One mom is adjusting to her new normal after losing her hands and legs because of a dog lick.
Marie Trainer woke up from a 10-day coma to find her limbs had been amputated.
"I cried. I cried the hardest I’ve ever cried in my life,” she emotionally told Inside Edition.
The life-changing tragedy had its origins in a vacation to the Caribbean with her husband. She said she was using her key card to access her hotel when she accidentally nicked herself on her wrist. It was a little scratch that hardly hurt, she said.
But when she came home to Ohio, her dog, Taylor, greeted her with lots of kisses, running her tongue over the little wound. Four days later, Trainer became was rushed to the hospital with a severe infection and septic shock, her arms turning black.
It turns out that her dog's saliva carried a bacteria called capnocytophaga, which is quite common in dogs. But what happened to Trainer is a very rare occurrence.
"It is a one in over a million; I mean the chance is so rare. You'd never think that a dog lick would cause someone to lose their hands and legs,” orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ajay Seth told Inside Edition.
The affected parts had to be amputated, or Trainer would die.
"I kind of wished that they would have let me go because I can't live like this. What am I gonna do? How am I gonna do everything? I can't do nothing for myself right now,” she said.
Her husband, Matthew, is doing his best to lift her spirits.
"I love her to death, she's everything to me,” he said.
He never leaves her side and helps her with everything from brushing her teeth to styling her hair, which isn't easy for her because she is a beautician.
Seth is working on building custom prosthetics for her so she can try to regain some independence.
Despite losing her limbs to a dog lick, she said she'll never stop loving Taylor.
Doctors say you don't need to get rid of your pets out of fear you'll contract the same infection. However, they say if you do get scratched and licked by your dog, go to a doctor immediately if you have any concerns.
RELATED STORIES
68-Year-Old Amputee Trapped in Hotel for 3 Weeks After Scooter Battery Was Confiscated
8-Year-Old Amputee Wows During Dance Routine
16-Year-Old Amputee Plays on Varsity Basketball Team