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... y lives. At first, it seemed to be a bad flu or cold, and Jamie was to spend a few days in bed. But it got worse... Jamie became disoriented and the slightest movement caused her to feel faint as her blood pressure sank lower. A fine red rash covered her torso; her kidneys had failed.
She grew weaker and weaker. Her mother rushed her by boat to the doctor. They had to call an air ambulance. The paramedics were scared; they'd never seen anything like this before. It was clear that Jamie's condition was critical.
Jamie was flown to the nearest hospital, over a 100 miles away, and admitted to pediatric intensive care. Luckily, the attending doctor was aware enough of her symptoms to make a crystal-clear diagnosis: Menstrual Toxic Shock Syndrome. Every vital organ system except her brain had failed. An arsenal of drugs and life support equipment were rushed into the room to try and save Jamie's life. After a heroic 14 hour effort during which Jamie "coded" twice, the doctors brought her parents in to say goodbye. The third time Jamie "coded" there was nothing left to do.
Fortunately for Jamie and her family, they are born fighters. Her mother has been a dedicated activist since the 1960 s. She also knew a lot about tampon manufacturers, having formerly worked on their advertising campaigns! Carrie Cash is not one to accept failure, or to accept "facts" at face value; she fought for her daughter's life then, as she continues to fight for her today. Somehow, she knew that her family could overcome this crisis. In sheer terror, her mother cried, "Get back here, Jamie Cash!
I've never raised a quitter! This will be the longest marathon of your life, but I'll be with you every step of the way!" The first miracle of many more miracles happened - Jamie started to come back, just a little. The sense of hope felt by Jamie's family and the medical staff was bigger than their pain, shock or disbelief. They did not know that they would go through this ordeal again and again over the next three months. But they had hope. They still do.
Although Jamie has regained much of her former health, she will never be the same. Now, she, her friends and family have to be incredibly careful about her health. Toxic Shock Syndrome has robbed her of the full use of her body and she is still occasionally rushed to the hospital with one or another threatening condition; the last time I heard about, it was mononucleosis. Other times... the list goes on and on... Jamie has been regularly suffering health problems related to Toxic Shock four years later!
The suffering of the Cash family could have been prevented. They are not to blame for what happened. The blame lies with the tampon companies and decision makers who continue to allow the conspiracy of silence about the true health risks from tampons: rayon, chlorine, dioxin, additives, absorbency enhancers, applicators, the risks of tampon use in certain sports activities - the list goes on and on. (For more information about health risks and tampons, please see our web page Tampons and Health. ) Women need to hear the truth, all the truth, right now, before one more woman dies an unnecessary death at the hands of the blind and greedy people who run these companies. It's high time that the companies and the "nameless bureaucrats" who have been allowing this deception to continue came clean, wouldn't you say? And I'd say it's a safe bet that, like other big corporations that spend a lot of money covering up their "dirty secrets" (remember the cigarette companies? ), they won't tell the truth until they " re forced to. At the time of this writing, a tampon company is advertising that it's safe to use tampons overnight, "up to 8 hours. " I've heard that they will spend over $ 60 million dollars in one year to sell this message to women.
They, like you and I, know that many young women (young women are at highest risk of Toxic Shock) will sleep much longer than 8 hours if they " re given a chance. They also know that it's safer for a woman not to use tampons at all, or if she does, for no longer than 3 to 6 hours. But advertising these kinds of facts won't sell as many tampons, will it? Besides, women are told they can "trust" tampons. Mothers, daughters, sisters, friends - let's get those companies, their advertising and their dangerous tampons out of our lives right now! Tell the store managers that those tampons are dangerous, that what they " re buying is destroying women's lives and the environment; tell them that women can sue stores for selling products that have harmed them (and have! ).
Tell them that one woman's suffering and death from toxic tampons is too many. Let's speak freely about our periods, about the pollution and it's effects on our health, and tell all the women we know to do the same. And let's speak really loudly about companies that treat lawsuits from victims of their products as a "cost of doing business. " You " ve heard the story of one family's suffering with the disease. The Cash family is intact; Jamie lives. Sadly, other women have died, some that we know about (see references to research).
But there have been some women whose doctors weren't taught enough about TSS in medical books. We " ll never know about those women. We have the power to stop the manufacturers from taking chances with our lives - we can tell the truth. We can keep telling it. And we can stop buying their products. P.
S. As always, your comments, stories and suggestions are welcome. Thank you for taking time to share the information that we offer; we ask that you share it with others, and tell them how you found the information. Be well. Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a bacterial illness that has been associated with the use of tampons since late in the 1970 s. Tampon-induced TSS is a relatively rare, potentially lethal disease, caused by a strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacterial toxin known as TSST- 1.
The TSST- 1 toxin enters the bloodstream, and has been found in vaginas, and almost exclusively affects women who use tampons. Most officially diagnosed cases of tampon-related TSS occur in women under 30 years of age, especially teenage women 15 to 19 years of age. Sixty percent of tampon-induced TSS fatalities are reported to be in women 15 to 24 years, 98 percent of these being white women. U. S. estimates of the incidence of TSS are between 1 and 17 cases per 100, 000 menstruating women per year.
The U. S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta received 216 reports of TSS in 1993, 244 cases in 1992. The CDC reports that 99 percent of all TSS cases were in women and 98 percent of these women suffered the onset of the disease during a menstrual period.
The case fatality, or death rate, for tampon-induced TSS is about 6 percent. Experts say that only 10 percent of all cases are recorded. Women and girls suffer and die every year from tampon-induced Toxic Shock Syndrome. Women who have survived TSS have suffered, among other problems, miscarriages, loss of hair, loss of limbs and paralysis. Recent studies, released at the 1994 convention of the American Society for Microbiology have demonstrated a link between the use of tampons containing rayon and TSS. The research demonstrates a propensity for tampons containing rayon fibers to amplify the production of the TSST- 1 toxin, known to be responsible for tampon-induced Toxic Shock Syndrome.
These studies also show that the TSST- 1 toxin is not produced on the cotton used to produce terra femme tampons. &# 61623; Sudden onset of a fever of 102 degrees or higher &# 61623; Suddenly feeling unwell (flu-like symptoms) &# 61623; Skin rash resembling a sunburn particularly on the palms and the soles of the feet &# 61623; Rapid fall of blood pressure If you experience high fever, vomiting and diarrhea together or suspect toxic shock while wearing a tampon, immediately remove the tampon and consult a physician. Tell the physician your symptoms, how long you have had them, and when your period started. Keep the tampon in case your doctor wants to test it. Tampon-related Toxic Shock Syndrome is fatal in about 6 percent of cases. Women who do not die may suffer a range of serious and painful injuries, including severe organ damage, loss of hair, limbs and fingertips, reduced lung capacity and various other conditions. Reduce the risk of TSS with these preventive measures: &# 61623; USE ONLY ALL COTTON TAMPONS! &# 61623; Refrain from using tampons overnight or between menstrual periods. &# 61623; Use the lowest absorbency tampon necessary to absorb your menstrual flow. &# 61623; Change tampons at least every 3 to 6 hours. &# 61623; Wash your hands and fingernails well before and after inserting a tampon. &# 61623; Alternate the use of tampons with menstrual pads. &# 61623; Don't use tampons between menstrual periods.
Bibliography: 1. A Medical Time Bomb, Robb Crime, Hamilton Spectator, September 10, 1994, p. A 6. 2. Emerging Patterns of Tampon Use in the Adolescent Female: The Impact of Toxic Shock Syndrome, Charles E.
Irwin, Jr. , MD and Susan G. Millstein, MS, American Journal of Public Health, May 1982, Vol. 72, No. 5, pp. 464 - 467. 3. Analysis of New Generation Tampons for Propensity to Amplify Staphyloccocus aureus Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin 1 (TSST 1), Philip M. Tierno, Jr. , Bruce A. Hanna, Departments of Microbiology and Pathology, NYU School of Medicine.
Presented at the 94 th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, May 24, 1994. 4. "Truth about tampons needs to be told: These convenient little fluff balls are not as benign as everyone believes. ", Ann Montgomery, Ottawa Citizen, Sept. 1, 1992. 5. The Price of A Life, Tom Riley, Adler & Adler Publishers, Bethesda Maryland, 1986.
Free research essays on topics related to: years of age, american society, blood pressure, toxic shock syndrome, young women
Research essay sample on Toxic Shock Syndrome Years Of Age
