Mr Kennedy, from Dumbarton in Scotland, said he had bitten his nail down too far and noticed a tiny blister forming on his thumb (pictured)
Posted on 11/14/2018 12:51:54 PM PST by Red Badger
Ricky Kennedy, from Dumbarton in Scotland, believes he is lucky to be alive
He was given slim odds of surviving the terrifying ordeal with the 'silent killer'
Sepsis strikes when an infection sparks a violent immune response in the body
It is the leading cause of avoidable death in the UK, killing at least 44,000 a year
A grandfather was left fighting for his life after developing sepsis from biting his nails.
Ricky Kennedy says he is lucky to be alive after contracting the silent killer from nibbling his thumbnail down.
The 57-year-old was given slim odds of surviving the terrifying ordeal and spent months in hospitals battling sepsis.
Sepsis strikes when an infection sparks a violent immune response, causing the body to attack its own organs.
It is the leading cause of avoidable death in the UK, killing at least 44,000 a year. The Mail has long campaigned for more awareness.
The infection began to spread up his arms to his chest, and within days he was rushed to hospital and left battling for his life.
Mr Kennedy said: 'I didn’t think for a second that the cut on my thumb was the cause of it all. It was tiny.
'I had bitten my nail like that hundreds of times before so to think it almost killed me is terrifying.
'I was in so much pain, I couldn’t move. I thought I was having a heart attack and I really did think I was going to die.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Mr Kennedy, from Dumbarton in Scotland, said he had bitten his nail down too far and noticed a tiny blister forming on his thumb (pictured)
Wow. Good to know this can happen.
Sometimes I think it’s a miracle we live as long as we do with all of these things that can kill us.
If his mom had only put hot sauce on them years ago, he would’t be in this predicament.
Lesson learned. Don’t bite your nails. You end up getting more colds and suchlike from everything that you touch with your hands.
Fortunately, he had the good sense to get it checked out. I have to admit that I came close to dying when I ignored abdominal pain for an extended period of time. It turns out that my appendix had ruptured a week before my wife insisted that I go to the urgent care. I waited there for 6 hours while every Mexican kid with a sniffle was triaged ahead of me.
Then I was told that I needed an ambulance to take me to the hospital for emergency surgery, which I of course refused. I drove home and my wife took me. I asked if they could just put me on antibiotics and I would come back when the infection cleared up, but the doctor insisted that I would die, which I did not belive, but it turns out he was telling the truth.
But, we've always been able to treat various conditions. Why we've know how to perform surgery for ages.
"A little bloodletting and some boar’s vomit, and she’ll be fine!"
From now on I’ll gnaw on my dog’s bone...
How many times did his mama tell him not to bite his nails.
What does him being a "grandfather" have to do with this story? His being a diabetic 57 year old man would be more appropriate description.
Listen to your mama.
It is the leading cause of avoidable death in the UK, killing at least 44,000 a year
...
I bet that’s a few more than those that die from mass shootings.
Septis can kill you.
Lesson learned. Don’t bite your nails.
...
Especially if you’re a plumber.
And considering the state of their teeth, no wonder biting is such a bad idea.
Sure was cutting it close.
Don’t bite your nails, rub your eyes or pick your nose. All are disease vectors into the body.
Oh, and be sure to saw your hands off after touching the shopping cart handle.
A year after I had my appendix removed, I was working with a probationary (new) firefighter. He told me about his dad. He was very active and was in peak physical condition. He ignored abdominal pain also, when he finally went to get it checked out, his appendix had ruptured just like mine. He went through the surgery fine, and was in good spirits and thought he would be out of the hospital in a couple of days but died a week later from an abdominal infection, pertonitis.
It was the first time I realized that I had been very lucky.
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