Gerrard Kaonga
A woman has said she learned the ‘cost of beauty’ the hard way and is issuing a warning to other people who do this common procedure.
Amanda Wolaver, from Georgia, has said one common beauty procedure left her paralyzed and bed bound and now wants to raise awareness.
She also explained that when she complained and went to the doctors they dismissed her symptoms and thought they would pass.
The 33-year-old Amanda said that she initially developed a headache but believed it would pass with a good night's rest.
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However when she woke, she said that she couldn’t move and went to the hospital to find out what the issue was.
After a CT scan a doctor said that ‘nothing was wrong’ and said she was likely suffering from a severe migraine.
However, over 16 months, Amanda’s health worsened significantly.
She explained that prior to developing any issues she had been getting routine anti-wrinkle Botox-like injections for 10 years without issues.
But after one top-up, her bouts of severe headaches began.
As her condition worsened, Amanda said that she could no longer do simple everyday tasks like showering and make-up without pain or them being a struggle.
After $30,000 in tests later, a neurologist finally diagnosed Amanda with iatrogenic botulism.
The rare neuromuscular disease is caused by botulinum neurotoxins, the active ingredient in Botox, and can happen after 'too much botulinum toxin is injected for cosmetic reasons', according to the CDC.
The toxin attacks the body's nervous system and can lead to difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis or even death.
An MRI also revealed that Amanda had suffered from transient ischemic attack (TIA) strokes, also known as a mini-stroke.
Although there is no specific treatment, Amanda is 'recovering slowly' and letting time detoxify her body.
Speaking on her condition, she said: “It’s almost been two years and I still don’t feel normal. Never did I think this might happen to me.
“It was the worst decision I've ever made. I couldn’t be the mother I wanted for my three children.”
Amanda went on to thank her husband Josh for his support during this difficult time and said she now wants other people to learn of the potential dangers.
She added: “They told me that it was probably just a severe migraine.
"But soon, my body felt like the floor was being ripped out from underneath me and that I'd collapse.
"My dizziness became so severe that I had to take Xanax to knock me out to sleep.
"I thought I was slowly dying."
She also explained that she is still in daily pain.
She added: “I don't care about my wrinkles at all now and I'm getting more active and able to do more things with my family.
"But now I want to create more awareness about the dangers of botulinum neurotoxins.
"Hopefully, I can help prevent this from happening to others."