A woman has shared how her fingers and toes turned black following the discovery of a small kidney stone – and was left with no choice but to cut them off.
Louise Marshallsay felt a familiar “stabbing” sensation in her side, which she believed was another bout of the urinary disease.
She rushed to hospital, and her suspicions were confirmed, though was told to go home, as the issue would rectify itself naturally.
That evening, however, she began to fall in and out of consciousness and within a few hours, her hands and feet had turned black and purple.
Sadly, the 48-year-old had no choice but to have them removed.
“I was horrified when I looked down,” the former teaching assistant, from Swansea, told Need To Know.
“I was awake during the amputation, so I saw each finger being taken away from me.
“It was like something from a horror movie.
“I gasped when my bandages were removed.
“The remains of my fingers were swollen, bruised and had stitches in the tips.
“I cried from the pain and shock.”
Louise had a kidney stone previously removed three years ago.
In July 2022, she then suffered the aforementioned pain once again.
Upon arriving at hospital, she fell unconscious, before waking in “agony”.
Doctors confirmed she had gone into septic shock and that four days had passed.
Louise, who has a 25-year-old daughter, Lauren, was determined to fight, though.
Louise in hospital showing black toes. (Picture: Jam Press)
Louise in hospital showing black fingers. (Picture: Jam Press)
She said: “There was no way my little girl was going to lose her mum.
“The doctors had to restrict my blood flow to save my major organs.
“My hands and feet had felt icy cold, as if they were stuck to Deep Freeze.
“I hoped I wouldn’t lose all my fingers and toes, as I didn’t know what I would do without them.
“My muscles had started to waste from the lack of use and I had also lost hearing in my right ear.
“But, I was alive, and that was the most important thing.”
A few weeks later, even though portions of her hands and feet had recovered, all the fingers and toes on her right side were black and dying.
She had no choice but to remove them.
In October 2022, all her other fingers and toes were removed.
Louise in hospital showing black toes. (Picture: Jam Press)
Louise moved back in with her parents, as she was unable to walk due to lack of balance.
She was also unable to cook, shower, or use a kettle.
The 48-year-old was then referred to a prosthetics laboratory – and was met with a shocking turn in her battle.
She said: “The doctors told me my case was unique, as usually they use the remaining fingers to model the prosthetic.
“A technician looked at a photo of my hands before and noted that her fingers looked the same as mine.
“And she was right.
“We had identical hands and fingers – I had met my hand twin.
“Along with old photos, doctors were able to figure out the correct dimensions to use.
Louises hands after finger removal. (Picture: Jam Press)
“When I first saw them, I couldn’t believe it.
“They looked just like the real thing, right down to the blue streaks for veins and intricate creases around the knuckles.
“I was overwhelmed.”
Louise has since learned to adapt to her new “normal” and has even found love through sharing her story.
She added: “I can’t forget I was on death’s door for a few days.
“I’m so grateful to be here, and, fingers crossed, things can only get better from here.”
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