(Ch. 13 of my story of how I became deaf…)
I lay in an emergency room at St. Agnes Hospital shivering from chills brought on by my rapidly rising fever. I was waiting for Dr. Keller and Mama to arrive. I still had enough sense to know I needed to tell someone I was on my period and was using a tampon. So, I let my step-dad, Roger, know since he was in the room with me. He quickly grabbed the first staff person who passed by the room, told them, and asked them what I should do. That person simply responded, “Tell her to take out her tampon so that the doctor can fully examine her.”
Roger relayed the instructions to me, and with some false hope, he stepped out of the room to allow me the privacy I needed to remove the tampon. But we both knew that I was physically unable to do anything more. I was able to nod, but barely able to move. The fever had made me too weak. I was wandering in and out of consciousness by then, and suffering from increasing dry heaves as my body tried to rid itself of whatever toxins were taking over.
I lay there for a short time before my stepfather finally came to my assistance. This had to be up there with some of the more courageous things he had ever had to do in his lifetime. He assisted me with the removal of the tampon and placed it onto a paper towel. He put another paper towel over the top of it and lay it on a counter in the room. I remember this happening very quickly and was glad he couldn’t see the blush from the sunburn that I wore on my cheeks.
Then a new male nurse came into the room. It was the change of shifts. He took my temperature and blood pressure again and provided me with a vomit pan. Before he left the room, Roger grabbed this guy’s arm and pointed to the tampon that lay covered up on the counter. He said with strained whisper, “That thing’s there!” And with a swish of his hand, the male nurse knocked the tampon and towels into the trash. No one would know then that the tampon should have been saved and sent to a lab for a culture. The tampon was the wrench in the works. It was believed to play a major role in the Toxic Shock Syndrome I was finally diagnosed with two and a half weeks later.
I was drifting in and out of awareness when Mama arrived. I heard her talking to the doctors and nurses there. They were telling her that they had taken blood tests and found my white cell count was off the charts. They still didn’t know what was wrong. They seemed to be making a big deal about the blister on my heel though. Apparently, it was beginning to fill up with fluid and they thought perhaps I had an infection inside. They asked Mama what I had been doing over the last couple of weeks and how I got the blister. Mama asked me, but I couldn’t remember. She mentioned that I had gone to the beach recently, and they all wondered if I stepped on a shellfish, or picked up some kind of bacteria from the ocean.
A short time after Mama got there, Dr. Keller arrived and examined me with his charismatic Southern warmth, and serious attention. He told me he was going to have someone do a spinal tap and draw some fluid from my back to test for what he thought might be spinal meningitis, which would later prove negative.
I remember Mama coaching my breathing while the Anesthetist told me to curl up into a ball and to try to relax as he inserted the long needle into my back. I was glad Mama was finally there, holding my hand, because I was scared. I remember feeling the sharp prick of the needle and then a long burning sensation. I hissed and clenched my teeth while Mama kept telling me to breathe and relax. Then I must have fell unconscious…
(Footnote: Don’t give up on the story yet. It has been important for me to share what life was like before I became deaf so that people understand the significant transition that occurred when I became deaf — a transformation I not only understand and accept, but also celebrate! Keep on reading! These middle chapters entitled: Deaf or Death tell the dramatic story of the illness that took my hearing. Keep reading! More coming soon…)
WOW! Speechless everytime I read your story!!
I still can’t believe they told YOU to take it out, they should have done everything, as you were so weak, why didn’t they help you or in fact do it themselves!!! Yeah me M-A-D!
Yeah as I thought - it was the Toxic Shock from the tampon…..was that the whole thing? I can’t believe this………
Left by B.A.D. on July 21st, 2007
I had a spinal tap when I was very ill with TSS and I didn’t have any family members except the male interpreter with me until the next morning and my home was about 350 miles away and my parents and brother were driving all night to see me.
Left by Lisa C. on July 21st, 2007
B.A.D.,
There’s more! TSS was the final diagnosis of my illness, but not necessarily the cause of my deafness. You’ll have to keep reading a few more chapters to find that answer. Thanks for being a loyal reader of my story blog.
Lisa,
I remember you and I talking many months ago about you also having a TSS experience. I believe Lantana has also had TSS, if I remember correctly. Help me remember… were you already deaf when you had TSS or did you become deaf after TSS? Keep reading….
~ LaRonda
Left by LaRonda on July 21st, 2007
I was born deaf from the Waardenburg’s Syndrome.
After I recovered from the illness 3rd time (one of them was very serious), my mom sent the letter to a person at the Disease Control Dept telling them that she suspected my illness was caused by using the tampons because she felt that it was absorbing too much bacteria and about 2 years later they finally announced it from the top of the roof.
Left by Lisa C. on July 21st, 2007
Glad that you didn’t die from TSS. One of my friend died from it when she was only 20 yrs old. Since her death (about 20 yrs ago), I refused to wear tampons unless it was absoutely needed. Now I no longer need any kotex or tampons for last 5 yrs (hystercomy)
I am totally hooked to your story. First thing, I open the Deafread and search for your story! Thanks for your time writing the story!
Hugs, Kim
Left by Kim on July 21st, 2007
LaRonda,
Thanks for sharing the story. I always have been a fan of your blogs/vlogs.
Dianne K
Left by Dianne K on July 21st, 2007
I can’t wait to hear why you became deaf!
Left by Peachlady on July 21st, 2007
Thank you to loyal readers for following my story blog. It’s not over. I will be writing the full tale until Aug. 8th. Please keep on reading. As I said above, while TSS was the final diagnosis of my rare illness, it was not the sole cause of my deafness. read on to find out the answer….
I’m sure we all have our stories to tell of how we became deaf. Many of us are not immune to hospitals or life crises. Please feel free to add your stories in the comments along the way of this story blog.
Again, as always, thanks for reading.
~ LaRonda
Left by LaRonda on July 21st, 2007
Kim,
Welcome to a club! I haven’t had some kotex or tampons since 1988 due to an early hysterectomy when my youngest son was 2 (ovaries were left inside). Its been a long time and I nearly fainted when I found the prices on kotex boxes recently at the store.
Left by Lisa C. on July 21st, 2007
Wait a min, I think you started to get sick a day before you started your period, so you didn’t have a tampon until a day after you started to get sick, so how could you have gotten TSS? Well, as you said, the story is not over yet!
MY story? Well, it was “deaf or death” for me as well. I have no one cause for my deafness. I was born premature, experienced anoxia, got hydrocephalus, got bacterial meningitis, got hyperbilirubinemia, all when I was under 3 months of age. My parents counted up to 7 possible causes of my deafness. I can’t remember them all. Oh, I can’t forget the brain tumor that they removed when I was 1 1/2 years old. I was diagnosed as deaf when I was just under 2 years old, so my deafness could have happened anytime between my birth and the time I was diagnosed. I’m surprised I’m not dead. The one most susceptible cause? Gentamycin, which I got in an attempt to treat my bacterial meningitis. Gentamycin can cause deafness or blindness or both.
Wait a minute, I just told you all of the 7 reasons that could have contributed to my deafness. Boy, am I glad I only came away with deafness and nothing else! It could have been worse, like death! So, yes, like you, I experienced a “deaf or death” experience. But I was really young, under 3 months old.
Left by Sunflower on July 21st, 2007
Nope, it was not me who had TSS, but a very close deaf friend. She got TSS from wearing artificial fingernails, applied professionally by a beautician who was UNCLEAN. If any of you have artificial fingernails applied, make sure the beautician does not reuse her tools without sterilizing them. TSS grows in places that are AIRTIGHT and cannot “breathe”.
Hugs, Lantana
Left by Lantana on July 21st, 2007
Sorry Lantana, thought it was you who had TSS, but now I recall it was another friend of mine.
Sunflower, you are right! Something seems fishy, doesn’t it? I was sick before I inserted the tampon. As you read on, it will become clearer, but basically, if I already had some kind of viral infection or even just sick with a cold or flu, there are already toxins in my system. So once the tampon was inserted, it became a host for potential bacteria. After a pap smear was done, they detected bacterial staff which may have been inside me from my previous menstruation. It’s all kind of a mystery and had I not had the tale-tell symptoms of TSS toward the middle and end of my illness, the doctors would not have known what the diagnosis was. The formal diagnosis of TSS wasn’t given to me until after I was dismissed from the hospital when they put all the pieces together. Thanks for paying attention. Read on to see what happened next…
~ LaRonda
Left by LaRonda on July 21st, 2007
LaRonda, That’s the first story I’ve read about TSS and I’m sorry about your experience. I’ve a question. Hundreds of thousands women use tampons, so I wonder why most don’t get TSS while few get it. Can you explain why FDA hasn’t banned tampons?
Left by Just a question on July 21st, 2007
Just A Question,
TSS is a RARE illness. Only 1 in 100,000 women get it. However, men and babies can get TSS too (also RARE) from super absorbent diapers or briefs. The RELY brand of Tampons were taken off of the market back in the 80’s because of their specific link to TSS over other tampons. However, I wasn’t using RELY. I was using the regular Playtex, non-deoderant tampon, so TSS can happen with any tampon.
In an upcoming chapter, I explain more in detail about just what exactly TSS is. Keep reading…..
~ LaRonda
Left by LaRonda on July 22nd, 2007