A MUM who almost lost her legs after a boozy night out is warning others to sober up before going to bed.
Julia Anderson, 36, passed out in an awkward position after a vodka fuelled night out with friends.
Kennedy NewsJulia (pictured) passed out in an awkward position after a vodka fuelled night out[/caption]
Kennedy NewsThe mum was later diagnosed with compartment syndrome, which was caused by lying on her legs all night and blocking the blood flow.[/caption]
Kennedy NewsSurgeons perform a gruelling life-saving op where Julia’s left leg (pictured) was sliced open and muscle was cut off[/caption]
When she woke, the mum from Toronto, Canada, said her legs were “double their usual size” and she was unable to walk.
“All I could think to myself was ‘did I break my legs or something? Why can’t I move my legs?,” she recalled.
Panicked, she called out to her mum who rang for an ambulance that rushed her to hospital.
After undergoing several tests and x-rays Julia was diagnosed with compartment syndrome, which was caused by lying on her legs all night and blocking the blood flow.
Without a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients, nerve and muscle cells can be damaged and die.
Surgeons at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, were forced to perform a gruelling life-saving op where Julia’s left calf was sliced open and muscle was cut off to relieve the swelling and reduce the toxins being released into her bloodstream.
After the operation, plastic surgeons performed a skin-graft from her thigh, to help her lower leg heal.
“The nerve damage was so bad I was screaming out in the middle of the night with the pain,” Julia said.
“Imagine your leg is falling asleep but that tingling feeling is times a thousand, like a sharp shooting electric shock up my leg,” she added.
Julia was in hospital for five weeks before being allowed home where she was bedridden for three weeks and forced to rely on heavy-duty painkillers for a year.
Even though much improved, Julia said she still walks “funny”.
“It’s been years but it still feels like my foot is mildly asleep all the time, I’m used to it,” the mum said.
“My toes are starting to curl under, I don’t know if I’ll need further surgery or if there’s anything they can do at this point,” she added.
After being embarrassed by her ordeal for three years, Julia bravely decided to share her story to ensure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
“Never pass out really drunk, sleeping it off is dangerous,” she warned
“Have some food and water instead and try to sober up before bed,” Julia added.
Symptoms of compartment syndrome
You can get compartment syndrome in any muscle, but it most often affects the muscles in the lower legs and forearms.
Symptoms include:
pain in a muscle – this may feel like a burning pain or a deep ache (moving the body part can make the pain even worse)
swelling or bulging of the muscle
numbness, weakness or pins and needles
tightness or difficulty moving the affected body part
The symptoms can start suddenly, such as after an injury or if a bandage or plaster cast is too tight. This is called acute compartment syndrome.
Symptoms can also come on gradually after exercising and go away when you rest. This is called chronic compartment syndrome.
Source: NHS