When you’re a young woman in health class, and you start talking about tampons, the first thing you remember is the scary reality of Toxic Shock Syndrome – TSS. I remember being 13-years-old when Mother Nature hit me, and I was terrified of even looking at tampons because everyone had scared me out of them forever. Fast-forward to adulthood; I found out that TSS can be quite rare to contract – but, if you are not careful, it can become a reality.
When 20-year-old Emily Pankhurst thought that she was feeling sick due to the overwhelming stress of college and exams, but, found out that she was actually seriously ill. After realizing she had left a tampon in for nine days – she immediately removed it and realized the tampon was “completely black.” After she removed the tampon, she “became faint, began to slur all of her words and her skin tone completely changed.” Moral of the story try not to leave your tampon in for over a week, things started to get dangerous for Pankhurst. After being rushed to the hospital, doctors found that Emily was suffering from TSS and blood poisoning.
According to Emily, she had used the tampon when she got her last period, but was under an immense amount of stress and pressure due to exams – and completely forgot she had one in. After she began to feel bloated and sick – she discovered it and immediately threw it out. According to her report, she couldn’t even recognize the tampon at all. So just to clear this up for anyone who isn’t familiar with tampons, this lady could have died because of her keeping hers in too long. Periods are no joke, folks!
Luckily, she discovered the tampon before the TSS had killed her. Doctors were able to give her medication and antibiotics to save her life – but, she did temporarily lose her mobility and she still has trouble walking and doing other long-term physical activities. After recovering, Emily returned to her university but does fewer hours of work and classes. She claims that although she wants to move on with her life and put this behind her, her body is not yet recovered fully and she still finds herself getting weak and exhausted. And, while it is hard to open up about something like this, she claims she wants to “help other women.”
I hope my story can help others to take care of your health and not take your life for granted because you never know what might be around the corner.
For those who do not know – TSS is caused by bacteria and when this bacteria enters your body’s bloodstream, it can release poison and toxins. This can be dangerous because it can interfere with your body’s regular functions – such as your organs and tissue and nerves.
Tampons have been in conversation with TSS for years now – but, there is no direct correlation between the two. However, if women are to wear tampons, it’s important to regularly change them to prevent any illnesses from occurring. I mean think about it, you don’t really want to just leave things inside of your body for weeks on end. Probably not the best decision in the first place, either way, we’re happy to hear Emily is doing better and may this be a warning to all you ladies out there, check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self.