2025-08-16T19:07:29Z

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Imagine battling mysterious health issues for weeks, only to discover the shocking culprit was something you’d inserted yourself—months ago! This is the harrowing tale of Savannah Miller, a reality star known from Netflix’s The Circle, who accidentally left a tampon in for an entire month, leading to a traumatic experience that sounds more like a horror movie than real life.

At just 24 years old, Savannah's ordeal began innocently enough during a night out with friends. As she enjoyed a fun evening, she inserted a tampon, only to completely forget about it by the next morning. To her dismay, she discovered that the string had disappeared, and with no blood in sight, she believed she had simply ended her period.

However, as days turned into weeks, Savannah began to notice an increasingly horrifying smell. The stench grew so foul that she likened it to a dead animal, comparing it to a rat crawling inside her while she slept. Despite feeling unwell and experiencing discomfort, she struggled to find answers from medical professionals.

After several visits to her college clinic, where doctors initially tested her for STDs and suspected bacterial vaginosis, they still failed to pinpoint the source of her symptoms. Savannah was bewildered, insisting that no one could walk around smelling that awful without something seriously wrong.

It wasn’t until her third appointment that the truth finally came to light. A doctor, noticing traces of cotton in her urine, realized that the source of her torment was indeed the missing tampon, lodged deep in her cervix. The doctor had to literally fish it out from her ovaries—a shocking image that underscores the gravity of her situation.

Fortunately, Savannah emerged from this nightmare without developing Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), a potentially fatal condition linked to tampon use. She’s now using her story to raise awareness and prevent others from enduring similar experiences.

This incident is eerily reminiscent of another young woman, Shannon Toner, who shared her near-fatal experience with TSS after leaving a tampon in for too long. At just 15, she fell critically ill, landing in the ICU with a staggering 50/50 chance of survival. The trauma from her ordeal has lingered, impacting her mental health and well-being for years.

Toxic Shock Syndrome, as noted by the Mayo Clinic, is a rare and serious complication from bacterial infections often associated with tampon use. It serves as a crucial reminder for women to prioritize their health and be vigilant about menstrual hygiene.