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More on KentOnline
A mum feared she would lose her leg when she contracted a flesh-eating infection after being bitten by a bug on holiday.
Faye Wilkes, of Dartford, was left unable to walk days after feeling a sharp nip on her foot while relaxing in Benidorm.
Her leg blistered and swelled up and the 41-year-old claims she was turned away from a Spanish hospital as medics thought she was a "typical drunk Brit".
The personal assistant was on holiday with her sister to cheer themselves up after losing their father Raymond to lung cancer in 2016.
She had to cut her holiday short just four days in to get medical help in the UK after her leg began to blister and become infected.
The mother-of-one was rushed from Gatwick Airport on arrival to East Surrey Hospital, where she was told she had contracted a flesh-eating infection, likely to be necrotising fasciitis, which happen when bacteria enters a wound, causing sepsis and doctors warned she need her leg amputated.
Ms Wilkes was pumped with seven different types of antibiotics and spent more than four months in intensive care.
But she has been left traumatised by the ordeal and is still recovering from her holiday nightmare.
"We recently lost our dad, Raymond, to lung cancer and to heer ourselves up, unwind and relax my sister, Carrie, and I booked a holiday.
"We hoped to spend a week soaking up the sun and sipping cocktails, but it turned into a holiday from hell after I was bitten by an insect.
"From the moment my leg began hurting, I knew something was wrong, but I didn't want to waste anybody's time.
"After it started scabbing and I had difficulty walking, I knew I needed to get help, but the Spanish doctors just fobbed me off as another 'British drunk' - I was horrified.
"I'm glad that I went to the hospital when I did, as I was close to death." - Faye Wilkes
"I trusted my gut instinct and flew home straight away and I'm glad I did, as doctors in the UK said I would have died - or would have at least needed my limb amputated - if I didn't get treatment within 24 hours.
"Although I'm thankful I've been able to keep my leg, I'm still battling with the after affects that this mystery bug has left me, but I'm getting there - slowly but surely."
Ms Wilkes doesn't know what bit her, but thinks it was a mosquito or spider.
She added: "I felt like I had been stabbed in my left leg. It instantly began burning up and I thought it was probably just a silly mosquito bite, so I went into the pool to cool it off.
"But as I went in, my leg started to burn up more and my toes began bleeding, which I thought was odd, but dismissed it until the next morning, as I didn't want to waste anybody's time."
On her plane home the mother begged the cabin crew to phone her an ambulance to pick her up from Gatwick when she arrived.
She was admitted to intensive care in Royal Surrey Hospital and diagnosed with sepsis. Doctors told her if she had left it 24 more hours she could have died.
"I was absolutely horrified, as I didn't think a measly bite from a bug in Benidorm would result in sepsis, let alone the loss of my leg.
"Luckily, they were able to flush out the infection without having to do any invasive surgery, but I still feel incredibly weak.
"They couldn't find the bug in my system, so were unable to work out which one caused me to have sepsis, but I'm glad that I went to the hospital when I did, as I was close to death.
"Although they got rid of the infection, my foot and leg is still scarred and my circulation is awful, so I have to keep it propped up near enough 24/7.
"I think it was either a dirty spider or mosquito that brought this pain and distress upon me - but I will never know.
"The main thing is that I'm alive and I still have my left leg and foot - but I know I still have a long way to go until I'm out of the woods.
"I had to learn to walk again and build up my strength."
