A year ago today, I woke up with an Always pad stuck to my bum, after twisting during the night. This caused a rash the next day and after a weekend of pain, I was admitted to hospital with necrotising fasciitis and septic shock.
I’ve seen a lot of women in Africa complain about how terrible Always pads are. Pads that I had been using in the UK for 14 years with no issues. I will never use their products again (not that my period has returned since then), and I advise all women in Africa to do the same.
I couldn’t breathe, my kidneys were starting to struggle, my blood wasn’t flowing properly but my pulse was 145bpm. Even though I need emergency surgery, my vitals were so bad that the doctors said I wouldn’t survive it.
I had a blood transfusion and was constantly pumped with drugs to get my blood pressure to increase because it was critically low. Finally on the 20th May, I was strong enough to have my debridement surgery and get the infected tissue in my bum cut out.
I spent a total of 10 days in ICU and 7 days on the regular ward. In September I had a follow up skin flap surgery to close the wound of the original surgical site.
I don’t shave. The rash was caused solely by the pad and we assume that in peeling it off my body it also tore my skin. That’s how the bacteria entered. If not for the pad issues, then there would have been no opening.