A Kentucky woman says she’s just glad to be alive after a kidney stone turned into an infection a few weeks ago, prompting doctors to amputate all four of her limbs.
“I’ve lost both legs, from the knees down, and I’m going to lose both arms, probably below the elbow,” Cindy Mullins told NBC News affiliate KSBY 6. “The doctor told me: ‘You had to do it to save your life.’”
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The 41-year-old woman had a kidney stone that became infected, and during her medical treatment, the infection spread. After remaining sedated for days in a hospital, she woke up to the news that she would lose all of her limbs.
She was initially treated at Fort Logan Hospital in Stanford, Kentucky, but was later taken by ambulance to UK Hospital in Lexington.
Mullins, who is a nurse, was surprisingly calm when the procedures she would undergo were explained to her. She would rather lose her limbs, she said, than lose her life.
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She now describes her situation as a “perfect storm,” but one that will not defeat her. “These are the cards I’ve been dealt and this is how I’m going to play,” Mullins said.
“I am very happy to be alive. I can see my children. I can see my family. I can spend time with my husband. What happened to me are minor things at this time,” she said.
Mullins has been with her current husband since she was 17 and says family means everything to her. As her unfortunate story spread, the community rallied to support her.
In recent weeks, more than $100,000 has been donated to help the family get through this difficult time, Scripps News Lexington reported.
“I think at one point there were 40 people in the waiting room. The calls and texts, the prayers and the things people have sent. The little words of encouragement,” Mullins said. “I never imagined people would do these things for me.”
As he prepares for rehabilitation, physical therapy, prosthetics and changes to his daily life, he hopes his story can inspire others.
“Slow down the pace. Appreciate the things around you, especially your family. It’s okay to let people take care of you,” Mullins said. “If a person believes in God after seeing what happened to me, then all this is worth it.”
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According to specialists, there is a close correlation between sepsis and kidney disease. The infection caused by a kidney stone can easily spread and cause sepsis or disrupt the functioning of vital organs.
Any delay in the treatment of patients with kidney stones increases their morbidity and mortality rate. Without aggressive and appropriate treatment, kidney stones can quickly become life-threatening.
With information from Guardian, KSBY 6 and Scripps News Lexington
