Mother whose sore throat left her needing a colostomy bag: 25-year-old who thought she had flu was suffering deadly sepsis which ravaged her bowel

A mother who was told to get mouthwash after visiting her doctors complaining of a sore throat almost died when it turned out to be a deadly blood infection.

Stephanie Jennings, 25, from Worthing, West Sussex, has been left wearing a colostomy bag after her body was ravaged by pneumonia, which lead to sepsis.

But doctors thought she was suffering from a common cold – despite her throat being so sore she couldn’t eat as she lost two stone in three weeks.

Despite visiting her GP five times, she claims she was sent away with a prescription for antibacterial mouthwash on each visit.

Stephanie Jennings, 25, from Worthing, West Sussex, has been left wearing a stoma bag (right) after her body was ravaged by pneumonia, which led to sepsis (left)

She has since overcome her life changing ordeal and the self-employed nail technician wears her stoma bag with pride, pictured with her son, Elban

But exhausted and struggling for breath, Miss Jennings was later rushed to hospital by her boyfriend, Michael Joseph, 32. 

Her body was so weak that she was just hours from death before being admitted as doctors revealed she had suffered from pneumonia which lead to her developing sepsis. 

Miss Jennings was given a large dose of antibiotics to cure her sepsis, but they triggered ulcerative colitis leaving her colon so badly damaged she had to have it removed.

She has since overcome her life changing ordeal and the self-employed nail technician wears her stoma bag with pride.

Miss Jennings said: ‘I was told the harsh reality that if I hadn’t of gone there when I did then things could have been a lot different, I was hours away from my organs failing.

‘I was treated on two separate occasions for septic shock, but due to the high dose of antibiotics it triggered ulcerative colitis and I had to have my colon removed, I was terrified and in complete shock.

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‘I still can’t believe that a sore throat led to such drastic consequences to my health, I now have a stoma bag and will wear it for the rest of my life, but I know how lucky I am to be here today.’ 

With sepsis, the body’s immune system goes into overdrive, causing a dramatic drop in blood pressure and reducing the blood supply to vital organs such as the brain, heart and kidneys.

She added: ‘After a while I knew it couldn’t just be sore throat, I felt like I was dying, that is the only way I can describe it. 

‘But after receiving my diagnosis I was given two courses of antibiotics as I went into septic shock for a second time.

Her colon was so damaged it was close to rupturing and, at the age of just 24, she had to have it removed 

Her partner was unable to bring her son, Elban, see to her while she was in intensive care, pictured with her son before her illness (left)

She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis – a form of bowel disease which causes inflammation and ulceration of the colon – which was caused by the extremely large doses of antibiotics she was given to cure her sepsis

Exhausted and struggling for breath, Miss Jennings was rushed to hospital by her boyfriend, Michael Joseph, 32 (right) as doctors revealed she had suffered from pneumonia, pictured after her ordeal

‘Eventually the antibiotics worked but a few weeks later I still felt really poorly, I had extreme stomach cramps and diarrhoea, and I put it down to the high dose of drugs.’

Over the next two months Miss Jennings’ symptoms gradually got worse – forcing her to go back to her doctors where she was referred for more tests.

She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis – a form of bowel disease which causes inflammation and ulceration of the colon – which was caused by the extremely large doses of antibiotics she was given to cure her sepsis.

Her colon was so badly damaged it was close to rupturing and, at the age of just 24, she had to have it removed.

Miss Jennings said: ‘I was terrified and my whole body felt numb, I still thought I wasn’t going to make it.

‘When I woke up all I wanted to do was see my boys but because I was in intensive care, Michael was unable to bring Elban to see me as he was so young, that was the hardest part of it all.

‘I now wear a stoma bag, which I wanted to rip off at first, but I realised life is just too short and a year on from my operation I now embrace it and realise how lucky I am to be here today.

‘It’s hard to believe that a sore throat could completely turn your life upside down, but I now urge others to trust their instinct and always ask for help.’

Dr Ron Daniels BEM, Chief Executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: ‘Sepsis, or blood poisoning, is the reaction to an infection in which the body attacks its own organs and tissues and, if not spotted and treated quickly, it can rapidly cause organ failure and death.

‘In its early stages, sepsis can look like a bad case of the flu. Symptoms might initially include a very sore throat, achy muscles and fatigue.

‘Anyone with flu-like symptoms and one or more of the key signs of sepsis must present to healthcare immediately, either by calling an ambulance or going to an emergency department. With every hour that passes before the right antibiotics are administered, risk of death increases.’