Woman Wears Tampon for 8 Hours at Friend's Wedding, Gets Toxic Shock Syndrome: 'Scary and Dangerous Situation'

Ashley DeSkeere spent 5 days in the ICU fighting for her life

• Ashley DeSkeere developed toxic shock syndrome after wearing a tampon at her friend’s wedding for eight hours

• She was in the ICU for five days and doctors say she’s “lucky” to be alive

• She’s now warning other women of the dangers of keeping tampons in for too long

A Texas woman is issuing a warning after one mistake at a friend's wedding left her hospitalized and fighting for her life.

One day in September, Ashley DeSkeere woke up with “major chills” and was vomiting every half hour. The 43-year-old initially believed she caught a stomach bug from a wedding she had attended two days prior, the DailyMail reports. However, within three days her blood pressure dropped significantly and she was struggling to breathe so she rushed to the hospital.

Doctors quickly concluded that the teacher had developed toxic shock syndrome from a tampon.

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare, but life-threatening condition that develops from toxins within the body. It's often associated with using tampons during menstruation. It occurs in only 1 out of every 100,000 people, but can cause organ damage, shock, and even death in up to 70% of cases, according to the CDC.

“I was very scared. I said to my husband that I thought I was dying. I have never felt so awful in my entire life,” DeSkeere said, according to the DailyMail. “I will never use a tampon again. This absolutely terrified me and I cannot believe it happened and there is no way I would do it.”

Related: Model Lauren Wasser Had Both Legs Amputated Due to Toxic Shock Syndrome: Are You at Risk?

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The mother of three told her doctors that she had gone eight hours without changing her tampon when she was at the wedding. It wasn't her usual behavior.

“I typically change them every four hours and in the night,” she explained. “For something like this to happen to me, eight hours doesn't seem enough.”

“Multiple doctors told me I was very lucky that I was able to make it to the hospital as most people die after two days [with this], and I was on day two-and-a-half,” she told the outlet. “I was told that I came in at the right time because if I came in any later they may not have been able to do anything for me. It's one of those things that you don't think is going to happen to you and you don't hear about it as much these days.”

At the hospital, DeSkeere spent five days in the ICU and was treated with antibiotics, fluids and other medications to stabilize her blood pressure. Her loved ones have since created a GoFundMe account on her behalf to support her recovery journey following this “extremely scary and dangerous situation.”

“We are hopeful that she will make a full recovery and be back to herself soon,” the post said.

Related: Are Super-Absorbent Tampons to Blame for Toxic Shock Syndrome? Experts Weigh In

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Additionally, DeSkeere — who vows to use other sanitary products moving forward — is sending out a warning to those who choose to wear tampons.

“To people that do want to use tampons, my advice is to just change them very frequently. My advice would be to change your tampon every time you go to the bathroom and to never wear one that is a higher absorbency than you need,” she told DM.

“I am just grateful to be where I am today and getting better,” DeSkeere added. “It has been a rough recovery and harder than I thought it would be but every day I'm getting better and better.”

To reduce the chance of developing TSS, experts recommend swapping out tampons every two to three hours and avoiding sleeping in them overnight. Additionally, it’s best to use lower-absorbency tampons to reduce dryness, and to switch off between tampons and pads.

However, Dr. Mary Jane Minkin — an ob-gyn from Yale University and member of PEOPLE’s Health Squad — previously told PEOPLE that women should not be overly concerned.

“The tampons themselves are not contaminated with bacteria,” she said. “The nasty staph organisms are unfortunately carried by us, not the tampons. So I would encourage all women to pay attention to their health, but not to worry.”

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