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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A Tampa Bay man has survived a flesh-eating bacteria that had begun destroying part of his leg.
“What you see now you see not just a scar, but the beauty of the aftermath,” said Donnie Adams, who added that he’s healing because of his doctors and the power of meditation and prayer. “I would’ve never imagined that a human bite would turn into somethings so horrific as a flesh-eating bacteria.”
Adams was at a family event in February when things got sour between two family members and he was bit. He went to the hospital for a tetanus shot and antibiotics.
“By the third day, my leg was very sore. I couldn’t walk, it was very warm and very painful,” said Adams.
These are all signs of a worsening infection. Adams rushed to the ER at HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital in St. Pete.
“I looked at him and I said to him that I need to take you to the operating room,” recalled Dr. Fritz Brink, an osteopathic physician at HCA Florida.
Dr. Brink said he found something worse than what he expected—necrotizing fasciitis, which is a flesh-eating bacteria, a bacterial condition that travels along the muscle sheath.
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“They assessed my wound and it was very horrific,” said Adams. “It was unbelievable. But in my mind, I just had to get through whatever this was.”
Dr. Brink performed a second surgery to cut out all the infected tissue out of Adams thigh.
“There’s a lot of really bad bacteria that live between our teeth in our gums in our mouth,” said Dr. Brink.
Dr. Brink believes the bacteria that grew in Adams wound was actually skin.
“If I would’ve waited and waited until the next day after our second visit, there was a chance I would’ve lost my leg,” said Adams.
He also could have gone into septic shock, which can be fatal and it was fatal for Adams brother at the age of 47.
Dr. Brink says this is a reminder that if you have a wound, and there is more redness, pain and warmth, seek medical attention. Those are signs an infection is getting worse.
