Young mum almost died from flesh-eating bug she caught – while playing DODGEBALL
Lesley Kane, 35, was hit by a ball and the impact caused a tiny graze on her left chest, triggering a horrific chain of events
A YOUNG mum was almost killed by a flesh-eating bug – which she caught while playing DODGEBALL.
Lesley Kane, 35, from Stonehaven, was hit by a ball, which caused a tiny graze on her chest.
She initially felt groggy but only four days later she was rushed to hospital with little more than a 12-hour window to save her life.
Doctors discovered she was suffering from sepsis and a bacterial infection called Necrotising fasciitis - a deadly flesh-eating bug.
Lesley was taken into intensive care and underwent a series of operations to remove her left breast, as well as parts of her torso and back.
The brave mum-of-two thankfully fought her way back from the brink of death but says she is still struggling to recover six months on.
She said: "I was having flu symptoms but thought I could sleep them off. Just a few days later I was in hospital fighting for my life.
"The doctors tried to establish what was wrong with me. They knew it was blood poisoning but they didn't know what was causing it.
"After various tests and scans, they realised that I had contracted that bacteria.
"I think they worked out that the only place where there was an injury was a mark to my chest. It was bruised but there was no obvious injury.
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"I am assuming they knew there was a graze there. It was so small that I hadn't noticed it.
"When I think about it, it was my flesh rotting. I was being killed by a flesh-eating bug.
"My body was shutting down at this point. The doctors said there was a 12-hour window and that if they did not operate I was going to die."
And now she’s described her horrific ordeal.
Lesley said: "I was pretty much out of it. They hooked me up to drips and medicine and gave me whatever they could to keep me comfortable.
"They operated on me before midnight.
"They removed part of my chest, they cut a T-shape from shoulder to shoulder and then removed my left breast, part of my torso and my side down to my hip.
"My husband said I had four operations over 24 hours to remove the bacteria."
Lesley was in intensive care for nine days battling for her life and finally awoke on August 15.
Remembering the moment she rose from her sleep, she said: "A week of my life was gone. I was still heavily sedated but there wasn't much going through my head from what I remember.
"I just remember that I wasn't surprised that it was my left side and it was the breast cause that was one of my last memories that they were scanning my chest.
"I knew that if there was something wrong, that that was the problem.
"But I didn't know what I had or what I'd done.
"I think my initial surprise was that I'd been asleep for so long. To find out that it was over a week was quite shocking.
"It was just my husband that was there when I woke up. He never left my side."
Due to the complicated operations and damage to her tissue, Lesley was then transferred from the MCH Westeinde in Den Hague to the Dutch Burn Centre in Beverwijk.
She was forced to spend two months in medical care.
Lesley said she had to relearn basic day-to-day activities such as walking, writing, and even brushing her teeth.
Lesley said she wants to share the story about her incredible fight in a bid to warn others that even the slightest health issues can develop into serious conditions.
She added: "My message to other would be 'don't ever take life for granted'.
"I was always the type of person that thought you would get through anything. What started off as what I thought was a cold or flu was a lot worse than it was.
"People should always get themselves checked if they have health issues -- no matter how little they are."
Lesley's friends have to help her with recovery, hospital fees, physio, and reconstruction options.
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