A mother of five had to have her leg amputated below the knee after contracting a flesh-eating bacterial infection.
Angie Fowler, now 41, of Fort Worth, Texas, broke her right leg and ankle in 2011 after falling in the snow while playing with her children.
She underwent several reconstructive surgeries over the next four years after her ankle continued to “collapse”, leaving her unable to walk.
But after surgery, she contracted an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection that led to necrotizing fasciitis and septic shock.
Angie Fowler, now 41, fell and broke her leg and ankle while playing in the snow with her children in 2011. After several surgeries, the mother contracted MRSA, which led to necrotizing fasciitis. After the infection spread to her legs, doctors said they had no choice but to amputate her
As her ankle continued to collapse and she could no longer walk, she was offered an ankle replacement, in which the bones were replaced with an artificial implant. But it continued to cause her problems. When doctors performed another operation to check the implant, she contracted MRSA, which developed into necrotizing fasciitis (see above).
The mother underwent three operations a week for seven months after contracting MRSA as doctors tried to fight the infection. But she ended up having to be transferred to a Dallas hospital after the infection spread to the legs
Through it all, Ms Fowler said what kept her motivated were her children. In 2020, she became pregnant with her fifth child, Cooper. Pictured above are her partner John and their five children Presley, 20, (right) Reese, 18, (between parents) Tylar, 11, (holding youngest) Jase, 9, (bottom left) and Cooper, 2 (center)
Doctors said they had no choice but to amputate, otherwise the insect would have spread to other parts of the body, where it could be fatal.
She spent two years in and out of hospital, but said her children motivated her to keep going. In 2020, she became pregnant with her fifth child, Cooper, who is now two years old.
She said of the amputation: “I was very depressed for a few months and I thought I would never be able to have a normal life like exercise, run or even keep up with my children.”
“What killed me the most was not being able to pick up my babies for years.
“If they were hurt or someone wanted to be detained, I had to sit down and ask someone to bring them to me.”
But after two years of repeated hospital visits, the mother is now adjusting to life with the help of a prosthetic leg and even plans to run the 5K in the Boston Marathon in April.
“I missed so many of my children when I was sick and in the hospital,” she said.
The Texas mother of two (29) had her hands and feet amputated after a caesarean section
Krysten Pacheco (29) lost both his hands and feet to an infection from a caesarean section in October.
‘[Nowadays] Every time they ask me to do something or sit and play with them, I do it.
“I’m so grateful to be here now and I don’t want to take it for a minute.
“It’s crazy, messy and chaotic, but I wouldn’t change a thing about it.”
Ms Fowler had screws and plates fitted to keep her ankle in place after a fall in 2011.
But the procedure failed and her ankle struggled to support her weight when she was no longer in a cast.
She underwent several more surgeries in the following years before being referred for an ankle replacement to replace the damaged joint with prosthetic components.
But when that failed to provide her with physical support, doctors pulled her back to put her under the knife again – this time to inspect her new ankle.
When she woke up after the operation and the doctors opened her leg, her foot, ankle and part of her leg were “purple and black”.
She was diagnosed with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an infection caused by a type of staph that has become resistant to most antibiotics.
When a series of drugs failed, the infection began to spread.
She developed septic shock, an immune system overreaction caused when an infection enters the bloodstream and overwhelms the body. It can be fatal.
Doctors said if they didn’t amputate the limb, she wouldn’t make it through the weekend. The amputation took place in 2015.
Since then, in two years, she had to perform 45 operations on the amputated limb and learn how to use a prosthesis.
After the amputation, the mother had to learn to walk on a prosthesis. She admitted she hated the device at first, but is now training to run the Boston Marathon in April
She has had several prostheses since losing her right leg below the knee
Mrs. Fowler has her limb amputated above. Now she posts videos on YouTube explaining what it’s like to have a prosthesis
Despite being told she couldn’t conceive, she became pregnant in 2020 with their youngest, Cooper, who is now two years old.
But the mother, who also works as an operations manager at FedEx Express, is now finding her life returning to a new kind of normal.
She admitted that at first she “hated” the prosthesis and found it “uncomfortable” and could only wear it “a few hours a day”.
“I used crutches with my prosthesis because my leg hurt so much and I thought I would never walk again without pain or help,” she said.
“I really thought my life was over.
‘[But] in the end i decided to either be bitter and angry or to live my life.
“I knew I wanted to live and would do anything to stay alive.”
She said much of her determination to get better comes from her now five children, who she has with her partner John – Presley, 20, Reese, 18, Tylar, 11, Jase, nine, and Cooper, two.
The mother also started a YouTube channel to raise awareness for amputees.
Describing her life today, she said: “My children are so supportive and want to help me with everything.
Sometimes they abuse it.
“My two-year-old runs away from me when he plays because he knows I can’t catch him.
“My kids have adjusted so well and tell me they don’t care and they love me no matter what.”
In 2020, Ms Fowler became pregnant with her fifth child – which came as a complete surprise after doctors said she was unlikely to have any more children.
She said: “The pregnancy was more difficult because the extra weight in the later months of pregnancy put more stress on my leg.
“Due to swelling and weight gain, my sock was too tight and I needed a temporary sock.
“Because of the pain and swelling, I couldn’t wear my prosthesis all day.
She added: “Everything is different, I have to adapt to many things in my life, but I am more active now than before my amputation.
“Everyday activities are a struggle, like taking a shower or getting up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet.
“In addition, I still get very strong nerve and phantom pains.
“Your brain still thinks your leg is there, but I’ve learned the little things don’t matter.
“I am grateful to be alive.
“I learned that if I try hard enough and say yes to something that might be challenging, I can do anything.”
Source link
Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
