When TikToker Robert Tolppi (@roberttolppi) was 12 years old, he experienced the devastating Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Most people remember Hurricane Sandy for the flooding, power outages, and billions of dollars of damage it caused. However, Robert remembers it for a much different reason.
The tropical cyclone led him to develop a strep infection of the backside, which lasted for more than three months. It was one of the most medically traumatic experiences of his life.
So, the storm had knocked out the power, and their house ran on well water. Like millions of others affected by the storm, they had no way to take showers.
The community center had a generator, so he and his family could shower there, but it was infrequent. As a result of not being able to clean himself regularly, Robert ended up getting a painful infection.
At first, the doctors couldn’t figure out what it was.
“The symptoms were horrific,” recalled Robert. “The itching, the burning; it was strep throat, but for the [backside]. First, my pediatrician said just to soak it, like sit in a tub with Dove. That didn’t help at all. And then, it became this big medical mystery.”
The doctors ran every single test, except for a bacterial culture. Robert’s parents had to drive him over an hour to see a gastroenterologist at a pediatric hospital.
The gastroenterologist ordered an MRI because she thought Robert had a fistula. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a fistula is an abnormal passageway between the backside and the skin outside.
However, it turned out that he had strep [backside]. The tests came back positive for strep. After months of suffering and extensive testing, all he really needed was a course of antibiotics.
Many TikTok users were shocked to hear that a strep infection can occur in other parts of the body besides the throat. Others shared similar stories, admitting that they had never heard of such a condition until it happened to someone in their family.
“It’s called perianal streptococcal dermatitis. I had it once, and it was awful. Especially since I lived alone in the middle of the desert,” commented one user.
“My son got [backside] strep, and until the moment the doctor told me that, I had never in my 40-something years heard of [backside] strep,” shared another.
“I got strep in my stomach. I never knew that could even happen. I was throwing up, dehydrated, and got hospitalized, and that’s when they told me I had strep in my stomach causing the GI symptoms, and I had something else going on, too,” added a third.
“My daughter had strep [backside] this year, and I was horrified! Didn’t know it was a thing either,” stated someone else.
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By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
