Photo: imtoooldtobeonthis/Tiktok
Jean shorts are officially out.
By Yona Dervishi — Written on Oct 05, 2021
Most people can say they're familiar with the sensation of uncomfortable, tight-fitting shorts or undergarments. One woman in particular experienced an extraordinarily painful turn of events after a shorts-induced wedgie had catatrophic results.
The young woman, named Sam, is now able to laugh off her unfortunate situation on TikTok.
The TikToker's jean-short wedgie caused her to be hospitalized.
TikTok user @imtoooldtobeonthis shared a now-viral video of her story detailing the experience.
The video starts off with the caption, "Wearing tight shorts on one of my first dates with my bf and having a wedgie for 8 hours. Then having a sore a-- for a few days."
Credit: TikTok
The story goes downhill from there once Sam says she experienced "the worst stabbing pain." She was later rushed to the ICU by her mom after falling into septic shock.
Doctors told Sam that she developed sepsis and cellulitis.
"I was shivering, very breathless, could not walk and had extreme body aches," Sam said in an interview. "I was in the ICU for almost four days, where the doctors were debating debridement surgery."
This, she clarified, means, "basically cutting off the part of my butt that was infected." Luckily for her, the need for surgery never panned out. And while the bacterial infection came back, she was able to be treated with antibiotics.
At least 1.7 million Americans develop sepsis yearly.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also states that nearly 270,000 Americans die as a result of sepsis per year.
Sepsis is an extreme response to an infection and is life-threatening. If not treated immediately, it can lead to serious consequences like tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Similarly, cellulitis is an infection of the deeper layers of the skin.
In Sam's case, it's believed that chafing lead to the infection.
As bizarre as it sounds, many have similar experiences.
“Most people were shocked that this could happen, but I was extremely surprised at the amount of people saying the same thing happened to them too," Sam said.
One user named Autumn Sunshine Popl wrote, "Glad to know I'm not the only one who got a chronic and dangerous cellulitis from a piece of clothing." Further down the comment thread, they explained it was cheap knee socks that resulted in their cellulitis.
Another Tiktoker named Vanessa added, "No this literally happened to me like I'm in the hospital right now."
In the past few years, much awareness has been raised about Toxic Shock Syndrome.
Most stories about TSS have been linked to tampon use.
However, Nichole Tyson, M.D., ob.ygn and chief of pediatric/adolescent gynecology at Kaiser Permanente, reveals that, "Only about half of all TSS cases are menstruation related. Recent surgery, cuts and burns on the skin, recent childbirth, and even some viral infections like the flu or chickenpox can make a person susceptible to TSS."
Tyson also added that, "Other cases have also been associated with diaphragms and contraceptive sponges."
Sam's video currently has eight million views.
"I'm happy I made the TikTok, and although it's extremely scary to have one of the most embarrassing things that has ever happened to me on the internet, it reminds people that we're all human and experience weird stuff, and it's nothing to be ashamed of," she said.
While some people accuse Tiktokers of "using trauma" for views and clickbait, many seem to find solace in hearing about experiences akin to their own. Beyond surface-level validation, viral stories like these have been useful gateways into discussions pertaining to health issues and personal well-being.
Yona Dervishi is a writer who is currently working at YourTango as an editorial intern. She covers topics pertaining to news and entertainment.