Model who lost her right leg after ‘flu’ turned out to be toxic shock syndrome reveals she will ‘inevitably’ lose the left one too
A MODEL who lost her right leg to toxic shock syndrome caused by a tampon has revealed it is "inevitable" she will lose her left leg too.
Lauren Wasser, 29, wants other women to be aware of the dangers of using tampons after she almost died from TSS in 2012.
She began to experience flu-like symptoms when she was on her period but it quickly spiralled into the potentially deadly infection.
Lauren suffered a heart attack, her kidneys failed and gangrene set in, leaving doctors with no choice but to amputate her right leg and some toes on her left foot.
The model and activist has permanent injuries on her left foot, which she says will "inevitably" lead to her having her second leg amputated.
"My left foot has an open ulcer, no heel, and no toes," she wrote in InStyle. "I'm in daily excruciating pain.
"In a few months, I’m inevitably going to have my other leg amputated.
"There’s nothing I can do about it. But what I can do is help make sure that this doesn’t happen to others."
Lauren is now pushing for legislation urging the National Institutes of Health in the US to conduct further research into whether feminine hygiene products like tampons are safe.
She is a strong advocate for a bill called the Robin Danielson Act, named after a women who died of TSS in 1988, asking makers of feminine hygiene products to fully disclose what is in their products.
But the bill has been rejected by US politicians ten times.
Toxic shock syndrome can cause the body to go into septic shock, a serious case of sepsis, which can cause multiple organ failure and tissue death, leading to limb loss.
Lauren was 24 when she became ill, in 2012 - a day which started like any other.
HEALTH CHECK What is toxic shock syndrome and can it be caused by tampons? All the signs, symptoms and treatment options
She was on her period, and so had to go to the shop to buy some tampons, after running out.
When she returned home, she changed her tampon before lying in bed texting friends about a birthday party they were going to later that night.
But, within hours she began to feel unwell, putting it down to a flu bug that was doing the rounds.
"I was deciding if I was even going to make it because I was feeling worse and worse as the day went on," she told Style Like U.
"Just flu-like symptoms, I was feeling nauseous and my head was pounding."
Lauren decided to go to the party but as soon as she got there her worried friends told her she looked too ill and sent her home.
"All I wanted to do was get into bed," she said. "The next thing I remember was my blind Cocker Spaniel barking and pounding on my chest.
"I came to and I could just hear pounding on the door and someone saying 'police, police, open up'.
"I was so confused and thinking 'why are the police here'.
"The police officer came in and he told me I really needed to call my mum because she is really worried about me.
"I took myself back to my bed and plugged my phone in to call my mum."
Her worried mum asked if she needed an ambulance but Lauren said she just wanted to sleep so her mum agreed to check on her the next morning.
"My mum never heard from me, she called for another while to check, called all my girlfriends to go to my apartment and was in her way," Lauren said.
"She called the police and they came round, it took them 30 minutes to get through my front door and then found me on my bedroom floor face down.
"I had a 107F (41C) fever, my kidneys were failing, I had a heart attack.
"Thank god there was an infectious disease doctor there [at the hospital] because as soon as they found me I was plummeting so bad they couldn't understand why a healthy, young 24-year-old like me was dying.
"They called the specialist down and he checked if I had a tampon in.
"As soon as they located it it got sent to the lab and it came back as TSS and as soon as they removed it I started being more receptive to treatment.
"They were telling my mum and my godfather to start preparing my funeral because there was no way I was walking out of there - it would have been a miracle."
A RARE CONDITION THAT CAN BE CAUSED BY TAMPONS
Toxic shock syndrome is a rare but life-threatening condition.
It's triggered by bacteria getting into the body, and releasing harmful toxins.
The condition is typically linked with tampon use in young women, but it can affect anyone of any age.
TSS gets worse rapidly, and it can be fatal if it's not treated properly and quickly.
What are the signs you could have TSS?
The symptoms of TSS can start very suddenly, and get worse in a very short space of time.
Symptoms include:
- a high temperature of 39C or above
- flu-like symptoms, such as a headache, chills, muscle aches, a sore throat and a cough
- feeling and being sick
- diarrhoea
- widespread sunburn-like rash
- whites of the eyes, lips and tongue turning bright red
- dizziness or fainting
- breathing difficulties
- confusion
- drowsiness
In some cases a person will also have a wound on their skin where the bacteria entered the body.
When should you see a doctor?
TSS is a medical emergency, if you suspect you have the symptoms, contact your GP or call NHS 111.
If your symptoms are severe go to your nearest A&E department.
Can TSS be treated?
If you have TSS you will need treatment at hospital, in some cases in intensive care.
Most people will start to feel better in a few days but it may be several weeks before you are strong enough to leave hospital.
Lauren was placed in a medically induced coma, had multiple blood transfusions and was pumped full of fluids to flush out the toxins.
She first learned she needed an amputation when she overheard a nurse speaking to someone of the phone.
"I remember her speaking to someone saying, 'I have a 24-year-old girl here who is going to need a right leg, below-the-knee amputation.
"I knew my legs were not good but I just couldn't... hearing those words come out of her mouth and being by myself, it was so surreal.
"I just kept crying and screaming and wanting my mum."
Lauren recalled the moment she signed the papers to allow doctors to amputate her right leg - a choice between life or death.
MORE ON TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME
"I don't think there is really anything you can do in that situation other than try and be strong," she said.
"They write 'yes' and 'no' on your legs, like 'yes, this is the one that is going' and 'no, this is the one we are keeping'.
"To see that visually on your leg and seeing my mum kissing my leg knowing that that's the last time, it was crazy.
"It was f****** hell."
Since sharing her story Lauren has been involved in multiple modelling gigs with her gold prosthetic leg.
She has also campaigned for more research into the use of tampons and the potential dangers they pose for women who use them.
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