Rose Green’s Carol battles back after ‘silent death’ blood poisoning

Rose Green resident Carol was in a medically-induced coma and intensive care for more than four months after being infected by sepsis.

The blood poisoning – known as the silent killer – has claimed her lower left leg, her toes on her right foot and both arms below her elbows. It also damaged her mouth and nose.

But she said she felt lucky to be back home and grateful to all those who had supported her. “I want to thank the doctors and staff at the hospitals where I was a patient because they were just brilliant,” she said.

“I’ve been on a real learning curve and mixed with so many different people. I’ve also found how difficult it is to walk again.”

She also praised her husband, Terry, and their two daughters and four grandchildren. Terry said: “The community of Rose Green have been constantly asking me about Carol.”

They also overwhelmed the family with messages of support.

Carol, of Pryors Lane, had 53 get well cards alone.

“The consultants told me the prognosis was that Carol was not going to see the next morning. She had about a five per cent chance of survival.

“For the majority of people with such a bad case, it’s a 
no no,” said Terry.

“It’s very easy to knock the NHS but, when it works, as it has in Carol’s case, it is brilliant. Everybody she came into contact with, 
from the ambulance crew onwards, were wonderful.”

Carol’s battle with the often fatal condition began last February. Aged 69, she worked at the Grove House Surgery on Pryors Lane for 40 years and was due to 
retire next year.

But that changed with a cough and a vague feeling 
of being ill. She went into work on February 20 but had to go home.

Terry, 68, came back and noticed she had a rash. He dialled 999. Carol was barely conscious when she arrived at St Richard’s Hospital

Doctors put her into a coma. She spent the next five weeks being kept alive as the blood poisoning attacked her.

She began to recover and was moved to intensive care for three months. Her next stop was Queen Mary’s Hospital at Roehampton for rehabilitation and its specialist prosthetics work.

Carol returned home in late August but she said:“I don’t know what the future is going to hold. I would just like to get back to some sort of normality and take things from there.”

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