Mother's arm AMPUTATED after being electrocuted plugging in her laptop
Mother-of-two, 40, has her arm AMPUTATED after she was electrocuted while plugging in her laptop in accident that caused her 12 months of agonising pain
- Jue Snell, 40, was electrocuted plugging in her laptop in Northwich, Cheshire
- Her heart was monitored for one day before suffering Complex Regional Pain
- The physical pain ‘felt constantly felt like it was soaking in boiling hot oil’
- She suffered PTSD and felt her ‘body was shutting down’ before amputation
- Jue is now a Models of Diversity cover girl, motivational speaker and coach
A mother-of-two who was electrocuted whilst plugging in her laptop has undergone lifesaving surgery to amputate half of her arm after suffering pain similar to ‘soaking in boiling hot oil’.
Jue Snell, 40, says her hand became ‘stuck’ to the faulty plug socket and caused a severe electric shock through her body as she tried to plug in the device.
She spent one day in hospital as doctors thought she could have a heart attack, before suffering Complex Regional Pain Syndrome for around 12 months.
The condition causes persistent severe and debilitating pain and led her to surgery in a desperate bid to ‘restart’ her life.
Jue Snell, 40, had half of her arm amputated after plugging her laptop in and being electrocuted. She is now a Models of Diversity cover girl and motivational speaker, and hopes to show other disabled women that they ‘do not need to fit into a perfect box’
After 12 months of hospital appointments, her condition worsened and the former performance manager says she began to develop a fever and began vomiting.
The model from Northwich, Cheshire, had broken skin on her hand that contracted a serious bacterial infection which led to sepsis.
Medics had no choice but to amputate her lower left arm in an attempt to save her life.
Jue described the pain ‘like intense pins and needles’ which caused her to vomit straight after plugging in her laptop.
The model said: ‘I was kept in hospital for a day for checks as doctors were concerned in case I had a heart attack – thankfully I didn’t.’
After 12 months of hospital appointments, Jue’s condition worsened and the former performance manager says she began to develop a fever and vomiting
She had ‘no idea’ the plug socket was faulty until the electrocution and was diagnosed with CRPS six weeks later.
The feeling in Jue’s hand never returned and her lower arm grew thin as a result of minimal movement.
She added: ‘I constantly felt like it was soaking in boiling hot oil and when exposed to the cold – it was like my hand was in shattered glass.’
The model claimed she had ‘no idea’ the plug socket was faulty and was diagnosed with sepsis six weeks later. She immediately said yes to getting her arm amputated as the ‘relentless’ pain was ‘affecting [her] life’
Physical pain was ‘relentless for the next 12 months’ and meant she was bed-bound at hospital three to four times a week.
Jue’s husband Mike, 45, drove her to A&E as her hand ‘started weeping’ and she grew ‘disorientated with fever’. It was only a few days later that she was diagnosed with sepsis, in March 2015.
She immediately said yes to amputating her arm as the agony was ‘affecting [her] life’.
Jue’s hand and arm developed broken skin which contracted a serious bacterial infection that led to sepsis (pictured). It was only a few days later that she was diagnosed with sepsis, in March 2015
Prior to the amputation, Jue became housebound, lost her independence and was unable to fulfill her job as a performance manager.
The ‘reality’ of being an amputee made her feel as though she had ‘lost’ her identity.
She added: ‘I suffered with post-traumatic stress disorder and felt as though my body was shutting down when I was stressed – almost every situation caused me to have panic attacks.’
She counts Mike and her children Holly, 17 and Ella-boo, seven, as the blessings which kept her going.
While the model admitted disability is not something which can be fixed, she encouraged others to have the right mind set which can help them achieve anything. She also counts her husband Mike, children Holly, 17 and Ella-boo, seven, as the blessings which kept her going
Now five years on, Jue is the cover girl of Models of Diversity – a modelling agency that specialises in disabled models – 2020 calendar and a motivational speaker and coach.
The model has been given a new lease of life, describing the shoot as ‘incredible’ and leaving her feel ’empowered’, showing other women that they do not need to fit into a perfect box.
Once people with disabilities are in the right mind set, they can do anything, according to Jue who visits universities and businesses to discuss what it’s like to be an amputee.
‘Dealing with a disability isn’t something that can be fixed – It is ongoing and it affects you every single day.’
Angel Sinclair, the founder of MoD said: ‘She has taken a terrible situation and is using it to inspire, motivate and challenge!
‘She is not only undoubtedly beautiful on the outside, but the inside too and that is why she was our cover girl.’
To purchase the calendar, click here: https://modelsofdiversity.org/content/Models-of-Diversity-Charity-Calendar-2020
WHAT IS COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME?
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a condition that causes extreme discomfort that does not ease.
It usually affects just one arm or leg following an earlier injury, such as a fracture or sprain with no nerve damage, or nerve damage to a limb.
The body’s reaction is much stronger than usual and often causes pain worse than the original injury.
CRPS’ exact prevalence is unclear, however, a study claimed up to one in 3,800 people in the UK develop the condition each year.
And in the US, between 5.5 and 26.2 people suffer from CRPS per 100,000 every year.
What are the symptoms?
Pain is the main symptom, which may be burning, stabbing, stinging or throbbing.
The affected limb is usually sensitive to touch, with even clothing causing agony.
CRPS also causes swelling that can lead to stiffness, limb weakness and jerky movements. Joints may also appear redder or warmer than usual.
Many CRPS patients become anxious or depressed.
What causes CRPS?
CRPS’ cause is unclear but is thought to be due to the nerves in the affected area becoming more sensitive, which may change the pain pathways between the limb and the brain.
Rarely, stroke or multiple operations to the limb can be to blame.
In one out of 10 cases there is no obvious cause.
What are patients’ treatment options?
There is no one treatment. Therapies aim to maintain movement through rehabilitation and pain relief.
This may include physio and occupational therapies, coping strategies and medications.
Source: Versus Arthritis
Source: Read Full Article