'Doctors said my symptoms were anxiety, then I had to have my leg removed'
Erin was 23 and about to start her dream job when she experienced a list of symptoms
Doctors told Erin there was nothing physically wrong
When Erin Lazarus started suffering from strange symptoms, doctors told her it was just anxiety. She was 23, completing her postgraduate degree and about to start her dream job as a foreign exchange dealer at Investec.
But despite the doctors' reassurance and blood tests showing nothing, the problems persisted. She was soon struggling with joint pain, migraines, hair loss, rashes, fatigue, swelling, and redness around her nails and feet.
'It's a miracle I finished my degree. My body completely broke down the moment I submitted my final paper,' she says. By December 2021, her left foot began to change colour, and within days she was slurring her words and losing consciousness.
She was taken to hospital but discharged. It wasn't until her foot turned black and she experienced unbearable pain that she was readmitted and finally diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that had caused a life-threatening clot in her leg.
Several surgeries failed to restore blood flow, and Erin was faced with a stark choice. 'Either I kept this dead foot or I lived,' she says. 'For me, it wasn't a choice. I wanted to live.'
Erin was 23, completing her postgraduate degree and about to start her dream job
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Just 12 hours after the amputation, she was up on a walker. 'I danced when my family came in. This was the start of something new,' she recalls. 'They named my stump 'Stompy,' kissed it, and made me laugh. That's the kind of family I have.'
She credits her incredible recovery to her close-knit support system: her father Mark, her mum Marilyn, her sister, Jenna, and her long-time physiotherapist Farrell Cohen. Four months after the surgery, Erin was fitted with her first prosthetic and walking independently.
But it has not always been straightforward. 'One morning I went to rehab, then walked into work and heard a massive clicking sound. I rushed to the bathroom, but I was wearing tight jeans,' she says. 'So there I was, sitting in a toilet stall with my pants down, trying to see what was going on - and my leg broke in half! The socket disconnected from the bar. I was stranded in the bathroom, holding my broken leg.
'My mom, who works at the same company, came running. We were brainstorming ideas, but I couldn't stop laughing.'
She still experiences phantom pain - pins and needles and sharp, electric shocks in her non-existent foot. 'I grab the bottom of my stump and tap it to tell my brain there's no foot there,' she says, adding that her boyfriend Reade Metzer has been amazing. 'He massages and squeezes my leg until the pain dies down.'
The world of prosthetics has astounded her. 'I had no idea how customised and high-tech these legs are. It's incredible what's possible,' she says. On Sunday Erin ran the London Marathon with dad Mark, a seasoned ultramarathon runner, proudly by her side. The experience left her 'truly speechless.'
'There are no words to describe it,' she says. 'I loved every second of it even when I was sore. The crowd was even more amazing than I expected. I found it very emotional and kept telling myself 'wow I'm actually doing it'.
'I kept telling myself 'you get to run' and kept picturing myself in hospital and reminding myself why I'm doing this. It was so special doing it with my dad and getting to see my family at 22km, 35km and the finish made me get through it and made it even more special.'
Erin was up and walking within hours of the surgery
Training was gruelling. Erin runs with a blade designed for endurance, balancing strength work in the gym with long-distance road runs. 'There's chafing, blisters, and days when I think, 'What was I thinking?' But then I remember why I started.
'It wasn't just about crossing the finish line. It was about proving that I can do something no one thought was possible after my amputation.'
As for lupus, it's something she manages quietly and privately. 'I take my meds. I do what I need to,' she says. 'But I don't like to focus on it because it scares me. I trust my doctor completely. The leg side is visible, so it's easier for people to understand. But lupus? That's the part people don't see. When I say I'm tired, it's not 'normal' tired. And when I'm sick, I get really sick.'
She hopes medical professionals will stop jumping to conclusions so quickly. 'If doctors had just listened earlier, things might have been different. But I wouldn't change what's happened—I have such a full life now. Her message to others with lupus or facing amputation?
'You'll live a perfectly normal life - and it's going to be okay. The medication is amazing, and you're stronger than you think. Trust yourself. You know your body better than anyone. Speak up if something feels wrong.'
Now Erin is focused on giving back. Through Rejuvenate SA and Trojans Neurological Trust, she's helping others with mobility challenges gain independence. 'I love sharing this weird and wonderful journey. I'm learning every day and doing everything I can to help others do the same.
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'I used to think losing my leg was the worst thing that could happen to me. But honestly? It gave me the best version of myself.'
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