GRAPHIC: Flesh-Eating Bug Eats Fifth Of Man's Body After Acid Reflux Surgery | HuffPost Life

Flesh-Eating Bug Eats Fifth Of Man's Body (Graphic)

PA Real Life Features

Warning: This article contains graphic images.

Shocking photos show how a flesh-eating bug ate a fifth of a man’s body.

Jacob Rothe developed necrotizing fasciitis (NF) in October last year following surgery on his stomach to cure acid reflux.

The surgery preceded a serious car accident 18 years earlier which had left him in intensive care for 96 days – much of it was spent in a coma.

“I had scar tissue on my stomach following the smash,” the father-of-four said. “But the surgeon examined me and said I was suitable for a laparoscopic lesion to cure the reflux.

“A laparoscopic lesion is pretty simple to explain; the upper part of the stomach is wrapped around your oesophagus and sewn into place.”

Jacob Rothe

On 14 October 2014, he entered a local hospital in Rolla, Missouri, where he lives, for the relatively simple surgery.

But he did not wake up and his oxygen levels started to fall. After green pus started seeping from his wounds he underwent a second round of surgery.

“Doctors opened me up and noticed a tear on my small intestine,” he said. “They packed me up and it was assumed I was better.”

But within hours the 36-year-old's condition had become far worse.

Three days after the initial surgery he was airlifted to a larger hospital in Columbia, Missouri, 100 miles away.

There, medics realised he had necrotizing fasciitis (NF) and took urgent action to cut the diseased skin from his body.

He was being eaten alive as he was being prepped for surgery.

The flesh-eating bug was eating him alive

“The doctor who looked after me was a war vet and had seen examples of NF before so he knew what it was,” he said.

“But he said he hadn’t seen anything so severe. He was alarmed at how quickly it was spreading.

“He contacted my mother Valerie and told her, ‘We’re getting him into surgery. We can’t wait for you to get here'.”

It is believed Rothe, who works in sales, developed the illness from the tear in his intestine.

“I was literally being eaten alive by the NF,” Rothe continued. “Not that I realised it. I was very, very ill.

“I was suffering from delusions. I thought the nurse and security guard were in cahoots and were trying to kill me.

“I remember thinking that I had woken on the surgery table and was being held hostage and they were cutting off bits of my skin to send as ransom. “I though, ‘What about if they get to my privates?’"

In the end medics cut away nearly 20% of his body including his leg, buttocks and right hand side.

There were discussions they would have to slice off his genitals. Thankfully they were saved.

“I’m so pleased,” Rothe said. “But I knew they did what they had to. I was in hospital nearly a month and nearly passed. Doctors and family thought I would die. But I was saved."

After the infection was cut out, Rothe had surgery on his head and back. Skin was grafted from these areas onto the wounds on his body.

Rothe pictured in his hospital bed

During this period he had to eat around 4,500 calories a day to build up his strength. But he was still nauseous from his ordeal, so relied on protein shakes – which he quickly tired of.

Luckily the skin grafts took well.

He continued: “I’d had scars for years – after the crash when I was 17 – but this was different.

“Whereas previously I had suffered just scars, now I was missing whole chunks of my body. It was pretty traumatic to look at.”

But despite his ordeal, Rothe feels fortunate. “I could have died,” he said. “I was so fortunate I didn’t. Realistically, I made it out of all this relatively unscathed.

“While the wound is pretty large and nasty looking I didn’t lose any limbs, didn’t damage any internal organs and didn’t suffer any detriment to my private parts.

“I don’t remember the pain that so many others have suffered when they contracted NF, the drug-induced coma those first critical days carried me through the most of it.

“I don’t suffer from a massive amount of ongoing pain now that I’m healed. Yes, it can be painful sometimes, especially if I’m bumped into or touched."

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“Some days are more sensitive than others and it’s a pain when the lotion wears off and it starts to dry out but, all that is more than survivable," he said.

“More importantly, I wasn’t hit with depression or anxiety or any other type of mental anguish a life-altering injury like this can cause. Sure, it hit my self confidence some and I’m still working through some of the hallucinations the needed drugs caused.

“But all-in-all I feel like I came out of this far less unscathed than it could have been.

“I had an amazing group of doctors in Columbia to whom I owe my life. I cannot thank them enough for their quick actions and stellar care during my stay.

“I’m blessed to have this life, to have more time to spend with my children. I’m blessed to have an incredible family that literally never left my side through this entire process and that has supported me through so much.

"I’m blessed with a multitude of friends who sent well wishes, came to visit me, and made sure to make sure I knew how incredibly loved I am.

“I am blessed with this life and so many great people in it, that I can only be thankful.”

21 Rare Diseases

Stiff Person Syndrome(01 of21)

People who suffer from this acquired neurological disorder experience repeated, often painful, muscle spasms as well as muscular rigidity and stiffness. According to the National Organization of Rare Diseases, spasms can occur at random or they can be caused by something as seemingly benign as light physical contact or an unexpected noise. The cause of Stiff Person Syndrome isn't yet known, but symptoms can be stabilized with medication. Left untreated, however, a person can lose the ability to walk.

Gigantism(02 of21)

This disease, which according to the NIH is most often caused by a begnin tumor in the pituitary gland, results in an excess of GH, or growth hormone. This causes sufferers to grow abnormally large, not just in terms of height, weight but also organ size. It results in complications like delayed puberty, increased sweating, and secretion of breast milk.

Pica(03 of21)

Characterized as an eating disorder, Pica causes people to eat what the National Organization for Rare Disorders describes as "non-nutritive" things. That umbrella term can include (but isn't limited to) dirt, clay, paper, and paint. Interestingly, it's not unusual for young kids to experience transient pica as a kind of phase, and pregnant women are also known to develop temporary pica cravings. The cause? Unknown. But in order to be diagnosed with full-blown Pica, a person's symptoms must last for more than a month.

Maple Syrup Urine Disease(04 of21)

MSUD, which is passed down through families, is a life-threatening metabolic disorder passed down through families that stems from the body's inability to process certain amino acids, leading to a build-up of them in the body. According to the NIH, symptoms usually surface in early infancy and can include vomiting, lack of energy, seizures, and developmental delays. MSUD takes its name from another symptom -- the urine in affected infants smells like caramel or maple syrup.

Situs Inversus(05 of21)

Situs Inversus is a congential condition in which internal organs of stomach and chest lie in mirror image of their normal body position -- something many sufferers aren't aware of until they seek medical help for an unrelated problem. People with Situs Inversus typically wear some form of identification to help doctors in the case of a medical emergency.

Trigger Thumb(06 of21)

Trigger thumb, or trigger finger as it's sometimes known, causes a person's finger or thumb to get caught in a locked position. According to the Mayo Clinic, it can then stay stuck or straighten with a painful "snap." The cause? It depends. Trigger Thumb is the result of a narrowing of the sheath around the tendon in the problem figure, but that can be caused by a lot of things, including any activity that requires people to grip things frequently. Trigger Thumb is also more frequent in women.

Scurvy(07 of21)

Once the disease of sailors and pirates, scurvy does still exist in the United States, though predominantly in older, malnourished adults. It usually stems from a Vitamin C deficiency, which can result in gum disease, skin leisons, and swelling of the joints. (credit:Getty )

Wilson's Disease(08 of21)

This progressive genetic disorder causes sufferers to store excess copper in tissues, including the brain and liver. Though the Mayo Clinic says that the body depends on copper in order to use iron and sugar, too much of it in the body can have real consequences. Which is why sufferers of Wilson's Disease are prone to liver failure.

Foreign Accent Syndrome(09 of21)

According to researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas, this speech disorder causes people to experience a sudden shift in their accents and though it is known to be caused by things like brain trauma, conversion disorder, or multiple sclerosis, an exact reason behind the syndrome is unknown. Sufferers of FAS dramatically shift their speech in terms of timing and intonation, which often causes them to sound foreign, but they remain totally comprehensible. Documented accent shifts include from American English to British and from British to French.

Carcinoid Syndrome(10 of21)

According to the National Organization of Rare Diseases, about 10 percent of people with carcinoid tumors -- which the Mayo Clinic says are slow growing tumors that produce excess serotonin and usually appear in the gastrointestinal tract or lungs -- get this syndrome. It occurs only in patients whose tumors have metastasized to the liver. The symptoms? Wheezing, hotness, and extreme facial blushing.

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome(11 of21)

Children and adults afflicted with CVS experience recurrent episodes of severe vomiting, which can last for days, followed by sudden periods of no vomiting. While kids are likely to experience more frequent attacks, adults's often last longer. To date, the cause of CVS is unknown.

Peeling Skin Syndrome(12 of21)

This obscure, genetic skin disorder does exactly what its name implies: causes sufferers to experience constant shedding of their skin. (In some patients, peeling is limited to the feet and hands.) Along with that, sufferers often feel itching and redness -- symptoms that can appear from birth or develop later in life. Although the exact cause is unknown, a mutation in the TGM5 gene has been identified in many sufferers.

Platelet Storage Pool Deficiency(13 of21)

This is a blanket designation for several rare platelet abnormalities, most of which lead to mild or moderate bleeding disorders. According to the NIH, the problem stems having limited granules -- the parts of platelets that, among other things, store ADP -- the energy released when a molecular bond is broken. That reduction in storage space inhibits the platelets' ability to secrete ADP in a speedy fashion, which is thought to be what causes the bleeding. Classic symptoms of a Platelet Storage Pool Deficiency are nosebleeds, excessive bruising, and profuse bleeding in surgery.·

ACDC(14 of21)

Only nine people in the United States are known to have this disease, which was just given a name in a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine. ACDC, or arterial calcification due to CD73 deficiency, results in calcium build-ups in the arteries below the waist of sufferers and in the joints of their hands and feet. According to the NIH, the breakthrough discovery found that the disease is related to a variant in the NT5E gene.3

Conversion Disorder(15 of21)

This condition, which typically occurs after an extremely stressful emotional event, causes a person to experience sudden blindness or paralysis that can't be otherwise explained. People with mental illlnesses are at particularly high risk and psychological treatment can help lessen the symptoms.·

Ochronosis(16 of21)

Ochronosis results in black or blue external tissues, often the ear cartilage or eye, though it can occur throughout the body. It affects people who suffer from certain metabolic disorders, but it can also be caused by exposure, though scientists aren't exactly sure to what. Not just a cosmetic issue, the affected areas can become brittle and degenerate over time.

VLCAD Deficiency(17 of21)

This condition, which is caused by genetic mutations in the so-called ACADVL gene, keeps people from converting certain fats to energy. According to the NIH, the deficiency often presents during infancy in symptoms including low blood sugar, weakness, and lethargy.

Hairy Tongue(18 of21)

As the name suggests, Hairy Tongue is a condition in which the tongue develops a black, hairy texture. According to the Mayo Clinic, the disease is "harmless" and is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth, which can be treated with antibiotics. The NIH reports that hairy Tongue can also present as brown, yellow, or green discoloration. ·

Ochoa (Urofacial) Syndrome, or, Peculiar Facial Expression(19 of21)

This obscure, inherited disorder presents at birth and causes infants to grimace when, in fact, they are attempting to smile. The disorder also includes an extreme urinary abnormality: an obstruction that interrupts the connection between nerve signals in the spinal cord and bladder, leading to incontinence. Though treatment does exist in the form of antibiotics and bladder re-education, some patients can develop renal failure in their teens and 20's, which can be life-threatening.

Eagle Syndrome(20 of21)

This syndrome, caused by a particular calcified ligament or elongated bone, frequently causes sufferers to feel that something is stuck in their throat. (Scientists don't know the reason behind said elongation/calcification.) Other symptoms can include ear and throat pain as well as difficulty swallowing. According to the NIH, it can be treated surgically or non-surgically with steroid injections and other anti-inflammatories.

Progeria(21 of21)

According to the Mayo Clinic, only around 130 cases of this devastating genetic disorder have been documented since it was discovered in 1886. Affected babies normally appear normal at birth, but within 12 months begin to have symptoms like hair loss and wrinkles. According to the Mayo Clinic, progeria is caused by a genetic mutation, but not one that's passed down through families; it's a chance event that affects only one egg or sperm. The average life expectancy for sufferers is 13.

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