I made a mistake at my friend’s wedding that caused my organs to fail
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 “major chills” and intense waves of nausea, vomiting every half hour.
Initially, she thought she had contracted a regular stomach flu during a family wedding she attended two days earlier. But within three days her blood pressure plummeted and she 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), caused by keeping her tampon in for eight hours during the wedding.
Ashley DeSkeere, 43, suffered from vomiting and breathing difficulties after attending a wedding with her husband and children (pictured here)
Ms. DeSkeere, a teacher from Texas, was diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome, a bacterial infection that occurs one in 100,000, after leaving her tampon in for eight hours. She is pictured here hooked up to six different antibiotics
Ms 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 towel products altogether.
She said: ‘I was very scared. I told my husband I thought I was dying. I’ve never felt so terrible in my entire life.
‘I will never use a tampon again. This absolutely scared me and I can’t believe it happened and there was no way I would do it.”
TSS is a rare but life-threatening infection due to toxins produced by bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (staph) and group A streptococci (streptococci).
Leaving tampons in the vagina for extended periods of time while a woman is menstruating can create a warm environment, which encourages the growth of bacteria in menstrual blood.
Tampons, especially super-absorbent tampons, can stick to the vaginal walls, causing small abrasions that bacteria can seep into and then enter the bloodstream.
However, about half of TSS cases are due to factors other than tampons, including skin wounds or infections.
In some cases, swimming in contaminated water with an open wound can lead to TSS.
According to Cleveland Clinic, the condition kills anywhere from three to seven in 10 patients.
Ms. DeSkeere’s doctors began to suspect TSS when they realized she had just ended her monthly menstrual cycle.
She told doctors that she only wore tampons during her period, and that the longest she had ever worn them was eight hours at the wedding.
She said: ‘I usually change them every four hours and overnight.
“If something like this were to happen to me, eight hours doesn’t seem like enough.”
The FDA recommends changing tampons every four to eight hours and using tampons with the lowest possible absorbency to reduce the risk, and only using a tampon during menstruation.
Ms. DeSkeere was admitted to the intensive care unit for five days, where doctors had to give her six different intravenous antibiotics to rid her body of the infection.
Antibiotics, as well as fluids and medications to stabilize blood pressure, are the standard treatment.
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.
‘I was told I came in at the right time because if I came in later they might not have been able to do anything for me.
“It’s one of those things you think won’t happen to you and you don’t hear about that often these days.”
Ms DeSkeere, pictured here recovering at home, spent five days in intensive care recovering from the near-fatal infection
The mother of three is now warning other women to change their tampons often or look for alternative sanitary pad products
Little is known about the long-term effects of TSS, and most women recover completely. However, some reports indicate mental and emotional problems such as concentration problems 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: ‘To people who want to use tampons, my advice is to change them very often.
‘My advice would be to change your tampon every time you go to the toilet and never wear a tampon that has a higher absorbency than you need.
“I’m just grateful to be where I am and that I’m getting better. It was a tough recovery and harder than I thought it would be, but every day I’m getting better and better.”
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 pay for her medical expenses GoFundMe.