Sarah Silverman claims she almost died after experiencing 'freak case of epiglottitis'

Comedian says she is 'insanely lucky' to be alive after falling ill last week

Sarah Silverman (REX Features)

Sarah Silverman says she is “insanely lucky to be alive” after developing a serious condition which landed her in intensive care.

The comedian was kept in an intensive care unit for a week after experiencing a “freak case of epiglottitis” she says almost killed her.

Epiglottitis is an inflammation of the epiglottis – the flap of tissue beneath the tongue at the back of the throat.

Silverman explained in a lengthy Facebook post she initially sought treatment for a sore throat. However, doctors soon diagnosed her with the condition. Silverman underwent surgery and required assistance from a breathing pipe.

“When I woke up five days later I didn’t remember anything,” she told her Facebook followers. “I thanked everyone at the ICU for my life, went home, and then slowly as the opiates faded away, remembered the trauma of the surgery and spent the first two days home kind of free-falling from the meds/lack of meds and the paralysing realisation that nothing matters. Luckily that was followed by the motivating revelation that nothing matters.”

“There’s something that happens when three people you’re so close to die within a year and then you almost die but don’t […] It’s a strange dichotomy between ‘Why me?’ and the other ‘Why me?’"

The 45-year-old also thanked her friends and family, paying a special tribute to her partner, the actor Michael Sheen, who she called her “real-life hero”.

Epiglottitis is a medical emergency because a swollen epiglottis restricts oxygen to the lungs and can be fatal if the throat becomes completely blocked. Symptoms include a severe sore throat, difficulty swallowing or breathing, a high temperature, a hoarse voice and drooling.

The condition is usually caused by a bacterial infection and spreads in the same way a cold or flu virus does. Epiglottitis is particularly rare in the UK due to the success of the Hib (the bacteria which causes the condition) vaccination of children.

For more information on Epiglottis, visit the NHS website.