Woman who thought she had chest infection ended up in a week-long coma
19.02.2024 - 12:07
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A woman who thought she had a chest infection ended up in a coma for a week after it turned out to be a life-threatening blood condition.
Tracey I'anson, 49, was admitted to Royal Preston Hospital for a bad cough which she thought was caused by a chest infection or her 10-a-day smoking habit.
However, she was taken by ambulance to Royal University Liverpool Hospital after losing consciousness and was put into an induced coma for a week. She was kept in intensive care after waking up from the coma and had to have a plasma exchange twice per day for nine weeks - the total time she was in hospital, Lancs Live reports.
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Tracey was in fact suffering from a rare, life-threatening blood condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). According to the NHS the condition causes small blood clots in the body and affects just 6 in a million people.
Tracey, from Preston, who is now in remission and takes aspirin and folic acid every day, hopes to raise awareness of TTP.
She said: "I don't remember anything other than when I woke up a week later. It was a strange one. I didn't know what was going on, I couldn't take it all in."
"People need to be made aware of this condition – many doctors have never even heard of it."
Formerly a cook at a school, she has now been medically retired. Tracey added: "It's just been a whirlwind, it's not been the nicest journey - I'm not the same person I was before. I was having nightmares about being in intensive care and things happening to me, it was horrible."
"I still wake up and check for bruises or signs that I'm going to relapse, I don't think I'll ever feel the same again."
Tracey has to visit