A Scottish mum who returned home from an Easter walk on the beach feeling "shivery" has since had to have her toes amputated after being diagnosed with sepsis. Kimberley Bradley also shared with Edinburgh Live how close she "came to dying" from the life-threatening condition that has left her in a wheelchair and living with the constant fear that other parts of her body may need to be amputated in the future.
The 42-year-old was rushed to hospital when she was unable to speak a few hours after her family stroll back in 2019. There, she was told she had septicaemia and had to undergo emergency treatment.
Recalling that traumatic day, Kimberley said: “We had enjoyed a lovely walk along the beach and, for Easter weekend, the weather was really lovely. We came home in the early evening and started making the tea.
"I felt very cold and shivery and assumed that I’d maybe got too much sun. An hour or so later I started to vomit. I decided to go to bed and see how I felt in the morning. Nathan (her husband) came in to check on me a while later and I was worse. He was asking me questions and I was unable to speak. I was scared and thought I was having a stroke.”
A concerned Nathan immediately called 999, with Kimberley adding: "I vaguely recall being put into the ambulance and then I was being told that it was eight days later and I had been in an induced coma. I had contracted meningococcal septicaemia which had developed into sepsis with all my organs shutting down.
“I was shocked at how fast things happened and hearing how close I came to dying." Kimberley had only started a new job three weeks before she became ill and her contract was terminated when she was unable to return to work within a month.
Since then, she has undergone kidney dialysis and is still being treated for the condition three years after being given her diagnosis. She also continues to suffer from necrotic tissue on her hands, feet and nose.
Having lost her toes, Kimberley's feet are also in danger of being removed and she admitted: "I feel like it will never end at times but hopefully more surgery will sort it out." The charity Sepsis Research FEA are now hoping to raise awareness of the illness that reportedly claims the lives of 4,000 people in Scotland alone every year.
With support from the Scottish Government, the charity have advised people to look out for five key symptoms which may be unusual. They are:
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Confusion
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Not passing as much urine as normal
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Very high or low temperature
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Uncontrolled shivering
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Cold or blotchy arms and legs
If someone has two or more of the above symptoms and they are becoming worse, medical attention should be sought urgently as that person may have sepsis. More information can be found here.
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