A woman has revealed how a simple splinter led to nearly five years of excruciating pain, seizures, and eventually, a ‘complete loss of control over her central nervous system.’
Billie Bedser, a DJ from Australia, was blowing leafs off her lawn in 2020 when she accidentally stepped on a stick.
The wood pierced her foot and left a few splinters in her skin; Billie ‘pulled out what she could’ and went on with her day, not thinking much of it.
But as time went on, Billie explained in a recent essay for Newsweek that her foot began to hurt immensely, so she sought out medical help.
Doctors told her that her body would ‘push it out’ on its own, but she said her pain only heightened as the days passed.
Billie claimed on Instagram that was ‘overlooked, gaslit, and ignored’ by doctors for years, as her foot got worse.
And by 2022, she said she was ‘bedbound’ most days.
‘Putting any weight on my foot was excruciating,’ she shared with Newsweek. ‘This was completely out of character for me, as I take pride in looking after my mind, body and soul.Â
A woman has revealed how a simple splinter led to nearly five years of excruciating pain, seizures, and eventually, a ‘complete loss of control over her central nervous system’
Billie Bedser, a DJ from Australia, was blowing leafs off her lawn in 2020 when she accidentally stepped on a stick and got a splinter
‘Not being able to train at the gym – and losing 22 pounds of muscle as a result – was incredibly hard to accept.’
Billie said her health continued to ‘deteriorate’ and she started suffering from seizures – ‘sometimes happening more than once a day.’
‘My body couldn’t regulate its own temperature, and I constantly felt like I was falling apart,’ she added.Â
‘I was confused yet conscious, as though I had no control over my movements. My coordination was severely impaired.’
She added on Instagram of her symptoms, ‘I’ve been battling seizures, fatigue, insomnia, memory loss, and a complete loss of control over my central nervous system.’
All the while, she said she was continuously ‘dismissed’ by doctors, who told her that her symptoms were a result of mental health issues.
‘I was made to feel like it was psychological rather than a physical issue, and began questioning whether my pain was even real,’ she told Newsweek.
‘I visited the doctor multiple times but was repeatedly dismissed and told my issues were due to anxiety, given my mental health history. They even prescribed me antidepressants.’
But as time went on, Billie explained that her foot began to hurt immensely. She also lost 20 pounds and started battling ‘chronic fatigue’ and seizures
Billie claimed on Instagram that was ‘overlooked, gaslit, and ignored’ by doctors for years, as her symptoms got worse
‘I consulted psychiatrists, psychologists and more doctors, but the go-to answer seemed to be mental health.Â
‘Deep down, I knew I wasn’t depressed. I told them repeatedly that I was in physical pain. It was mentally exhausting to be dismissed so easily.’
Billie said she started to ‘question herself’ as time went on, and wondered if she was just being a ‘hypochondriac.’
But when she noticed a ‘large lump’ forming on her foot one day, doctors finally began to take her seriously.Â
‘In January this year, for the first time in five years, someone finally took me seriously and agreed to run more thorough scans without dismissing me,’ she shared.
‘I had 16 appointments in January alone before finally receiving a diagnosis: osteomyelitis – a serious infection that occurs when bacteria or fungi infect the bone marrow.’
In March, she underwent surgery, in which doctors ‘cleaned out the infection, shaved part of the bone, and removed the two-centimeter splinter’ that was still inside her body.
When she noticed a ‘large lump’ forming on her foot one day, she said doctors finally began to take her seriously
In March, she underwent surgery, in which doctors ‘cleaned out the infection, shaved part of the bone, and removed the two-centimeter splinter’ that was still inside her body
Since then, she’s only had one seizure, but said she is still battling the constant fatigue. And getting back to normal will be a long road.
‘I truly believe that sometimes our greatest downfalls can turn into our greatest blessings,’ she concluded.Â
‘I’ve used this time to learn and grow, but it’s bittersweet. I had a good career in music for 18 years and felt like it was taking off, then COVID hit, and that was hard enough, but then to lose more years to illness was devastating.
‘Today, I try not to dwell on what has happened, and I’m focusing on getting back to good health, and I hope to someday progress with my music career.’
