Claire Reid
A fit and healthy college wrestler almost lost his leg after contracting a flesh-eating infection, which he had initially dismissed as a harmless bruise.
Peyton Robb, 23, began to ‘feel crummy’ during a wrestling competition back in March, but said he simply shrugged it off and continued on with the competition.
However, following one match, he collapsed, threw up and was left shaking - prompting his concerned parents to take him to hospital.
Doctors initially dismissed the mark on Robb’s leg as strep cellulitis - a common infection that can be treated with antibiotics.
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But when his leg began to swell up, turn red and become painful he was re-diagnosed with a rare flesh-rotting bacterial infection called necrotising fasciitis.
Robb spent two weeks going in and out of surgery as medics cut away the ‘black spots' on his shin to remove the infection.
Thankfully, the surgeries have been a success and now Robb has spent the last six weeks recovering in hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Speaking to OHSMganet following his treatment, Robb said: “I kept wrestling because that's just my mindset. I thought I just had a stomach bug or something that was making me feel crumby.”
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A fundraiser has since been set up for Robb, which explained that the ‘bruise’ on his leg had become ‘extremely tender’ but that he brushed it aside as it was nothing new to the wrestler.
After his first erroneous diagnosis, Robb’s condition continued to worsen to the point where his partner Taylor took him back into hospital.
Once there, he was diagnosed with life-threatening sepsis and doctors also found blood clots in his lungs.
He was treated with strong antibiotics and blood thinners, but as he was undergoing treatment medics began to see ‘black spots’ appearing on Robb’s shin - a sign that the flesh was dying off.
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He was rushed into surgery, where doctors removed the affected tissues to stop it spreading. Had the infection spread to Robb’s bone, it’s very likely he would have had to have his leg amputated.
Across the next 13 days, Robb had multiple surgeries and was left in ‘excruciating pain’.
Robb told KCCI: “There was a lot of moments where I was just kind of in pain.
"Sometimes it was just subtle, sometimes a little bit more.
“[But] I just learned to keep that positive outlook in whatever situation you're in, and I think that helped me through the whole thing.”
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With the surgery a success, Robb was transferred to a burns unit, where he spent time inside a special pressurized chamber to help speed up his recovery.
With his recovery going well, Robb is now hoping to get to wrestling in the next few months.