I’m sharing a photo of myself on life support so you don’t make my mistake

A WOMAN who vaped every day has shared shocking photos of herself after the fluids left her on life support.

Amanda Stelzer started vaping seven years ago when her friends all started doing it and the “cool flavors” brought her “hype”.

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The 34-year-old has now opened up about how lucky she is to be alive after struggling with lung disease as a result of her habit.

The cashier said she would use two four-packs of liquid cartridges every week for seven years, or the equivalent of more than one cartridge per day.

Eventually, Amanda from Delaware, Ohio, USA ended up in the hospital struggling to breathe and suffering from severe back pain.

“I cried because I was in so much pain. I was so scared,” she said.

Amanda said it felt like her heart was pounding out of her chest.

Despite extensive blood and urine tests, doctors could not determine what was wrong with her and rushed her to the hospital in an ambulance.

Within 24 hours of being there, Amanda was put on life support.

“The last thing I remember is someone handed me a form and basically said if I want to live I have to sign that – that was the consent form for life support,” she added.

Amanda was on life support for eight days in October 2019 and doctors warned her family she could be in this condition for at least three months.

Medical professionals were still at a loss as to the cause of her condition, but when her mother, a nurse, asked if vaping had anything to do with it, a breast scan was ordered.

She was then diagnosed with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a life-threatening injury that leaves the lungs unable to supply the body with enough oxygen.

In most cases, it’s caused by inflammation in the lungs, according to the NHS.

This inflammation then causes fluid from nearby blood vessels to leak into the tiny air sacs in your lungs, making it increasingly difficult to breathe.

Medical staff confirmed that her ARDS diagnosis was a direct result of vaping.

The NHS states that vapes are an alternative to smoking and could even help you quit permanently.

However, studies have shown that they could be just as bad for your heart as regular cigarettes.

Amanda spent two more weeks in the hospital, but was unable to work when she was discharged.

On top of that, she wouldn’t see her friends or family — or be with anyone who used and vaped cigarettes for six months while her lungs healed.

After her time in the hospital, Amanda suffered tremendous financial losses and mental health problems.

She said: “I was lucky that I owned my car at the time and my insurance covered my treatment, but I still had a lot of debt.

“It was depressing. I was happy to be alive but sad that I couldn’t work and be with family and friends without a mask.

“It was awkward having to disinfect everything and ask people to stop vaping or smoking around me.

“I even lost two friends because they refused to stop.”

As a result of this experience, Amanda now suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

However, her health is “amazing” at the moment and she is in the best position she has ever been – with lots of supportive friends and family around her.

She has vowed never to touch a vape again and hopes her experience will be the wake-up call someone else needs.

Amanda said: “It seems harmless until it isn’t. You never know what can happen – I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal when I started.

“It’s dangerous and I don’t want anyone else to go through what I went through.

“People might not want to see it or hear it, but if it just helps one person quit, I’m happy.”

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