Woman Accidentally Leaves Tampon In For 1 Month Causing Toxic Shock Syndrome

An Australian mother suffered from a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection and was driven to think she was "done" with her own life after she accidentally left a tampon inside her body for a month.

The 42-year-old woman, identified only as Tammy, said she forgot to remove the last tampon she had inserted for her period in October 2020 as she "had a lot going on at the time," 7News.com.au reported.

The nurse felt no discomfort and detected no odor from the menstrual product in the following days, according to the outlet.

However, Tammy's partner later told her that he "felt a lump or something" when the couple got intimate one night. The partner told Tammy to go to the gynecologist, but she said she "brushed him off and put it down on him not knowing the female anatomy."

But following her conversation with her partner, Tammy lost her appetite, started to become delusional and was often lightheaded and dizzy.

The mother, who was previously fond of sharing on social media, then closed herself off from the outside world. She described feeling like "an empty shell" as she "just wanted to sit in the same spot" in her home every day.

Tammy sought advice from her physician and was placed on anti-depressants, but the medication did not help. At one point, she struggled to even shop for groceries and experienced panic attacks at the thought of leaving home.

Tammy later went back to the doctor on Nov. 5, 2020, and told him she was "done" after she almost fainted during a trip to the beach.

She said that she "couldn't cope with life anymore" and that she wanted to be "put in a mental home," which prompted her doctor to increase the dosage of her anti-depressants and her valium, which is medication for anxiety and other conditions.

Later that day, Tammy discovered something inside her when she tried to insert a tampon for her period. She said that her heart "just dropped" as she "felt a lump," which she initially thought was cancer.

"It was soft and squishy... and then my mind just clicked, it was the tampon," she said.

Tammy, who realized the menstrual product had been inside her for "a whole month," then removed the tampon that she said had turned into a "black" mass.

She explained the situation to her fellow nurses as work, and they "just looked" at her and said, "How are you still alive?"

"They just kept telling me I had blood poisoning and couldn't believe I was still walking," Tammy said.

Tammy shared that she did not suffer any further ill effects and that she began to feel better once the tampon was removed. Additionally, the tampon's removal cured Tammy of her generally negative mood and lack of appetite — symptoms that she said were the result of toxic shock syndrome (TSS).

The condition, which has other symptoms including kidney failure and decreased blood pressure, among others, is a rare, life-threatening complication of certain types of bacterial infections.

While deterioration in mental health is not listed as a symptom, mental health issues can be a side effect of any severe illness such as TSS, according to obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Gino Pecoraro.

"Whenever someone has a severe infection, you can get what’s called delirium, basically an alteration in the PH in your blood that comes with an infection," Pecoraro explained.

Tammy has not used a tampon since the incident and has instead opted for menstrual underwear, an option she admitted is not for everyone. She now urges people who do use tampons to set an alarm or reminder for the menstrual product's removal.

Some have labeled her "unhygienic" over the incident, but she said that it was a "simple mistake" and that it could happen to anyone.

Tammy also had a message for others who have made the same mistake, saying, "Don't be ashamed, it's OK."

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.