A woman from Swansea has described the horrific moment she watched doctors amputate her blackened fingers, after a small kidney stone triggered a life-threatening chain of events.
From Familiar Pain to Nightmare
In July 2022, Louise Marshallsay, a 48-year-old former teaching assistant, felt a stabbing pain in her side she recognised from a previous kidney stone episode three years earlier. She went to hospital where her suspicion was confirmed, but she was advised to go home as it would likely pass naturally.
That evening, her condition deteriorated catastrophically. Louise began drifting in and out of consciousness. Within hours, her hands and feet had turned a shocking black and purple. "I was horrified when I looked down," she said.
A Fight for Life and Limb
Louise had fallen unconscious and woke up four days later in agony. Doctors diagnosed septic shock. To save her major organs, they had to restrict blood flow to her extremities. "My hands and feet had felt icy cold, as if they were stuck to a deep freeze," she recalled.
Despite her determination to survive for her 25-year-old daughter Lauren, the damage was irreversible. Portions of her hands and feet began to recover, but the fingers and toes on her right side were necrotic and dying. The agonising decision was made to amputate.
"I was awake during the amputation, so I saw each finger being taken away from me. It was like something from a horror movie," Louise confessed. By October 2022, all her remaining fingers and toes had been removed.
Adapting to a New 'Normal' and a Remarkable Coincidence
The aftermath was profoundly challenging. Louise moved back in with her parents, unable to walk, cook, or shower independently. Referred to a prosthetics laboratory, she encountered an astonishing twist.
"The doctors told me my case was unique, as usually they use the remaining fingers to model the prosthetic," she explained. A technician looked at a photo of Louise's original hands and noted they were identical to her own. "I had met my hand twin," Louise said.
Using old photos and her technician's matching hands, experts crafted incredibly lifelike prosthetic fingers, complete with detailed veins and knuckle creases. "When I first saw them, I couldn't believe it," she said, overwhelmed.
Louise has since learned to adapt, found love through sharing her story, and maintains a powerful perspective. "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."
