Model Who Lost Both Legs to Toxic Shock Syndrome Finds Strength in Golden Prosthetics
In an interview with Today, model Lauren Wasser opens up about having her second leg amputated following complications due to toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
The model developed TSS in 2012, which led to the amputation of her right leg about six years ago.
TSS is a rare infection, but Wasser hopes to spread awareness through her story.
In 2012, model Lauren Wasser’s life changed forever after she developed toxic shock syndrome (TSS) while on her period, a rare life-threatening condition that commonly develops as a result of Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria, or a staph infection, which is contracted from a contaminated object-typically associated with tampon use.
Wasser, who suffered organ failure, unstable blood pressure, a heart attack, and an extremely high fever after using a tampon, was placed in a medically-induced coma and placed on life support due to TSS. The model survived despite receiving a one percent chance of living from her doctors, but with a tragic cost: her own two legs.
In a new interview with Today, Wasser opened up about her experience with TSS and the work she’s doing to spread awareness about the condition. “I just remember being in so much pain and my feet were just burning,” she said. “I’m sitting on a little chair with one leg and half a foot and I remember thinking, ‘this is not real life.’”
Wasser’s doctors increased her blood pressure in an effort to save her vital organs, which unfortunately cut off blood supply to her extremities. Her legs weren’t getting the oxygen they needed, so the tissue began to die, a condition known as gangrene.
At the time, her doctors recommended amputating both legs, but there was a 50/50 chance her left leg would pull through. She decided to take the chance, and said goodbye to her right leg. “I was ashamed of who I was,” the model recalled. “My whole identity was taken from me.”
With one golden leg, Wasser dedicated her time to spreading awareness about toxic shock syndrome in the hopes of educating other women about the risks. However, she continued to suffer in “excruciating pain,” so six years later she had her left leg amputated. “Losing the first leg gave me life, but losing my second leg gave me freedom,” the model said.
Today, Wasser is no longer in pain and is proud of her iconic golden legs. “I’m just lucky to be alive,” Wasser told Today. “I feel like my purpose now is to be the face and the voice of this, so people know that it is real and that it does happen.”
How common is toxic shock syndrome?
Toxic shock syndrome is extremely rare. According to the National Organization of Rare Diseases, TSS only affects up to 3 out of every 100,000 menstruating women in the United States.
In the 1980s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked hundreds of cases of toxic shock syndrome to tampons made of highly absorbent materials like polyester foam, which served as a breeding ground for bacteria. Modern-day tampons are made from cotton, but should still be changed frequently to avoid any risks.
“I usually tell patients, if you’re not filling your tampon at least halfway or so in six to eight hours, you need a smaller tampon, or you shouldn’t use one,” Margaret E. Long, MD, a gynecologist with the Mayo Clinic recently told Prevention.
While TSS is notoriously linked to tampon use, the infection doesn’t just impact menstruating women. TSS can develop from surgical wounds, child birth, abortion, miscarriage, history of using a diaphragm or contraceptive sponge, or a local infection in the skin.
Though Staphylococcus aureus infections are the most common, TSS can develop from contact with Streptococcus bacteria, too. “Sometimes it’s caused by staph, but partly, it’s really bad luck of getting exposed to other bacteria,” says Dr. Long. If a person does not have the antibodies needed to fight off these infections, the bacteria will throw the body into “shock,” inducing symptoms like high fever, chills, vomiting, confusion, muscle aches, a drop in blood pressure, and more.
TSS is a life-threatening infection that requires immediate, emergency care. Nearly half of all cases of the infection are fatal, though there is a chance of survival. Doctors may remove the object, if the infection is caused by a tampon, drain the infection, administer antibiotics, and work to save organs and stabilize blood pressure.
In some cases, such as Wasser’s, those with TSS may develop gangrene and may have to amputate their limbs. For the model, they represent how strong she’s become. “[Gold legs] are my trophies, they are my strength” she told Today. The model hopes to continue inspiring women to get educated about TSS, as well as working alongside congresspeople such as Carolyn Maloney to ensure companies disclose the ingredients and long-term health effects of feminine products.
She continues her passion of modeling and will run the New York City Marathon this fall.
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