A vaping addict has told how she is 'happy to be alive' after being put on life support due to a life-threatening lung condition. Amanda Stelzer, 34, started smoking e-cigarettes seven years ago after realising that the different flavours gave her a buzz.
The supermarket cashier was consuming two four-pack of liquid cartridges a week. Amanda started complaining that she was struggling to breathe and was experiencing severe lower back pain and felt like her heart was "beating out of her chest".
The Mirror reports that in October 2019 she was rushed to hospital. Doctors initially couldn't figure out what was wrong but within 24hrs she had been put on life support.
Amanda, from Delaware, Ohio, USA, said: "I was crying because I was in so much pain. I was so scared. The last thing I remember is someone handing me a form and basically saying I needed to sign this if I wanted to live - that was the consent form to be put on life support."
Amanda was on life support for about eight days - with doctors warning her family she may remain that way for at least three months. They were still not sure about the cause until her mother asked a nurse if this could have anything to do with her vaping, which prompted them to scan her chest.
Amanda was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with medical staff confirming it had come as a result of vaping. The disease causes the lungs to not provide enough oxygen for the body, which can be life-threatening.
She was discharged within a fortnight but was warned that she could not work, see friends and family or be around people using cigarettes and vaping for six months whilst her lungs healed. It was recommended that she use nicotine lozenges as her body was still healing, but also to help her suffering from nicotine withdrawals.
Following her time in the hospital, Amanda suffered huge financial losses and mental health issues. She said: "I was lucky that I owned my car at the time and my [health] insurance covered my treatment, but I still got into a lot of debt.
"It was depressing. I was happy to be alive but I was sad that I couldn't work and I couldn't be around family and friends without a mask. It was awkward having to disinfect everything and ask people not to vape or smoke around me anymore.
"I even lost two friends because they refused to quit."
Amanda has now been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has vowed no never vape again. She said: "It seems harmless until it isn't. You never know what can happen - I thought it was no big deal when I started.
"It is dangerous and I don't want someone else to go through what I went through. People might not want to see it or hear it but if it helps just one person stop, I’ll be happy."
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