A mother of two from Indiana said she nearly lost her leg from an infection she allegedly contracted from a hot tub while on vacation.
Taylor Bryant, 26, said she took several rounds of antibiotics and stayed in the hospital for four days, People magazine reported on July 25.
“I was thankful to have my leg but more so thankful I am here today,” Bryant recalled to the magazine. “There were plenty of days where I was down and hard on myself feeling like I wasn’t getting better.”
Indiana Mom of 2 Nearly Loses Her Leg from Hot Tub Rash While on Vacation: ‘I Couldn’t Walk’ https://t.co/XDPXItik30
— People (@people) July 26, 2019
“My doctor would remind me that it takes time to heal,” she continued, adding that “it just doesn’t go away easily.”
While on a vacation in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and developed cramping and nausea.
“Our first family vacation!” Bryant told WISH-TV in Indianapolis. “What kind of luck is this?”
“Unbearable” pain in her leg followed, and the woman was left unable to walk, WISH reported.
Bryant then went to an urgent care clinic before she was given antibiotics. It got worse.
When Bryant, her children, and husband arrived back in Indianapolis, she noticed more cramping in her leg, a rash was spreading, and blisters were also present, she told the news outlet.
She was diagnosed with cellulitis, a common bacteria that can become life-threatening if gone untreated. However, after receiving more antibiotics, her leg didn’t improve.
“I thought I was going to lose my leg,” Bryant said. “They told me they couldn’t make any promises… and even if things went well, I might need skin grafts.”
Bryant gave graphic images of her leg infection to WISH and other news outlets, showing what appears to be blackened, necrotic flesh.
“It didn’t feel like it was part of me,” she recalled. “To see all the pus and the color changes was creepy.”
After two weeks of IV antibiotics, doctors said she would be able to recover from her infection.
“I hugged [the doctor],” Bryant added. “I just squeezed her. The whole time I was in the hospital, I was wondering, ‘Will I ever get better?’”
After the ordeal, doctors told her that she may have contracted the infection after going in the hotel’s hot tub.
“I was thankful to have my leg — but more so, thankful to be alive.”
Indianapolis woman told @WISH_TV she feared losing her leg to an aggressive bacterial infection. (This video contains graphic images beginning at 0:08.)
FULL STORY: https://t.co/aGwpNsgrsj pic.twitter.com/goDlrdvURy
— Julia Deng (@Julia_Deng) July 25, 2019
“[This incident] changed my view on hot tubs,” she told People. “I used to think they were nice and relaxing. Now I know how nasty they can be so fast. I will not be going back in one.”
She also filed an incident report with the hotel, which she did not identify, after noticing the rash.
“I want people to see the chance they take in hot tubs,” she added. “It’s not just oceans and lakes anymore. This can be just from a break of skin, for example, shaving [your] legs [and] then getting in [a] hot tub.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says (pdf) a hot tub rash can be caused by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.
“Hot tub rash can occur if contaminated water comes in contact with skin for a long period of time. The rash usually appears within a few days of being in a poorly maintained hot tub (or spa), but it can also appear within a few days after swimming in a poorly maintained pool or contaminated lake. Most rashes clear up in a few days without medical treatment. However, if your rash lasts longer than a few days, consult your health care provider,” the agency says.
