A woman contracted sepsis after doctors discovered she had an abscess behind one of her breast implants.
Jemma Walker was convinced she was going to die after contracting the deadly infection and spending three days in intensive care.
Medics discovered the 23-year-old had an abscess behind one of her breast implants which was spreading infection and causing her body to attack its own tissues and organs.
Devastated family members remained at her bedside with medics initially unable to say whether or not she would pull through, North Wales Live reports.
Doctor told teen she had a sickness bug but days later she was barely alive and brain damaged
She went through a "terrifying" 11-day ordeal and is now recovering at home in Prestatyn.
Jemma wants to raise awareness about the symptoms of the condition and how quickly it can take hold.
She said it started on April 27 when she experienced a "tight stitch-like sensation" in her chest.
"I couldn't breathe properly" she said.
"I thought maybe I was overreacting so I took some painkillers and went to bed but, when I woke, my left breast was really swollen.
"I was taken to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd by ambulance but, when I got there, I collapsed in A&E.
"All the staff came rushing over and I ended up in rescus and everything just spiralled from there."
Tests revealed that Jemma had contracted sepsis and bacterial infections and had high levels of inflammation in her body.
An abscess had developed behind her left breast implant, which she'd had done to improve her confidence last September.
Jemma, who works at Darwin Escapes Holiday Parks in Talacre, said: "I was so poorly. My oxygen levels were low, as was my blood pressure, and my C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were above 400 when they should be below 20.
"I got rushed to surgery where they drained the abscess and spent three days in intensive care and five days on the high dependency unit.
"I had tubes coming from my neck and arms. I couldn't eat or do anything for myself. It was the most terrifying time of my life.
"It was touch and go for the first three days and I really thought I was going to die. The doctors didn't even know if I would make it."
'My family said goodbye to me in hospital when I was given just a 3% chance of surviving sepsis'
But as the days passed, Jemma's health improved and she was able to breathe on her own again.
After 11 days, she was discharged and remains on antibiotics.
"It was horrible," she said.
"It was like being in two different worlds. I was here but then I wasn't.
"In those 11 days, I learnt just how important my health is and how quickly life can take a bad turn, so I want to make people aware of the signs of sepsis, which include slurred speech or confusion, extreme shivering or muscle pain, passing no urine, severe breathlessness and mottled or discoloured skin.
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"In hindsight, I can see that I had the symptoms, but would never have made the connection.
"I just kept brushing it off and putting it down to being tired and run down.
"You never think it's going to happen to you.
"I've been told so many times by doctors how lucky I am to be alive and it upsets me to hear how close I was to death.
"I couldn't have got through it without all the staff who cared for me - a massive thanks goes out to them. They were absolutely amazing.
"This has made me appreciate life much more."
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Sepsis - also referred to as blood poisoning or septicaemia - causes the body’s immune system to go into overdrive as it tries to fight the infection, which can reduce the blood supply to vital organs such as the brain, heart and kidneys.
Without quick treatment, an infection can lead to multiple organ failure and death.
For more information about the signs and symptoms of sepsis, visit sepsistrust.org
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