altogether.
She said: ‘I was very scared. I told my husband I thought I was dying. I had never felt so bad in my entire life.
“I will never use a tampon again. This absolutely terrified me and I can’t believe it happened and there is no way I would have done it.”
TSS is a rare but life-threatening infection caused by toxins produced by bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (staph) and group A streptococcus (streptococcus).
Leaving tampons in the vagina for long periods of time while a woman is menstruating can create a warm environment, which encourages the growth of bacteria found in menstrual blood.
Tampons, especially super absorbent ones, can stick to the vaginal walls, causing small abrasions where bacteria can seep and then enter the bloodstream.
However, about half of TSS cases are due to factors other than tampons, including wounds or skin infections.
In some cases, swimming in contaminated water with an open wound could cause TSS.
The condition kills between three and seven in 10 patients, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Mrs. DeSkeere’s doctors began to suspect TSS when they realized she had just finished her monthly menstrual cycle.
She told doctors that the only thing she used during her period was tampons and that the longest she had used one was eight hours at the wedding.
She said: ‘I normally change them every four hours and at night.
“For something like this to happen to me, eight hours doesn’t seem like enough.”
The FDA recommends changing tampons every four to eight hours and using the lowest absorbency tampons possible to reduce risk, as well as only using one tampon during menstruation.
Mrs. DeSkeere was admitted to the intensive care unit for five days, where doctors had to give her up to six different intravenous antibiotics to clear the infection from her body.
Standard treatment is antibiotics, as well as fluids and medications to stabilize blood pressure.
She said: “Several doctors told me I was very lucky to get to hospital as most people die after two days (with this), and I was on day two and a half.”
‘They told me that I arrived at the right time because if I arrived later they might not have been able to do anything for me.
“It’s one of those things that you don’t think will happen to you and that you don’t hear much about these days.”
Mrs. DeSkeere, pictured recovering at home, spent five days in the intensive care unit recovering from a near-fatal infection.
The mother of three now warns other women to change their tampons frequently or look for alternative sanitary products.
Little is known about the long-term effects of TSS and most women make a full recovery. However, some reports point to mental and emotional problems such as difficulty concentrating and muscle weakness.
TSS has not been shown to affect fertility or reproductive health.
Although she had used tampons for 25 years, Ms. DeSkeere now chooses to use other sanitary products to avoid TSS.
She said: “For people who want to use tampons, my advice is to change them very frequently.”
‘My advice would be to change your tampon every time you go to the bathroom and never use one that has higher absorbency than necessary.
‘I’m just grateful to be where I am today and to get better. It’s been a tough recovery and harder than I thought, but I’m getting better and better every day.’
Mrs. DeSkeere’s treatment was extensive and included cultures, blood tests, fluids, imaging, and multiple antibiotics. Now, her loved ones are raising money to help her pay for her medical expenses through GoFundMe.