ST. PAUL, Minn. – A man was forced to have his leg amputated and temporarily went blind after reportedly contracting a deadly infection from an ingrown hair.
Doctors believe Mark Nagel, 53, contracted necrotizing fasciitis after it entered his body in 2017 through an ingrown hair, the Daily Mail reports. The bacteria was able to grow in a space in the leg where Nagel had pulled a muscle.
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Nagel of St. Paul, Minnesota gained 45 pounds in his leg and went temporarily blind within two weeks after catching the infection.
'The infection had basically consumed all of the hydration in my body. I got so dehydrated that I went blind and was on the verge of passing out.' said Nagel.
After being rushed to the hospital, Nagel underwent multiple surgeries to remove the diseased flesh. Despite beating the odds of a disease that has a 27 percent survival rate, doctors were still forced to amputate Nagel's left leg.
Nagel was fitted with a prosthetic leg and had to relearn how to walk again. He and his family also moved into a single-story home.
Although life has changed, Nagel remains positive, knowing things could have been worse.
'I can deal with only having one leg because it is much better than the alternative, I'm alive.'