Rachel continues on road to recovery from SJS
SpunkyRachel is back and she’s looking great. You may remember SpunkyRachel from previous posts. We’ve been following her recovery from Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) on YouTube. Her videos offer a personal insight into her emotional struggle as she copes with the physical recovery from the rare but life-threatening skin condition.
SJS is a severe adverse reaction to medication. For Rachel, it was two doses of ibuprofen purchased from a grocery store. Two weeks later, her body reacted violently, developing rashes on her skin that blistered over and peeled off. She was admitted to the hospital and placed in a drug-induced coma while doctors worked to save her life. Her peeled body resembled a burn victim’s and she was prone to infection and other serious problems. After her months-long recovery, Rachel returned home and made her first video.
The road of recovery has not been easy. Rachel talks about her bout with depression and the gradual improvement of her skin and growth of hair. In some videos she is mad or sad. In others, she sounds upbeat. In her most recent video, Rachel has just returned from vacation and the trip sounds therapeutic.
“I’m hoping for the best,” she says.
She may think her videos fall on deaf ears, but a recent commenter made her realize just how important her message is to others who struggle with the condition.
“I wasn’t going to make another video until I saw this girl Shawnee’s video. And she told me I was an inspiration to her,” she says. “So I’m going to continue making videos until I feel as though it has been enough.”
Watch Rachel’s latest video below:
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