An Ohio woman experienced the tragic loss of all her limbs after her pet dog gave her excited kisses, leading to a severe infection.
Recently, a woman named Marie Trainer faced an unimaginable challenge after returning home from vacation.
What started as a joyful reunion with her pet puppy turned into a life-altering experience that led to the loss of all her limbs.
Marie returned from a tropical getaway. Her German shepherd puppy excitedly greeted her with kisses.
It was a typical moment of affection, but Marie had a small cut on her hand from a hotel keycard that she didn’t think much about at the time.
Unfortunately, that small cut would lead to a serious health crisis.
Ohio woman loses all limbs over a few excited kisses from her pet dog
The woman diagnosed with capnocytophaga canimorsus from her pet dog’s kisses
Just four days after her return, Marie began to feel unwell.
“Four days later, I wasn’t feeling well and just got sicker and sicker,” she recalled.
What she initially thought was the flu soon escalated into something far more severe.
Her husband, Matt Trainer, rushed her to the hospital when her symptoms worsened.
Doctors conducted tests and discovered that she had contracted a rare and dangerous bacteria.
It called “capnocytophaga canimorsus”, which is commonly found in the saliva of dogs and cats.
The woman’s fight for survival overcoming limb loss due to severe infection from kisses of her pet dog
This bacteria can cause severe reactions in some people, and in Marie’s case, it triggered a catastrophic response in her immune system.
It led to massive blood clots forming in her body, cutting off circulation to her limbs.
Doctors described the situation as critical, with her hands and feet rapidly turning black due to lack of blood flow.
“It was just rapidly progressing where her hands and feet were turning black,” explained Dr. Ajay Seth.
Marie was placed in a medically induced coma for ten days.
When she finally woke up, she faced the devastating news that all four of her limbs had to be amputated due to the severe damage caused by the infection.
Initially, doctors had planned to amputate higher up, which would have severely limited her mobility.
However, Dr. Ajay Seth, her orthopedic surgeon, worked tirelessly to save as much of her limbs as possible.
He spent over seven hours removing more than 40 blood clots to ensure that Marie could eventually use prosthetics.
Fast forward five years, and Marie’s life has taken a remarkable turn.
After a long and challenging recovery, including setbacks related to the COVID-19 pandemic, she is now stronger than ever.
Marie has received state-of-the-art prosthetic legs and hands, allowing her to regain much of her independence.
She can participate in activities she once enjoyed, such as gardening and drawing, and she even rides a trike.
“It’s been challenging,” she admitted, “Learning how to walk was the hardest thing, but I’m good, I’m doing good.”
Marie’s new prosthetics are impressive; they function almost like real limbs, giving her the sensation of touch.
One of her proudest moments was when she first received myoelectric prosthetic hands that respond to her thoughts, allowing her to open and close them.
“The first thing I did was hold Matt’s hand,” she recalled, tears in her eyes.
Throughout her journey, Marie has maintained an incredibly positive attitude.
Despite the immense challenges she faced, she has inspired many people, including others who have experienced limb loss.
Marie looks forward to future milestones, such as dancing at her son’s wedding.
She credits much of her strength to her husband, Matt, who has been a constant source of support.
“I love him more and more every day,” she shared, expressing her gratitude for his presence in her life.