A woman says she lost her legs and nearly died after getting Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) from a tampon.
Lauren Wasser, 35, appeared in an episode of Steven Bartlett’s podcast, The Diary of a CEO.
The model from California is raising awareness of the potential risks associated with tampons.
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Over 10 years ago, she was rushed to hospital with TSS.
TSS is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by an infection. The NHS say it can happen when using a tampon or menstrual cup, or from an infected wound.
The symptoms develop quickly and those who have it need urgent treatment.
Lauren was found unresponsive at home having suffered a fever of almost 42C and her kidneys failing, she wrote for British Vogue.
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After having two heart attacks and given a one percent chance of survival, she woke up from a medically induced coma over a week later in 2012.
An infectious disease doctor ordered staff to check if the woman had a tampon in, leading to her diagnosis of TSS.
Although her life was saved, Lauren’s legs were black with gangrene – damage that was irreparable.
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She said on the podcast: “My feet were on fire, it was like someone was lighting my foot on fire, the burning sensation was insane.
“My right leg was worse than my left, my toes on my left were turning purple but my right side, there was a lot more damage, you could tell. So then the concern came in that basically they needed to amputate my right leg to save my life or I was going to die.”
However, it wasn’t until she overheard a nurse saying they would need to amputate a young woman that it was her they were discussing.
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“I remember looking around and thinking, ‘Is she talking about me, she's saying I am an amputation?’ And I just started screaming, I was screaming for my mother, my godfather, I was screaming for everyone, saying; ‘Do not let this person touch me,’” she told Bartlett.
“I was unaware of the severity of the situation for myself. That was the first time I heard the word amputation.”
Three months later, Lauren left hospital in a wheelchair and only her left leg remaining.
She then spent eight months in the wheelchair. “Every day I would wheel myself into the shower get myself on a stool and just f*****g scream and cry and yell at God.
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“And wanting to think about ways I could kill myself, to end my life. But every day there was something saying, ‘Just hold on.’ Something in my soul said just hold on, and it all makes sense now.”
Another six years passed but having so much pain in her left leg, she had no choice but to have it amputated too - just before she turned 30.
Now, Lauren is making her mark in the fashion industry, raising awareness for TSS and advocating for better transparency in menstrual products.
She told the podcast: “[Tampons] are made using chlorine bleach, dioxin and synthetic fibres, which create the perfect storm in our bodies. I have been working with a mother who lost her teenage daughter to TSS when she was 18 - Madeline Mosby. Through the darkness and trauma of that we have joined forces in wanting to change the world and wanting to advocate and pass these bills.
“She's been doing a lot of the groundwork like starting her foundation DontShockMe.org. There is a bill that we are working on to pass.”
With her two gold prosthetic legs, the model has earned the nickname of fashion’s Girl with the Golden Legs.
Jess Battison