Doctors had to amputate her arms and limbs to save her life.
A woman in the US has shared a tragic story recounting how flu resulted in the loss of her four limbs in 2020 during the Covid pandemic. Typically, flu only lasts a few days, but in the case of Kristin Fox, it took a dangerous turn and changed her life forever. Speaking to Fox News, the 42-year-old mother and high-school principal in Ohio, revealed that she got a sore throat in March 2020, just a few days before the pandemic shut down the world. She tested positive for flu and her symptoms worsened over the next few days.
After her blood pressure and oxygen dropped to dangerously low levels, she was admitted to a hositial where she was put on life-support.
"I felt like I was dying," shared Ms Fox. "Within 30 minutes, I was on a ventilator, and they said I probably wouldn't make it," she said.
Notably, she had developed bacterial pneumonia, which was leading to organ failure. Her kidneys were failing and one of her lungs had collapsed.
She became septic and doctors had to put her in a medically-induced coma to administer vasopressor drugs in a bid to save her vital organs.
''The doctors told my family they should prepare for the loss of some fingers or toes because they were pulling so much from my extremities to try to keep my organs alive," Ms Fox added.
Eventually, doctors had to amputate her arms and limbs to save her life. She was brought out of her coma later and was discharged in May. ''They literally wrapped me like a mummy because I didn't want my kids to see — I hadn't told them yet about losing my arms and legs," she recalled.
She then went to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Rehabilitation Institute to start physical therapy. She completed six weeks of intense physical therapy, three hours per day. A few months later, she received prosthetics for her arms and legs, marking the beginning of a new journey.
Ms Fox, now a quadruple amputee, faces new challenges in navigating the world but is trying to embrace the new normal and get back to her life. She received support from her family, friends, and school motivated her to keep moving forward.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, at least 1.7 million adults in the U.S. develop sepsis, and nearly 270,000 die from the infection.