A MUM-OF-ONE has told how she was just minutes away from death after she contracted a deadly flesh-eating bug while undergoing liposuction.
Jayney Nascimento, 48, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, borrowed £20,000 from her mum for the operation in June 2017 with the hope of getting skinnier legs.
But after the procedure Jayney caught necrotising fasciitis, a type of flesh-eating bug.
She was left fighting for her life in a medically-induced coma and almost had her legs amputated.
Jayney, an administrator, says: “I paid for an expensive cosmetic procedure so I would feel comfortable showing my legs off. Instead, I nearly lost them and I hate them more now than I did before the operation.
“Having the surgery is my biggest regret because I nearly died and have been left scarred for life.
“However, I am grateful to be alive and that my daughter still has her mum.”
In June 2005, Jayney was diagnosed with lipedema, a condition where there's an abnormal build-up of fat cells in the legs and buttocks.
Jayney's legs ballooned to three times their size and she went from a size 10 to a 16.
She says: “For 12 years I felt absolutely ridiculous. My legs were a size 16 while my top half was a size 10.
“I refused to wear dresses or skirts as I was just too embarrassed – I even wore trousers when the weather was scorching.
“I dreamed of having skinny legs and wearing a bikini.”
Jayney borrowed £20,000 from her mum, Diane Powell, 72, a retired pharmacist, to undergo liposuction on her legs after discovering there was no cure for her condition.
In June 2017 Jayney had the two-hour operation.
She says: “Afterwards my legs were in agonising pain, but I was so excited to see my skinny pins.
“Doctors discharged me from the hospital.
“Within a few hours of arriving home, the pain in my legs became excruciating.
“The next day, my body felt ice-cold even though I was wrapped up in blankets.
“I worried that I'd contracted an infection, but I put it down to the medication making me feel weird so I didn't speak to a doctor.”
Three days passed and Jayney's health deteriorated.
Her daughter, Jasmine, 14, discovered her passed out in bed and called an ambulance.
Jayney says: “I woke up in hospital, I thought I'd been only unconscious for an hour.
“A doctor told me I'd been in an induced coma for two days. He said I'd caught necrotising fasciitis which had eaten away at my legs.
“I burst into tears.”
Necrotising fasciitis is a disease where bacteria releases toxins that damage the tissue.
Jayney says: “Mum revealed that doctors wanted to amputate my legs while I'd been unconscious but they managed to stop the infection spreading.
“I felt so thankful to have survived but couldn't believe that a simple procedure had done this.”
During the next three days, Jayney refused to see her legs.
She says: “I finally saw them for the first time three weeks later and immediately felt sick.
“My right leg had no flesh so I could see my bones, they were black and smelt foul.
“My left leg had had skin grafts, but there were holes everywhere.
“It looked like reptilian skin.
During the next month, Jayney underwent 20 skin grafts on her right leg and then started physiotherapy.
I'd undergone liposuction to make me feel more confident about my legs, now they were half-eaten
Three weeks later, in August 2017, Jayney was finally sent home after being in hospital for two months.
Jayney says: “I was forced to use a walker as I couldn't walk and had to move in with mum as she had an electric stair lift.
“Thankfully my friend agreed to look after Jasmine, but it was horrible being away from her.”
It took Jayney three months to learn to walk again and she moved back home in December 2017.
Jayney says: “I quit my job as a support worker at a children's care home, as I could no longer run around after the kids.
“Instead, I got a desk job as an administrator.
“Strangers stared at my legs whenever I wore a skirt or dress.
“All I wanted was skinny legs and now my legs were completely scarred.
“My plans for swimsuits and holidays after my liposuction disappeared.
“Now it’s been two years since I caught NF.
“My amazing daughter is helping me gain my confidence back by taking me out and complimenting me all the time.
“I've also met a new partner (Karl Goodridge, 48) who also tells me I'm beautiful every day.
“I want other people to know about NF and recognise the symptoms I had.
I have PTSD from what happened, but I am just trying to stay positive and be happy that I am alive.
“I paid £20,000 for surgery but almost paid the ultimate price, my life.”
What is the flesh-eating bug?
Necrotiing fasciitis is caused by common bacteria entering the body through a wound and causing the surrounding tissue to rot.
It is a rare but serious bacterial infection that affects the tissue beneath the skin; and surrounding muscles and organs.
It's dubbed a "flesh-eating bug" but the bacteria doesn't actually eat the flesh, it releases toxins that damage the tissues, causing it to rot away.
The bacteria can spread in a matter of hours, even from a minor injury, and is life-threatening if it's not treated early enough.
There are several types of bacteria that can cause necrotising fasciitis including; streptococcus A, klebsiella, clostridium, escherichia coli and staphylococcus aureus.
According to the NHS, these are the key signs to watch out for:
- A small but painful cut or scratch on the skin
- Intense pain that out of proportion to any damage on your skin
- A high temperature or fever
- Flu-like symptoms
After a few days, as the infection spreads, you may also notice:
- Swelling and redness in the area – the swelling may be firm to touch
- Diarrhoea and vomiting
- Dark blotches on the skin that turn into fluid-filled blisters
It can also cause dizziness, weakness and confusion as the infection takes hold of the body.
If you notice any of these symptoms you need to see a doctor immediately .
This week, we spoke to an expectant mum told to "prepare for the worst" after a botched tummy tuck triggered deadly sepsis.
We also heard from a mum who was left devastated after a botched mastectomy left her with wonky boobs – and she couldn't look at her own naked body for a YEAR.
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