A primary school teacher who suffered with flu-like symptoms later developed sepsis that left her with rotting legs before she had all ten...
A primary school teacher who suffered with flu-like symptoms later developed sepsis that left her with rotting legs before she had all ten toes amputated.
Skeeter Hockett, from Michigan, booked an appointment with doctors in March who sent her home after dismissing fears that she had the flu.
But the 42-year-old's condition worsened in the following weeks before she was taken to hospital and told that she had developed double pneumonia.
She was sent home to recover but she began vomiting and coughing up blood with a temperature of 103.5 degrees.
The mother-of-two made a trip to the emergency room the following day, which was the last thing she remembered before waking up from a coma two weeks later.
Skeeter Hockett (left and right), from Michigan, was diagnosed with sepsis as well as gangrene that had set in on her toes after she experienced symptoms including vomiting and coughing up blood with a temperature of 103.5 degrees
Skeeter eventually had a six-hour operation to remove all ten of her toes but her legs had recovered enough to be spared
She was then told by doctors that she had developed sepsis in both of her legs, which now required amputation, as gangrene - a condition where a lack of blood circulation causes body tissue to die - had begun to set in on her toes.
Skeeter overheard doctors saying that there was a 'heartbeat' in her legs, which indicated that blood was still circulating successfully, and managed to plead with them to delay the amputation to see if her body could successfully grow healthy tissue.
She spent the next 42 days in hospital, being closely monitored, unable to see any visitors due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Skeeter was finally able to return home in late April to see her 13-year-old son Wilder and daughter seven-year-old Adaira where she began her long road to recovery.
Skeeter (pictured before her sepsis diagnosis) has since had to take life one day at a time to cope with both the physical and mental side of her recovery
In July, Skeeter had a six-hour operation to remove all ten of her toes but her legs had recovered enough to be spared.
She later underwent further surgery to extend the length of her Achilles to make walking more manageable. She has also had multiple skin grafts on her feet.
Skeeter has since had to take life one day at a time to cope with both the physical and mental side of her recovery.
She has been unable to return to work as a teacher for the foreseeable future with her immediate goal being to improve the distance she can walk - which is currently limited to 30 feet.
Skeeter currently has medical consultations twice a week as part of her ongoing recovery.
She later underwent further surgery to extend the length of her Achilles to make walking more manageable and has also had multiple skin grafts on her feet
She said: 'It all started when I began to feel really tired. By six o'clock each evening I was ready for bed. I started to suffer from a temperature, so I went to the doctor and they told me that I didn't have the flu.
'A few days later after my health continued to decline, I returned to the hospital and this time they said I had double pneumonia.
'On the night of March 14, I felt worse than I ever have done before. I was coughing up blood, vomiting and I had soiled my bed.
'I went to emergency room the next morning and that's the last thing I can remember before waking from a coma two weeks later.
'When I woke up and they told me they were going to remove both my legs below the knee, but I was adamant they were not.
Skeeter was finally able to return home in late April to see her 13-year-old son Wilder and daughter seven-year-old Adaira where she began her long road to recovery (pictured together)
'I remember one of the medical staff saying that there was 'a heartbeat' still in my legs, so I just repeated this over and over to the doctors.
'In the end, they said they would wait it out and told me that if I had any further signs of infection, I had to let them know immediately.
'In the end, all my toes were amputated, but my legs were spared.
'I stayed in the hospital recovering for forty-two days, but wasn't allowed any visitors due to COVID-19 restrictions which made things so much more difficult.
'I finally was able to return home at the end of April and see my daughter again which was an absolutely incredible feeling after spending so much time apart.
'I have since had operations to remove the gangrene from my feet and to extend my Achilles to give me a better range of movement in my feet.
'Trying to adapt to a 'new normal' has been one of the toughest things.
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