In June 2022, my partner and I had enjoyed a wonderful evening out at a show on Saturday with no signs that anything was wrong. However, by Sunday morning, I woke feeling awful. I was weak, freezing cold yet burning up with fever, and couldn’t keep anything down—not even water or dry toast.
Concerned, my mum called the non-emergency helpline for advice. We tried a few of their suggestions, but nothing was working—I was continually being sick. As my condition worsened, they advised us to call 999. When the ambulance crew arrived, they were immediately concerned, especially noticing significant swelling in my right ankle. They insisted on taking me to hospital for further checks.
Once at A&E, my leg continued to swell, and despite the long wait, I was eventually admitted to a ward and placed on a drip with strong antibiotics while they tried to identify the cause. Over the course of a week—still with no diagnosis—I was moved into a private room for some comfort and privacy. During this time, I reached out to my specialist team in London to keep them informed.
Eventually, after extensive tests and treatments, I was diagnosed with cellulitis. By this point, the infection had taken a serious hold. I was unable to walk on my right foot due to the inflammation, which had begun to tighten the tendons and muscles in my calf, causing unbearable pain. I was dangerously close to developing sepsis, but fortunately, they identified an effective treatment just in time.
In addition to the infection, I experienced significant fluid retention in my upper legs and stomach, which was extremely uncomfortable. After nearly two weeks in hospital and a further four weeks recovering at home, I finally began to feel like myself again.
The cellulitis diagnosis came as a shock—not just to me and my loved ones, but also to the doctors treating me. There were no visible signs of a cut, bite, or injury that could have triggered such an aggressive infection. To this day, the exact cause remains unknown, and the severity of the onset still baffles the medical team.
Thankfully, I’ve made a full recovery and have had no lasting effects from the infection. Life has since returned to normal, and I’m incredibly grateful to have come through relatively unscathed.
