Kelsey Foster: Beauty influencer almost dies after she forgot to take tampon out

By William On Sep 6, 2023

A woman who nearly died after forgetting to remove her tampon wants her terrifying experience to serve as a warning to others.

Kelsey Foster, 29, has been using tampons since she first started her period and was unaware of the potentially deadly dangers associated with using them.

Although the beauty influencer had heard of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), she didn’t care much for the little printed warnings that come with women’s sanitary products.

One day, the woman from Newcastle went to the bathroom and felt something ‘pop’ out of her.

She initially thought it was a blood clot, which she is sensitive to, “but it was an old tampon,” she said. news.com.au.

Kelsey Foster (pictured), who nearly died of toxic shock syndrome after forgetting to remove a tampon, wants her terrifying experience to be a warning to others

Ms Foster, 29, had used tampons since she first started her period and was unaware of the potentially deadly dangers of using them

“I’m not sure how long it had been in me, but it must have been at least six weeks ago, because that’s when my last period was,” she said.

Ms. Forster says there needs to be a lot more awareness about TSS.

“It’s a fatal condition and your body can shut down in 24 to 48 hours. It’s not a joke,” she said.

“Toxic shock is real, deadly and much more common than we think.”

Ms. Foster suffers from several medical conditions, including gallbladder and liver problems and endometriosis, where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

She had recently been in and out of the hospital with her other ailments and initially thought the severe cramping she was experiencing was due to it – not realizing it was TSS.

The stress and lack of sleep caused by her other medical issues caused her to forget about the tampon, she thinks.

The businesswoman kept the tampon to show to her doctors, which allowed them to run tests and confirm that she was suffering from TSS.

The doctors told her she was lucky she didn’t die of the condition, she said.

She’s thankful she found the tampon or she might not have been there to tell the story.

Her advice to other women who use tampons is to learn about TSS and keep track of when they inserted the tampons. This could save their lives.

Ms Foster also had a very dangerous medical episode late last year when she was hospitalized in Bali with a leg injury that left her in a wheelchair.

She was enjoying the trip of a lifetime when she tore a ligament in her ankle after slipping on a tile in the infamous Legion Street shopping district.

Doctors told Ms. Foster (pictured) that she was lucky she didn’t die of Toxic Shock Syndrome

Ms Foster (pictured) also had a very dangerous medical episode late last year when she was admitted to Bali with a leg injury

Ms Forster (pictured) said there needs to be a lot more awareness about the dangers of TSS

The stress and lack of sleep caused by her other medical issues caused Ms Foster (pictured) to forget the tampon, she thinks

Shortly after the accident, she got a huge tattoo on her leg that got infected from her ankle injury.

Fortunately, Mrs. Foster had taken out travel insurance at the last minute before her trip.

“I got an emergency flight home in Business Class back to Australia. The tickets alone cost me over $4,000 + over $1,000 in meds and scans in Indonesia,” she said at the time.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Foster for further comment.

What is Toxic Shock Syndrome?

Toxic shock syndrome is a very dangerous bacterial infection, but it can be misdiagnosed because the symptoms are similar to those of other diseases and because the disease is so rare.

It occurs when usually harmless Staphylococcus aureus or streptococcal bacteria, which live on the skin, enter the bloodstream and release dangerous toxins.

The prevalence of TSS is unclear, but doctors say it affects about one or two in 100,000 women.

The mortality rate is between five and fifteen percent. And occurs again in 30 to 40 percent of cases.

The symptoms usually start with a sudden high fever – a temperature above 38.9°C.

Within a few hours, a patient will develop flu-like symptoms, including a headache, muscle aches, sore throat, and cough.

Nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, feeling faint, dizziness and confusion are also symptoms.

Women are most at risk of developing toxic shock syndrome during menstruation and especially if they use tampons, have recently given birth, or are using an internal barrier contraceptive such as a diaphragm.

Although tampon boxes recommend changing them between four and eight hours, it’s common for women to forget and leave them in overnight.

Treatment may include antibiotics to fight the infection, oxygen to help with breathing, fluids to prevent dehydration and organ damage, and medications to control blood pressure.

Dialysis may also be necessary if the kidneys stop functioning.

In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to remove dead tissue. In rare cases, it may be necessary to amputate the affected area.

To prevent TSS, women should use tampons with the lowest absorbency, alternate tampon and pad use, and wash their hands before and after insertion.

Tampons should also be changed regularly, as directed on the package — usually every four to eight hours.