A woman in Queens, New York, is recovering from an infection that led to Hepatitis B and a liver transplant.
Dana Smith, 37, went for a nose piercing during Thanksgiving and a few days later began complaining of stomach issues, including loss of appetite and stomach pain, according to CBS New York.
A Queens woman is recovering from a near-death experience. She underwent a liver transplant after doctors traced a mystery infection to her new nose ring. @GusoffTV reports. https://t.co/zIxrySE9Tl
— CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) February 26, 2021
“I was just drinking water, I couldn’t hold the water down. I guess at some point I started to throw up blood” Smith said according to ABC7 NY.
“I just though [sic.] I just had the stomach virus or just something wrong with my stomach. I never would have though [sic.] that my liver was failing and there was a chance that I might not have been here today,” She stated in an interview with CBS New York.
Smith was driven to Long Island Jewish Medical Center by her sister on Jan 12, where she was diagnosed with liver failure due to hepatitis B from an infection caused by her nose piercing.
Dr. Teperman, who treated Smith, traced the cause back to the piercing.
“We couldn’t figure it out until all the tape was taken away from her nose and I said, ‘Look at that. When did you get that? It’s so tiny,’ and she then told us it was right at the end of Thanksgiving,” he said according to CBS New York.
Smith was put on the transplant list and found a match within two days, and her surgey took place on Jan. 17. She was able to return her home Jan. 26 and is now keeping regularly scheduled appointments with Dr. Teperman. (RELATED: Researches Develop ‘Mini Livers’ From Skin Cells That Could Help Thousands Waiting For A Transplant)