UFC flyweight Maycee Barber is currently on the road to recovery after spending nine days in the hospital. She expressed immense gratitude for being alive.
“The toll our bodies endure is no laughing matter,” remarked Maycee Barber, reflecting on her recent hospitalization. Just days after her victory against Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299, she found herself in a nine-day battle for survival.
Despite exhaustive efforts, doctors remain uncertain about the exact cause of Maycee Barber’s severe illness. However, they suspect she may have contracted Streptococcus pyogenes, a serious form of strep throat, along with a staph infection. Additionally, she battled pneumonia, and her blood pressure plummeted to dangerously low levels.
Maycee Barber described her harrowing experience during her nine-day hospital stay. She found herself hooked up to oxygen, closely monitored, and surrounded by a web of needles. Despite exhaustive efforts, doctors couldn’t provide a definitive answer regarding the cause of her illness. However, they promptly administered antibiotics and other treatments in an attempt to alleviate her symptoms and identify the underlying issue.
“As they were doing that, they were also testing,” the medical team explained, “We’re giving her this to help with it, but we’re also trying to figure out what it is.” Unfortunately, a definitive answer remained elusive.
However, the antibiotics she’s currently taking are gradually making a difference. Maycee holds onto hope that the illness remains at bay, as there was a moment when her survival seemed uncertain.
Three days after UFC 299, Maycee Barber noticed a red spot on her leg that resembled the aftermath of a baseball bat strike. The swelling escalated rapidly, accompanied by intense pain. Concerned, she reached out to the staff at the UFC Performance Institute, who promptly advised her to seek urgent care.
The rapid progression of my symptoms led me to seek urgent medical attention. The ER staff conducted a battery of tests, yet the cause remained elusive. Despite their efforts, they were initially inclined to discharge me. However, my fever persisted, reaching 102°F to 103°F. I returned home, but the following day, my temperature soared to 105°F to 106°F.
After being readmitted to the ER, a nine-day medical odyssey unfolded. The doctors considered various possibilities, including sepsis, staph infection, MRSA, and even a blood clot. At one point, they suspected Strep A, another form of streptococcus, but remained uncertain about the exact diagnosis.
The uncertainty must have been incredibly challenging during those days of medical investigation and anxiety.
On the fourth day of her hospitalization, Maycee Barber found herself in a dire situation. The severity of her condition led her to contemplate the possibility of a fatal outcome.
While lying in bed, my mother kept vigil by my side. The medication they administered was a dual-purpose concoction: part painkiller, part narcotic. Unfortunately, it had an unintended consequence—my already low blood pressure plummeted even further.
Simultaneously battling pneumonia and struggling to breathe, I found myself gasping for air. The oxygen mask clung to my face, a lifeline in that desperate moment. As my blood pressure wavered, tears welled up in my eyes. I glanced at my mother, and the floodgates opened—I cried, not just from physical distress, but from the overwhelming weight of vulnerability and fear.
I hesitated to share my thoughts with her, but deep down, I grappled with the stark reality—I might not survive this ordeal. Fear gripped me, and as I lay there, surrounded by other patients in the hospital, I wondered if these faces would be the last I’d ever see.
Desperation drove me to call my friends, my voice trembling as I confessed my uncertainty. The struggle was real, the experience harrowing. Yet, perhaps, it serves as a testament to resilience—the countless fighters who’ve stared down similar darkness and emerged on the other side.
In the gritty world of MMA gyms, where fighters grapple and sweat on the mats, staph infections and MRSA run rampant. These fierce competitors have faced close calls, necessitating hospital stays.
Sometimes, a seemingly insignificant cut transforms into a gruesome injury, demanding intravenous antibiotics. But in the case of Barber, there was no visible injury that could explain the infection. The enigma deepened, leaving her body’s response shrouded in mystery.
“The antibiotic I was prescribed is typically used for severe skin treatments,” she recounted. “However, what baffled me was the lack of answers from the initial doctors attending to my case. It felt like time was slipping away.
Eventually, they called in an infectious disease specialist from a different hospital. That’s when things began to unravel—the man who finally held the key to our questions.”
Barber’s vitality inches back, like a dormant flame rekindling. On Tuesday, she stepped onto the basketball court, testing her newfound strength after those tentative walks. But rewind to the zenith of her illness—a time when ascending a flight of stairs left her gasping for air, each step a battle against her own body.
The enigma lingers: Was her ailment already lurking during the clash with Cerminara? Perhaps it stealthily drained her aggression within the cage, leaving her grappling with shadows.
“The entire camp presented challenges, yet I sensed a missed opportunity when it came to Katlyn,” she reflected. “Deep down, I’m certain I could have bested her. But that elusive extra push eluded me.”
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