Warning: Article contains images that some readers may find disturbing
A beautician has opened up on the heartbreaking reality of unexpectedly losing both of her hands and legs from a horrific infection.
Lin Ai Ling, from Malaysia, worked as a beauty expert in Singapore before she caught what started out as a tummy bug.
The 37-year-old thought she had food poisoning and paid a visit to the hospital.
Advert
On the first check-up, Ling was prescribed with medicines, but during the second visit, the doctor sent her to the emergency room.
Ling said she 'lost consciousness afterwards' and before she knew it, she was in a hospital bed surrounded by surgeons who made her family fear the worst.
The medical professionals said that Ling had become victim to an unidentified bacterial infection.
The freak health condition meant that oxygen stopped reaching her heart. As her heart was slowly getting weaker, Ling was at risk of getting brain death.
Doctors warned they had little choice but to injected her with a stimulant to increase blood flow.
Ling was warned that the injection came with the risk of causing necrosis in her fingers and toes.
After agreeing to have it done, the woman and her family were left horrified when Ling's hands and feet became black.
Soon after, surgeons had to carry out emergency amputations, as the shocking images show how the necrosis was spreading along all four of her limbs as the cells began to die off.
Ling had amputations above her wrists and the second operation took both her legs away.
She said: "I then made the decision and had both my hands amputated on 29th November last year, and both my legs amputated on 19th December."
To make things even worse, her life savings of £170,000 were used up in medical bills.
The former beautician now lives with her family in Ipoh, Malaysia.
Ling explained: "Now that I have no income, I can only rely on my sister to take care of me. It was hard to accept at first, and I didn't want to see my friends, but later, it was their support that helped me get through it. I have to stay strong and live on."
Ling didn't have enough money so she had to choose between prosthetic hands or legs.
In the end, she opted for prosthetic legs, costing £8,650 in insurance. She is paying for them in instalments whilst still learning how to use them.
Topics: Health, World News
Anish Vij