Eugene D. Knutson

Survivor

I was admitted on March 7, 2010 to the hospital for a routine surgery to remove sections of my intestine that had been effected by diverticulitis. I had experienced multiple attacks of this disease over the years and, on the advise of the surgeon, decided to have it corrected before it ruptured. (Sepsis and Surgery)

Six days after the surgery, they discharged me and less than a hour of being home, I was experiencing severe chills and feeling very bad. My wife called the surgeon who told her to get me back to the hospital ASAP. I was in full-blown sepsis shock. The next morning they took me to surgery and found that the incision point in my abdomen had leaked. (Sepsis and Perforated Bowel)

This was followed by 3 weeks on a ventilator and several near death episodes in the ICU. I needed rehab to learn to walk again as my legs had deteriorated during my stay in the ICU. I was diabetic and unable to swallow, so they put me on a TPN (a special feeding by IV), which made the sugars go through the roof. My kidney function dropped to 15% and I had no energy of any level.

Eventually, after a year and several additional hospitalizations for dehydration and other side effects of the sepsis, I am doing fairly okay. There is still very little energy, as I can go in the morning for about 4 hours, then must take a nap. My kidney function is 29% and stable.

I do have both a colostomy and ileostomy, which can give me problems from time to time, but what the heck, I am still on the up side of the grass! (Sepsis and Post-Sepsis Syndrome)

Overall, it was rough, and there are some things that are permanent in the way of left over effects of the sepsis. BUT, I am here to enjoy life and it sure beats the alternative. As for those who had dreams during the ordeal, I still remember every vivid part of all of them, and know that to me they were very real.

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