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Girl who left tampon in for 9 days left fighting for life
Quote:
Student who left a tampon in for NINE DAYS is left fighting for her life after developing toxic shock syndrome
Emily Pankhurst had a bloated stomach but thought it was due to stress
Developed a rash and began slurring her words and was rushed to hospital
Doctors said she had blood poisoning due to deadly toxic shock syndrome
Was in intensive care for 3 days and temporarily lost her mobility
A student who blamed feeling bloated and under the weather on stress was actually suffering from deadly toxic shock syndrome after forgetting to remove a tampon for nine days.
Emily Pankhurst, 20, ignored her symptoms as she was busy studying for her final university exams.
But one day she realised she had accidentally left a tampon in for more than a week, which was entirely black when she removed it.
A few hours later she became faint, began to slur her words and her skin became mottled, so her mother immediately called an ambulance.
In intensive care, doctors said she was suffering blood poisoning as a result of toxic shock syndrome, a life-threatening infection caused by the tampon.
They gave her antibiotics and managed to save her life - but Miss Pankhurst temporarily lost her mobility and is still unable to walk long distances.
Describing the moment she realised she had left a tampon in for nine days, she said: 'When I finally realised, I pulled it out it was pure black.
'I wouldn't have known what it was apart from the string. It was horrible. I immediately chucked it in the loo, I felt sick.'
Miss Pankhurst, who is studying criminology at the University of Canterbury, originally inserted the tampon during her period last month.
But due to the stress of her upcoming exams, she forgot to remove it - and inserted another one instead.
After a few days she began to suffer bloody discharge and a bloated stomach, and then started to feel hot and unwell.
Her mother Diana urged her to go to the doctor, who took tests but couldn't find anything wrong.
Miss Pankhurst said: 'I was feeling really ill by that stage. I was hot and dizzy and felt really strange.
'I was bleeding more and my mum suggested I feel about and see if there was anything there.'
After a shower Emily managed to find the errant tampon that was still inside her.
'I thought it was disgusting to be honest,' she said. 'But I also thought once I'd removed it, I would feel better.'
However, her mother– having heard about toxic shock syndrome – recommended she call the NHS helpline.
An adviser told her to monitor how she felt - but within a few hours her condition had deteriorated.
Miss Pankhurst said: 'I was sat in the dark. I can't remember much, but mum said I kept repeating, "I feel ill – my stomach".
'My speech slurred and my skin became mottled. I started to feel faint and I was rushed to hospital by ambulance.
'During the journey they said I was displaying all the symptoms of sepsis [blood poisoning] and so the blue lights were put on. I became an emergency case.
'I know now that was the poison entering my blood stream.'
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