Deborah Usher was experiencing what she thought were flu symptoms but they continued to get worse until she was unable to talk or walk normally. In fact, this mother of one child became so sick that the doctors put her in an induced coma and told her family to prepare for the worst.
When Deborah woke one week later from the coma, she didn’t remember anything about what had happened. What she did wake up to was a rare and extremely dangerous condition that took control of her life. It also wiped her memory, including the memories of her young son.
Over the course of 5 years, her memory has gradually returned. Her story is a powerful message that should be shared with women everywhere.
This is Deborah Usher.
She was 27 years old in 2011 and was a hotel manager and a healthy mother. She lived in Porthmadog, Wales.
In August of that year, she came down with symptoms that she thought was from the flu. Within a few days, they rushed her to the hospital because the symptoms had gotten very bad. Suddenly, she was unable to walk or talk properly.
Deborah had developed toxic shock syndrome from using super-absorbent tampons.
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) may be rare, but it is a condition that could cause fatalities. It results from the bacterium, “staphylococcus aureus,” which gets into the bloodstream.
This condition is more likely to happen with super-absorbent tampon use, although it could occur to anyone.
The doctors put Deborah into a medically induced coma. Two different times they tried to wake her but it didn’t work.
The family was prepared for the worst as she was placed on life support.
Deborah woke from a coma one week later but she was severely limited. She couldn’t function properly, including being unable to feed herself. She also started losing her hair.
It took two full months for her to learn to walk again. She also suffered from memory loss and started forgetting things just weeks after they took place.
She also forgot memories of Christmas, which was her son’s favorite holiday. Even after four years have gone by, she still struggles to put the memories together again. Not even family photos could bring them back.
Deborah says that TSS has taken over her life.
“It’s like having a permanent hangover every day where you have memory blanks and your head feels funny.”
Deborah’s memory is finally getting better. For the first time in years, she remembers her son’s birthday. Now she is hoping she remembers Christmas.
“I was determined to get better for Joshua, he’s my world and he needed his mummy back.”
She has vowed that she will not use tampons again.
It is possible to reduce your risk of TSS by alternating tampons with externally worn pads. You may also benefit from using a tampon with the minimum absorbency needed for your flow. If you have ever been diagnosed with TSS, avoid tampon usage.
Via: Little Things
Be sure to share this with your friends on Facebook