Woman fights to save her arm from flesh-eating bacteria

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A woman who has been diagnosed with a flesh-eating bacteria could lose her right arm, according to family members.

Tamika Compton went to the doctor because she was feeling pain in her right elbow. Her family said the doctor told her she had tendinitis and gave her a shot and told her to come back if the pain didn't go away in two days.

Two days later her elbow was swollen three times normal size and her sister took her to the emergency room. Compton has been in and out of surgery since, at least four times. Her brother said she has been under sedation the whole time and finally woke up Monday.

"Every time we went to go see her and visit her we would just see her hooked up to all these machines and medication," Travon Compton said. "It's a big letdown to see that, but things are getting better so we're being very positive."

Compton said doctors at Northeast Georgia Medical Center removed a large portion of her arm and they feel like they have removed all of the bacteria. "They feel like they got all the bacteria but now it's just trying to get her skin back together and salvage her arm, what's left," he said.

Compton said doctors won't commit when asked if the rest her arm can be saved, but the biggest hurdle is over. "It's still pretty wrapped up and they're keeping it under wraps as to how much we can actually see physically," he said.

Tamika Compton has many more surgeries to go, according to her brother. "It's just a very long, very, very long road to recovery and rehabilitation," he said. "It's very expensive and very intricate and very painful."

Friends and co-workers have set up two crowdfunding accounts for donations to help defray her medical bills.

Compton said he doesn't know where his sister picked up the bacteria.