A grandmother almost lost her entire hand after she contracted a deadly flesh-eating bacteria while getting her nails done at a beauty salon.

It all started when Jayne Sharp was getting a manicure at nail salon near Knoxville, Tennessee earlier in the year, and she suffered a small cut on her thumb. Though she thought nothing about it at the time, her thumb started to throb that night, and the pain grew quickly as her hand continued to swell.

Jayne, who is a retired dental hygienist, thought she might be coming down with the flu, and she decided to take herself to the emergency room when the pain had not gone away the next morning. There, doctors told Jayne that the flesh-eating infection could have cost her her entire arm.

Jayne was stunned to be diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis, a rare but extremely vicious bacterial infection. Only 500 to 1,500 people in the U.S. are infected with this disease every year, and it develops when the bacteria enters the body, often through a minor cut or scrape. The bacteria then multiples, releasing toxins in the process that kill tissue and cut off blood flow to the area. If sufferers are not treated immediately, it could lead to death.

“She could have lost her finger or her arm if she hadn’t been diagnosed properly. She is a diabetic so that made her more susceptible,” said Dr. Udit Chaudhuri, who treated Jayne. “Basically you have a break in the skin and this bacteria gets introduced under the skin into the soft tissue and then into the blood stream.”

The experience of dealing with this was extremely difficult for Jayne.

“[The doctor told my daughter] your mother could lose her life with what we think this is and there’s a likelihood she will lose her arm,” Jayne said. “My life took a total turn. I couldn’t even floss my own teeth. I had never heard of such a thing when they told me flesh-eating bacteria.”

Since the diagnosis, Jayne has undergone multiple surgeries to remove the infected skin from her thumb and hand and replace the tissue with skin grafts. Though she has kept her arm and is on her way to recovery, she still has no feeling in her hands, making it very difficult for her to complete daily tasks.

This story serves as a reminder to pick a nail salon that has hygienic practices. Check for clean bathrooms, sanitized and organized nail kits, clean and grime free pedicure jacuzzi tubs, and sanitary towels to mitigate any potential health concerns.