Redditor johnboy9210 retrieved a football from a stagnant koi pond one day and contracted necrotizing fasciitis, the infamous flesh-eating disease. Fortunately, we don’t have to experience the tissue-chomping bacteria first-hand, and can instead witness his photographic account from the early signs of infection through his multiple surgeries.
Just 36 hours after the bacteria first entered his body, johnboy9210 took a photo of his swollen, throbbing pinky finger. When his pinky started turning black, he rushed to the ER. At first, the doctors planned to culture the bacteria from his finger, but it soon became clear that he needed immediate surgery to remove the infected tissue. It wasn’t until after his first surgery that he received his diagnosis, and learned exactly which bug it was: Streptococcus pyogenes. And that proved just the beginning of his medical adventure.
the most fascinating thread i’ve read in a really long time!
