But when Alsop’s condition appeared to improve, it took a sudden turn for the worse. While out to dinner with a friend, she felt as though she had bitten her tongue.
Within hours, her tongue had swollen to the point where she was drooling and struggling to breathe and speak.
Alarmed, Alsop texted her family, suspecting an allergic reaction. However, when she couldn’t swallow antihistamines, they rushed her to the hospital.
Once at the hospital, doctors initially believed Alsop was experiencing anaphylaxis, administering two shots of adrenaline. However, her condition deteriorated rapidly; she faded in and out of consciousness, and a severe rash spread across the upper half of her body.
Alsop was transferred to Gold Coast University Hospital, where she became a “medical mystery.”
Her tongue blackened, and doctors feared she might have necrotizing fasciitis. To stabilize her condition, they performed an endotracheal intubation and admitted her to the intensive care unit.
