A Nebraska mother went through a truly terrifying medical nightmare after a bad reaction to a common painkiller following the birth of her third child. What began as a normal recovery quickly took a devastating turn.
After undergoing an emergency C-section, Aleshia Rogers was about three weeks into her recovery, relying heavily on ibuprofen for the pain. But soon, her face began to swell, and an angry rash spread across her chest, marking the start of a frightening decline.
However, within hours, Aleshia’s face became covered in painful blisters. The swelling and damage were so severe that her loved ones could barely recognize her.
Rushed back to the emergency room, the child and education technician was diagnosed with a rare and dangerous condition called Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS). She was quickly transferred to intensive care for urgent treatment.
At just 27 years old, Aleshia had to be placed in a medically induced coma to help her body fight off sepsis and multiple organ failure. Doctors warned her family that she had only a five to ten percent chance of survival.
Her family endured three long and painful weeks of uncertainty before she finally opened her eyes again.
“Ibuprofen was my go-to med. I’d basically taken it my whole life since I was 14 to help with period pains.”
“They don’t know why I had this reaction to it. Doctors don’t really have an explanation for it. They just said my body decided it didn’t like it one day. It’s very upsetting and confusing.”
Along with the facial swelling, she experienced a burning pain whenever she swallowed, making eating and drinking unbearable.
“Then my eyes started swelling.” she revealed. “They were bloodshot and burning and I got a small rash on my chest so I went to the ER and they told me I had pink eye and sent me home.”
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Her condition escalated into its most dangerous form — Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis — a life-threatening illness that can be fatal without immediate treatment.
“The doctors said the skin had died and detached. They called it sloughing. It fell off in sheets.” Aleshia added.
While still in the coma, she underwent intensive treatment, including full-body skin removal and grafting, as well as an amniotic membrane transplant to save her vision.
Aleshia, who still lives with lasting complications from SJS, shared: “I had absolutely no idea what had happened to me. I forgot that I had given birth. I lost a lot of memories.”
“My family told me it really was touch or go as to whether I’d make it through. I’ve been told so many times that I’m a miracle.”
“I don’t want people to be afraid of medicines, but I want people to be aware and mindful of what can happen.”
