An account on the Website for the Stevens Johnson Foundation tells the story of Julie, a young woman who suffered a bout of Stevens Johnson Syndrome when she was 10 months old.
According to the account, written by her mother, Julie continues to suffer problems with her eyes as a result of SJS. But her mother is grateful that Julie didn’t lose her eyesight altogether. According to the account, Julie nearly died a number of times as a result of SJS.
Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a rare but very serious disorder that occurs when skin and mucous membranes react severely to a medication or infection. It’s characterized by a painful, blistering rash, and can eventually cause the top layer of skin to die and shed.
Julie’s mother writes that her daughter suffered the condition in 1994, after doctors administered her the medication Phenobarbital to control an epileptic seizure. She was told that that only side effect would be drowsiness.
Soon, Julie developed a fever and a rash that steadily worsened. Her mother was unable to give her a bottle because her mouth was full of blisters. At the hospital, doctors put Julie on an IV.
“Her face was unrecognizable,” her mother writes. “She looked like she had been deep fried.”
Even after doctors diagnosed Julie with Stevens Johnson Syndrome, her mother writes, she still had a good deal of trouble finding information about the disorder.
When Julie left the hospital, she had problems with collapsed lungs and repeated seizures. She nearly went blind, and on several occasions her mother thought she would die.
Julie’s mother closes with the hope that more people will become aware of Stevens Johnson Syndrome, so nobody will have to suffer through the uncertainty that she did.
“No one should have to search for information while their loved one is fighting to survive SJS,” she writes.
If you or a loved one have suffered from the condition, you should consult with a Stevens-Johnson Syndrome attorney at Lopez McHugh to evaluate whether you have a claim.
See more information here:
https://www.sjsupport.org/index.shtml