A YOUNG woman has been left devastated after a tiny blister led to her needing to have her leg amputated.
The 24-year-old is raising awareness so others know of the potentially fatal impact a seemingly minor issue – such as a blister – can have.
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Charlie Beardshall-Moore, from Hull, was once fully independent, active and sporty before her life took a dramatic turn.
In January 2021, a blister emerged on her foot while wearing trainers.
Within days, the bump had become infected, had grown in size, and oozed pus.
As she became more concerned, Charlie visited several hospitals in and around Hull and received advice from specialists, but her foot never healed.
For the past three years, I have been walking around on tip-toes and the next thing I have had my leg chopped off.
Charlie Beardshall-Moore
The infection got worse and led to her developing sepsis – a life-threatening reaction to an infection.
Charlie told HullLive that doctors had to remove the lower left leg last week to prevent the infection from spreading.
“People literally need to go and get it checked out straight away. I have now lost my leg. It could happen to anybody,” she said.
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RECOVERY
Charlie is recovering at home under the care of her partner, Jason Copeland, and her grandmother, Sheryl Moore.
She is confined to a wheelchair until medics can fit a prosthetic limb, which could take up to three months to be arranged.
How you can treat a blister yourself
Blisters often heal on their own within a week.
They can be painful while they heal, but you will not usually need to see a GP.
There are things you can do to protect a blister and help stop it getting infected:
- Keep the blister as clean as possible – gently wash the skin and pat it dry
- Cover blisters with a soft plaster or padded dressing
- Wash your hands before touching a burst blister
- Allow the fluid in a burst blister to drain before covering it with a plaster or dressing
Don’t do the following:
- Do not burst a blister yourself
- Do not peel the skin off a burst blister
- Do not pick at the edges of the remaining skin
- Do not wear the shoes or use the equipment that caused your blister until it heals
Do not ignore an infected blister; without treatment, it could lead to a skin or blood infection.
Seek further help if:
- A blister is very painful or keeps coming back
- The skin looks infected – it’s hot and the blister is filled with green or yellow pus
- The skin around the blister looks red, but this can be harder to see on brown or black skin
- A blister is in an unusual place – such as your eyelids, mouth or genitals
- Several blisters have appeared for no reason
- A blister was caused by a burn or scald, sunburn, or an allergic reaction
You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.
“They have been brilliant, but I can’t understand how, for the past three years, I have been walking around on tip-toes and the next thing I have had my leg chopped off.
“I miss being able to do things on my own.
Charlie remains hopeful that she will be able to live an everyday life again.
“I have worked all my life,” she said.
“I want to be able to go back to work and not be off on the sick.
“I am a girl who likes to be independent and not in a wheelchair, not being able to go out and do the things 24-year-olds do.”
What are the symptoms of sepsis?
SEPSIS is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that happens when your immune system overreacts and starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs.
Symptoms of sepsis in an adult include:
- Acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
- Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
Symptoms in a child include:
- Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- Difficulty breathing (you may notice grunting noises or their stomach sucking under their ribcage), breathlessness or breathing very fast
- A weak, high-pitched cry that’s not like their normal cry
- Not responding like they normally do, or not interested in feeding or normal activities
- Being sleepier than normal or having difficulty waking
They may not have all these symptoms.
If you think you or someone else has symptoms of sepsis, call 999 or go to A&E.
Source: NHS