The 31-year-old was hospitalized for six weeks and had surgery six times as a result of a rare but potentially lethal flesh-eating disease that grew from a cut.
After scraping his knee while coming home from work, Scott Neil didn’t think much of it; yet, he nearly lost his limb or perhaps his life as a result.
In the United Kingdom, roughly 500 persons are diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis annually.
Scott found it “mind-boggling” that he could have died from this unusual bacterial illness due to his cut.
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Doctors informed him he was mere hours away from losing his left limb and possibly passing away.
“It was quite strange,” Scott continued. I recall thinking it was astounding.
‘Searing anguish’
Scott recalls being in “searing agony,” screaming “tears of pain,” and pleading to be taken to the hospital a few days after the fall while walking to his house in Swansea in May of last year – an occurrence he characterizes as “nothing extraordinary really” – with his leg swollen to twice its normal size.
This graze, however, had developed necrotizing fasciitis, a life-threatening bacterial illness that occurs when a wound becomes infected, requiring immediate hospital care.
When he arrived at the hospital, he passed out in A&E due to excruciating pain.
The musician from Swansea stated, “I couldn’t fully accept what had occurred.” It was the most agonizing ache I’ve ever experienced.
The surgeons discovered that necrotizing fasciitis had “eaten away” his quadriceps and knee muscles.
“Extremely serious”
“I was quite depressed due to the discomfort and pain medication,” he recalled.
I didn’t initially recognize the gravity of the situation, but it eventually dawned on me that it was quite grave.
Scott, who had just turned 30, was hospitalized for six weeks and undergoes six procedures. Half of these surgeries were performed to remove “dead muscle” to stem the disease’s progress.
Each year, one in 130,000 persons in the United Kingdom is diagnosed with the virus.
Knee tissue was replaced by calf muscle
Initially, the muscle from Scott’s back was used to replace the dead tissue removed from his knee, followed by the replacement of his quad muscle with calf muscle.
“That was extremely difficult; I shed many tears,” he recounted. “Your physique appears entirely foreign when observed.”
What constitutes necrotizing fasciitis?
The infection affects the tissue beneath the skin and, if not treated promptly, can cause a very minor injury to become life-threatening.
The bacteria secrete poisons that harm the surrounding tissue.
Before it spreads across the body and causes dizziness and confusion, flu-like symptoms can swiftly progress into vomiting and edema in affected areas.
It can spread rapidly and result in life-threatening complications such as blood poisoning (sepsis) and organ failure.
Necrotizing fasciitis is a condition that, according to specialists, can be fatal if not diagnosed early. Activists want to raise awareness of the condition.
“Scott was incredibly unfortunate,” said Dr. Marina Morgan, one of the UK’s foremost experts in its treatment.
“For necrotizing fasciitis to grow, the correct kind of aggressive bug must be ready to enter the body, as well as a means of entry, such as a scratch.
If your immune system isn’t in good shape or if you’ve never had this bug before, you won’t have antibodies to fight it.
“The worst kind of necrotizing fasciitis is caused by Group A Strep, which is more typically a virus that causes tonsillitis with few symptoms.
‘Virulent horrible bug’
“People can acquire immune to it if they’ve seen the insect before; it causes tonsillitis in children without causing serious illness, and those children grow up with antibodies and never contract the disease.
“However, those who have never encountered it are helpless when confronted with this extremely virulent, horrible insect.”
Dr. Morgan stated that the “defining characteristic” of necrotizing fasciitis is “very severe, excruciating pain that is disproportionate to what is visible” on the skin.
The microbiology and infection expert at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital elaborated, “This is because the pathogen is buried deep within the tissue, like an iceberg.”
She said that when increasingly potent analgesics fail to alleviate a patient’s discomfort, physicians “should suspect necrotizing fasciitis” and administer the appropriate antibiotics.
Raise a call for action
According to the British Association of Dermatologists, annually there are around one in 500 instances of necrotizing fasciitis in the United Kingdom, and there are four primary forms with varying causes.
Soon, junior physicians and medical students will be required to learn about the unusual illness. However, Dr. Morgan, a native of Wales, stated that “not enough” people knew about necrotizing fasciitis.
Doreen Cartledge lost her 23-year-old son, Lee Spark, to necrotizing fasciitis in October 1999. In his honor, she has established a support network for others who have been impacted by severe streptococcal infections in the United Kingdom.
She stated, “I beg survivors who approach me for support to spread the word about this condition because the general world knows so little about it and the mortality rate is so extremely high.
Lee, who was from the Ribble Valley region of Lancashire, was on his way to Sheffield to apply for a job as a painter and decorator when he developed flu-like symptoms and died three days later.
Doreen continued, “There is a narrow line between scaremongering and increasing awareness.”
“However, if people knew the consequences necrotizing fasciitis has on survivors, they would be horrified.
It would be beneficial for individuals to be aware of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress, as early diagnosis and treatment are crucial.
A new zeal for living
Scott’s journey took a physical and mental toll on him, but the part-time DJ, who is also in a band and works in a pub in Swansea, stated that his harrowing experience had given him a new passion for life.
His surgery was deemed a “success,” and now, more than a year later, he can walk without assistance and can “do everything I want.”
“I recall having fairly stressful evenings in a ward, which was the same ward where my grandmother passed away, which was a horrific event in and of itself,” Scott recounted.
Before this, my mental health was at its lowest point, so facing it was the only way to go through it.
“I had to be strong primarily for my family. In a way, I was happy about the traumatic experience because it taught me how to cope with trauma; there was only one way to overcome it. I had simply buried every trauma I had previously endured.
“I’m extremely appreciative for the chance that enduring tragedy has enabled me to recognize. That’s nothing more than the ability to walk my dog, ride a skateboard, run, and kick a football.”
