The model who lost her leg to toxic shock syndrome revealed that she is ‘inevitably’ going to lose the other and is speaking out to warn women of the dangers of this infection.
Lauren Wasser, 29, contracted toxic shock syndrome (TSS) in 2012 after using a super-plus tampon while on her period.
Though tampon boxes warn not to leave it in for more than eight hours, Wasser said that she had been frequently changing her tampon while experiencing symptoms of the infection.
What started as flu-like symptoms left her suffering a massive heart attack and on life support as gangrene began to consume both of her legs, which led to a below-the-knee amputation of her right leg and toe amputations on her left foot.
Lauren Wasser
Lauren Wasser
Now as another amputation looms, the Los Angeles-based model is determined to warn women and young girls about the potential risks associated with tampons through promoting legislation for transparency in feminine hygiene products.
Wasser said that the remaining injuries in her left foot could mean another surgery to amputate her left leg.
‘My left foot has an open ulcer, no heel, and no toes,’ she wrote in an op-ED featured in InStyle. ‘I’m in daily excruciating pain.’
Her body has produced calcium which caused the bones to grow on her foot as her brain’s way of telling the missing toes to grow back.
She has needed surgery to shave down the bone because it became too unbearable to walk.
Wasser also cannot wet her foot due to the open ulcer – something that is difficult for the California-born model.
‘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,’ she said.
The model is now an advocate by pushing legislation urging the National Institutes of Health to help test feminine hygiene products to determine they are safe
