Olympian Greg Rutherford rushed to hospital after bizarre illness leaves him 'screaming' and scratching 'own skin off'
Greg Rutherford was rushed to hospital over the weekend
PA
Retired athlete Greg Rutherford had to be rushed to hospital by his partner Susie Verrill on Sunday after a rash broke out all over his body.
The former Team GB star admitted he was left "screaming" at the unbearable pain while Verrill branded the entire thing the "scariest time of my life".
Taking to Instagram, Verrill shared some snaps of her fiancé in the hospital as she explained: "Had quite literally the scariest time of my life yesterday...
"Was enjoying a lovely roast at a friends' house with the kids, Greg was at home because he'd been for a run and he text to say he was having an allergic reaction to something and felt itchy.
"I didn't think much of it until he rang me screaming two minutes later. And I mean SCREAMING. He shouted 'YOU NEED TO GET HERE NOW' and so I drove back to our house while calling an ambulance, terrified I was about to get home and find him not breathing.
Verrill continued: "999 said it would take 40 minutes, but that's another issue to discuss for another day.
"Anyway I ran in the house found Greg there again, screaming. Acting like one of those people you see in videos where they've taken bath salts...
Greg Rutherford updated fans on the ordeal
INSTAGRAM/GREG RUTHERFORD
"He was clawing at his skin and just screaming. Repeatedly. He ran to our car and while I rang 999 again to say I'd have to take him, we had to run every red light and I had to focus on not crashing while he screamed and tried to grab the wheel...
"He was delirious and I looked like I was kidnapping him. I was on the phone to the 999 call handler and the poor girl just kept saying, 'OK, yeah he doesn't sound good, please be safe but hurry'.
"I threw him out at A&E, parked and when I got there they told me they'd sent him through to Resus - I think mainly because he was a 6ft 3 bloke acting like a psychopath and didn't want to scare anyone.
"They pumped him full of steroids and antihistamines and it seemed to work pretty much immediately. Thankfully by the time I got there he'd stopped screaming and raking himself.'
Verrill delved further: "The hospital recommended we get him tested, but said it could have also been rival. I appreciate rashes can appear with a viral illness...
"But his body went mad," she explained. "The doctor who suggested the viral thing hadn't seen how Greg had been on arrival. I can't explain how much pain he was in. This is a bloke who shrugs off a grumbling appendix.'
Verrill took to Instagram afterwards to thank fans for their supportive messages and advice after reading about Rutherford's hospital dash.
Rutherford himself took to his own page to shed light on the terrifying ordeal.
Sharing a snap of his armed attached to a drip, he penned: "This is NOT how I expected my day to end."
He explained further in a snap of his rash-covered leg: "I suddenly had a massive allergic reaction to something (no idea what) and had to get @susiejverrill to rush me to the hospital.
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Greg Rutherford partner Susie Verrill also detailed the experience
INSTAGRAM/SUSIE VERRILL
"Thankfully they pumped me with a load of stuff and calmed it down. But it was HORRIBLE. The rash was covering my entire body."
Luckily, the treatments worked and Rutherford soon returned home alongside his partner.
Taking to his Instagram Stories, he shared a selfie from his house, explaining: "I'm now home.
"A little itchy still, but nothing like earlier. I was trying to get my skin off it was so bad.
"I'm going to have to get some tests done to figure out what it was, as I NEVER want to experience that again.
"Thanks to the lovely nurses and doctors for helping me so fast. I was screaming at one point... so apologies for that too."