A mother of two suffered complications so severe after catching the flu that doctors had to amputate all four of her limbs to save her life.
Kristin Fox, 42, of Poland, Ohio, went to the emergency room with a sore throat. When tests revealed she had the flu, medication was prescribed and she was sent home.
However, she quickly returned when she became so ill that she could not even leave her couch.
Doctors then diagnosed the deputy chief with sepsis, a life-threatening condition in which the immune system overreacts to an infection and damages organs.
The disease, which affects 1.7 million adults in the US each year, can quickly lead to death.
In Ms Fox’s case, this led to infections so bad that she fell into an induced coma and doctors were forced to amputate her arms and legs to save her life.
Kristin Fox, 42, of Ohio (pictured above), had her legs amputated below the knee and arms below the elbow after complications from the flu
In the photo above, Ms. Fox holds a fork as she learns to use her prosthetics. She said she no longer uses arms, only prosthetic legs
Ms Fox is pictured above before her amputations with her children, who were aged nine and six when she was admitted to hospital with the severe infection
Ms. Fox was hospitalized in March 2020, just before Ohio imposed its first Covid lockdown due to the emerging pandemic.
To give her body time to rest and prevent further deterioration, doctors placed her in an induced coma.
After a week they managed to slowly wake her up.
Despite the challenges she faced after waking from the coma, Ms Fox said she was “happy” to have her limbs amputated rather than lose her life.
She told Fox News, “Sometimes I catch myself complaining, but then I remember that my children could mourn my death.”
“They’re twelve and ten now, and I can’t imagine them living without me.”
“People send me things and stop me in the store and say, ‘I pray for you all the time. These are the people who helped us get through this.”
Mrs. A few weeks after she woke up, Fox was released from the hospital and taken to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Rehabilitation Institute.
There she underwent three hours of physiotherapy every day for six weeks to learn how to use her limbs again.
In October 2020, seven months after her ordeal began, she was implanted with prosthetic arms and legs.
She now uses the prosthetic legs regularly, but is giving up prosthetic arms for her arms, insisting that life is “easier” without them.
Mrs. Fox can be seen in the upper left, learning how to use the prosthesis. A year after the infection, she is now back at work
The photo above shows Ms. Fox during a session where she learns how to use dentures
A year after her hospitalization, Ms. Fox is ready to return to work and has resumed her position as assistant principal at Campbell High School.
She told FOX, “I had to mentally go back to work.”
“I’m a real go-go-go guy, and if I had a disability, I wouldn’t have a good quality of life.”
“I had a lot of young eyes watching me and I knew there were so many kids who would learn so much from my reaction to this.
“It taught them to respect differences and treat everyone fairly, regardless of their abilities.” And it taught them how to overcome their own obstacles and difficult moments.
“As a teacher, I didn’t want my students to think I took the easy way out.”
Ms. Fox also revealed that while health insurance covered some of her costs, medical bills were still high. She also had to pay for renovations to her home to make it more accessible.
This prompted her community to organize several fundraisers to help her cover the costs.
Warning that swine flu may return this winter
Officials are now urging millions of eligible Americans to get their annual vaccination before the season begins.
While many cases of the flu are mild, some can cause serious side effects – as in Ms Fox’s case – and even death.
And as flu season continues in the US, cases of the virus are on the rise and doctors are recommending that everyone get a flu shot to protect themselves.
The vaccine is offered to everyone six months and older, although health experts say it’s especially important for people 75 and older.
Vaccination is not a guarantee that someone will not get the flu, but it does reduce the risk that he or she will develop serious illness if infected.
By the end of September, about 173 million doses of flu vaccine had been distributed by manufacturers and 47 percent of American adults had received a flu shot.
55 percent of children received one, as did 71 percent of people 65 and older.
In its latest report, which includes data for the week ending Oct. 28, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said flu-like illnesses are beginning to increase, with some states reporting high numbers of flu-like infections.
Influenza-like illnesses include other respiratory illnesses such as Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Alaska currently reports the most activity in the US and has a “high” status. It is closely followed by Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, all of which have “moderate” flu-like activity.
In addition, private laboratories in the US tested 50,459 samples for the flu in the week ending November 3 and found that 2 percent were positive.
In public laboratories, 8.5 percent of 2,213 samples tested were positive for influenza.
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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.
