Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Woman's Skin Falls Off, Miraculously Survives
Yahoo News via Drudge ^ | 1/8/04 | KGTV-San Diego Channel.com

Posted on 01/08/2004 10:32:08 PM PST by NormsRevenge

A young Ocean Beach woman survived a severe allergic reaction that had University of California, San Diego Regional Burn Center staff scrambling to save her life, 10News reported.

By all accounts, Sarah Yeargain, (pictured, left), shouldn't be alive. But she is and some are calling it a medical miracle.

Three weeks ago, the skin on Yeargain's body began sloughing off.

Dr. Daniel Lozano, from the UCSD Regional Burn Center, said, "She lost skin in her entire body. It's rather dramatic to really see this coming off in sheets."

Even the membrane covering her internal organs -- her eyes, mouth, and throat -- began peeling away.

"Once the skin starts to slough, there's no stopping it," Lozano said.

Yeargain said she did not know what was going on with her body.

"The cause was a rare reaction to this drug, Bactrim. It is a common antibiotic used by millions of people," Lozano explained. "What she has is a condition called TENS -- toxic epidermal necloris -- which is an autoimmune reaction to a whole host of drugs."

Yeargain had just finished the 10-day course of Bactrim for a sinus infection when the allergic reaction began.

"I started to get some minor swelling and discoloration in my face and it progressed into blistering on lips and swelling on my eyes. It then progressed into blisters all over my face and chest and arms," Yeargain said.

Within two days, the skin on her entire body was peeling off. Doctors told Yeargain's mother, Katherine Yeargain, there was little hope for her.

"Generally with 100-percent sloughing there is a 100-percent mortality and he was optimistic. We just prayed," said Katherine Yeargain.

It was a race to save Yeargain.

Doctors covered Yeargain's entire body with an artificial skin called transcyte and gave her medications to stop the internal bleeding.

"We were able, over a 48-hour period, to cover her whole body with an artificial skin replacement that allowed this to start healing rapidly. Within about a week her skin was back," Lozano said.

"Everybody prayed and here she is," Katherine Yeargain said.

"I wasn't ready to be finished," Yeargain said.

Some, like veteran burn unit nurse Meredith Frank, called Yeargain's recovery a miracle.

"I think with the magnitude of the skin loss she had that there was a divine hand in her recovery," Frank said.

After good medicine and perhaps a miracle, Yeargain is prepared again for life.

"I'm ready to start healing and get back to it," Yeargain said.

Yeargain is home from the hospital, but she isn't about to forget the doctors and nurses who helped her survive impossible odds. She said she hopes her story will encourage people to donate money to the UCSD Burn Center.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: allergies; bactrim; fallsoff; miraculously; skin; survives; tens; transcyte; womans
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last

1 posted on 01/08/2004 10:32:08 PM PST by NormsRevenge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Re the headline: Glad that skin survived. She sure had need for it. ;-}
2 posted on 01/08/2004 10:34:52 PM PST by ntnychik
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
Rank Location Receipts Donors/Avg Freepers/Avg Monthlies
19 Indiana 395.00
10
39.50
275
1.44
85.00
6

Thanks for donating to Free Republic!

Move your locale up the leaderboard!

3 posted on 01/08/2004 10:35:02 PM PST by Support Free Republic (Happy New Year)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Egad.
4 posted on 01/08/2004 10:35:12 PM PST by martin_fierro (There are no mistakes -- only Happy Accidents.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Good grief! HOW is it possible..the sepsis alone...
5 posted on 01/08/2004 10:36:05 PM PST by ETERNAL WARMING
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
bttt
6 posted on 01/08/2004 10:36:30 PM PST by farmfriend ( Isaiah 55:10,11)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
waiting for this drug to be banned the way they banned ephedra
7 posted on 01/08/2004 10:36:54 PM PST by cyborg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
All I can say is WOW!
8 posted on 01/08/2004 10:37:38 PM PST by DB (©)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Good heavens! Must share this with co-workers at the hospital tomorrow.
9 posted on 01/08/2004 10:40:34 PM PST by Moonmad27
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
"Everybody prayed and here she is,"

"I think with the magnitude of the skin loss she had that there was a divine hand in her recovery,"
10 posted on 01/08/2004 10:41:57 PM PST by auboy (I'm out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight–American Soldier–Toby Keith, Chuck Cannon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Inject this drug into tumors...
11 posted on 01/08/2004 10:42:01 PM PST by RLK
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ntnychik
Where's the pics?
12 posted on 01/08/2004 10:43:19 PM PST by Hazzardgate
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
OMGoodness. Not what I wanted to read right before trying to fall asleep with a sinus infection.
13 posted on 01/08/2004 10:46:30 PM PST by Diddle E. Squat (www.firethebcs.com, www.weneedaplayoff.com, www.firemackbrown.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hazzardgate; ntnychik
Please don't post the picture, just post a link to it.
14 posted on 01/08/2004 10:47:46 PM PST by Diddle E. Squat (www.firethebcs.com, www.weneedaplayoff.com, www.firemackbrown.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Click for story and video

15 posted on 01/08/2004 10:49:52 PM PST by TheDon (Have a Happy New Year!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Diddle E. Squat
Sleep tight! You'll be fine..

The odds are way up in the millions another reaction anywhere near this severe might occur.

I saw this article and had to look twice myself.

Amazing how far we have come in the treatment and sustaining of life.

That "transcyte" artificial skin is just what the doctor ordered. Marvelous stuff.
16 posted on 01/08/2004 10:50:39 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi Mac ....... Become a Monthly at FR....... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Diddle E. Squat
Please don't post the picture, just post a link to it.

Actually, she looks remarkably good for losing all of her skin. Amazingly good actually.
17 posted on 01/08/2004 11:11:41 PM PST by Arkinsaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
How disturbing...

She is truly lucky her skin grew back. It's a miracle.

18 posted on 01/08/2004 11:20:49 PM PST by Tim Osman (It's okay, I wasn't using those constitutional rights anyway.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Not my place to be a little miss prissy know-it-all... But I'm surprised we aren't seeing more of a YEEEEEEEEEHAH on the board here. We (well not us freepers, but humans in general) saved a life!

With all the death and loss in the world we have to read about, this is a mighty fine way for me to end my night.

Icky, ugly, etc- but HELLLLLLLL YEAH!

I don't know about all the various sectarian views on the value of saving a life, or how much whatever happens is God's will... but for me, in my simple minded way, I think God wants us to preserve and fight to save human life. Looks like, with His help, we got a swoosh from waaaaay outside the three point line. Wonderful.

Prayers, best wishes etc..

19 posted on 01/08/2004 11:29:32 PM PST by fourdeuce82d
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Bactrim: It exfoliates
20 posted on 01/08/2004 11:45:54 PM PST by MattAMiller
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson