I almost died from sepsis after I scratching myself on a bowling ball
- Nakita Harden, 33, from Norfolk, almost died from sepsis over a small scratch
- Read More: TikToker reveals the surprisingly subtle warning signs of sepsis
A young mother has revealed how she almost died from sepsis when she developed the deadly condition after scratching herself on a bowling ball.
Nakita Harden, 33, from Norfolk, claims her brush with death began during an innocuous game of bowling with her boyfriend when she said she scratched her thumb on the inside of a bowling ball.
The mother-of-two said she initially brushed off the scratch as a minor cut but became concerned when she noticed a pain in her thumb later that evening.
Nakita showed it to her boyfriend Jordan who said he thought he recognised the beginnings of a tell-tale sign of the condition – a tracking line on her arm.
Nakita, a sales manager said: ‘I didn’t think anything of it at first. You get scratches all the time.’
Nakita Harden, 33, from Norfolk, has revealed how she almost died from sepsis when she developed the deadly condition after scratching herself on a bowling ball
‘I said to my boyfriend Jordan, ‘My thumb doesn’t feel very good,’ and he looked at it before asking to see my arm.
‘He saw little red bits on my arm. It wasn’t obviously a tracking line at that point. We were just a little bit concerned, but I didn’t feel poorly. I was just tired and wanted to go to sleep.
‘He said, ‘Well, if it gets worse, you’re gonna have to go to the hospital because it could be sepsis and I was like, ‘What?!’
‘Jordan explained that he’d read an article online about the fact that there’s a tracking line thing that can happen if it’s blood poisoning.’
Unfortunately for Nakita, her condition did worsen, and when she woke up in the early hours of the morning, she was extremely thirsty and so weak that she barely made it downstairs for a drink.
Nakita added: ‘I woke up really, really thirsty at some point in the night. I tried to go downstairs, and I could barely get there. But I needed a drink, so I got there, had a drink, and then clawed my way back upstairs.
‘I barely made it back. I told Jordan that I didn’t feel right, and he took another look at my arm. He said we needed to go to the hospital right away as there was now a line.’
As it was the weekend, the emergency room was full of people, and Nakita expected to wait a long time to be seen, but medics also recognised the tell-tale sign of the deadly condition.
Nakita showed it to her boyfriend Jordan who said he thought he recognised the beginnings of a tell-tale sign of the condition – a tracking line on her arm
While Nakita worried that she would no longer have a knuckle after the operation, mercifully, the part of her hand that was removed with the infection did grow back, and she made a full recovery
She said: ‘A&E was full of people who’d injured themselves on nights out, and I thought I might die between now and getting seen, but they called me through quite quickly.
‘I went through to the doctor and explained the situation.
‘He looked at my arm and said, ‘We need to get you on some antibiotics intravenously, and you’ll have surgery. We’re going to have to take the infection out of your thumb, and hopefully, we won’t have to amputate.’
‘I really wasn’t well at all. The team said, ‘We’re going to get you into a bay with a bed because we don’t want you to move.’ They gave me my first dose of antibiotics in the bay.’
She added: ‘I was awake while they did it. I tried to watch them. I felt them digging around in the bone and felt a bit queasy. I thought I was going to faint.
The mother-of-two said she initially brushed off the scratch as a minor cut but became concerned when she noticed a pain in her thumb later that evening
In the Hospital she was told she needed surgery to take the infection out of her thumb
Nakita’s brush with death began during an innocuous game of bowling when she scratched her thumb on the inside of a ball
Nakita claims her brush with death began during an innocuous game of bowling with her boyfriend when she said she scratched her thumb on the inside of a bowling ball
Nakita said she is hoping that by sharing her story, she will raise awareness of the tell-tale tracking line symptom of sepsis which saved her life
SIX MAJOR SIGNS OF SEPSIS
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused when the body releases chemicals to fight an infection.
These chemicals damage the body’s own tissues and organs and can lead to shock, organ failure and death.
Organ failure and death are more likely if sepsis is not recognized early and treated immediately.
Sepsis infects an estimated 55,000 Australians each year, killing between 5,000 and 9,000 making it more than four times deadlier than the road toll.
The symptoms can look like gastro or flu and can become deadly, rapidly.
The six major signs of something potentially deadly can be identified by the acronym ‘SEPSIS’:
- Slurred speech or confusion, lethargy, disorientation
- Extreme shivering or muscle pain, fever or low temperature
- Pressing a rash doesn’t make it fade
- Severe breathlessness, rapid breathing
- Inability to pass urine for several hours
- Skin that’s mottled or discoloured
Children may also show convulsions or fits, and a rash that doesn’t fade when you press it – and more than 40 per cent of cases occur in children under five.
Anyone who develops these symptoms should seek medical help urgently — and ask doctors: ‘Could this be sepsis?’
Sepsis is a leading cause of avoidable death killing about 10,000 Australians each year
The early symptoms of sepsis can be easily confused with more mild conditions, making it difficult to diagnose.
A high temperature (fever), chills and shivering, a fast heartbeat and rapid breathing are also indicators.
A patient can rapidly deteriorate if sepsis is missed early on, so quick diagnosis and treatment is vital – yet this rarely happens.
In the early stages, sepsis can be mistaken for a chest infection, flu or upset stomach.
It is most common and dangerous in older adults, pregnant women, children younger than one, people with chronic conditions or those who have weakened immune systems.
‘They got as much of the infection out as they could, but they couldn’t stitch it up because of where it was on my knuckle. They just had to let it heal outwards.
‘I’ve got two kids. They were what was going through my head. I was like, ‘What if I don’t see them again? They’d been at their dad’s the day I’d gone bowling with my boyfriend.’
While Nakita worried that she would no longer have a knuckle after the operation, mercifully, the part of her hand that was removed with the infection did grow back, and she made a full recovery.
She said: ‘I had to go back to the hand clinic for re-dressings and things. I had to keep it super sterile and then it healed.
‘I did feel quite poorly for a while.’
The cut that allegedly led to Nakita’s ordeal last winter was, according to her, no larger than a paper cut, and she said she is hoping that by sharing her story, she will raise awareness of the tell-tale tracking line symptom of sepsis which saved her life.
Heathline reports that the red line is caused by the infection spreading from the site of infection into a person’s bloodstream.
She stressed: ‘It is so serious, but it’s so easily preventable if you know what to look for.
‘If you think you could have sepsis, don’t hesitate about going to the hospital.
‘Before, I never put anything on small cuts, but if I cut myself now, even if it’s just a tiny. nick, I will always put Germolene or something on it just in case.’
According to the NHS, other tell-tale signs of sepsis in adults include confusion, difficulty breathing, a rash that doesn’t go away when pressed, and pale or discoloured skin, lips, or tongue.
The bowling alley, where Nikita claims to have sustained her cut, have been contacted for a right of reply but they have chosen not to comment.
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