A woman suffering from toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is fighting for her life after forgetting her tampon for two months.
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For Kelsey Foster, 29, tampons have always been a simple and safe menstrual product, but she was unaware there could be dangers, news.com.au reported.
As a mother of one, she noted that she had briefly seen the little warnings in the pamphlet in the tampon boxes, but hadn’t been too worried about it.
Now she’s sharing her story to raise awareness among women about the dangers of CTS.
“The most important thing I want to express is that there should be no shame in talking about periods […] We need to eliminate the shame of talking about periods, tampons, and anything menstrual-related. Toxic shock is real, it is deadly and it is much more common than people think,” Foster said.
The woman, who suffers from endometriosis, initially attributed her pain to this disease. But when an old tampon fell out in the bathroom, she became very scared.
“I have been in and out of hospital five times in the last two months due to severe cramps and pain. It was discovered that I had gallstones and then my gallbladder collapsed. My liver also showed signs of irritation,” she told Australian media.
“I am waiting for the operation and doing tests. One day I went to the toilet and felt something coming out of me. I thought it was just another blood clot, which happens to me often. But it was an old stamp.”
She made it clear that she didn’t know how long he had been inside her. However, she knows it has been at least six weeks since that was her last period.