Fernando Gonzales

Fernando Gonzales
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Losing our Dad to sepsis.

Just wanted to share our story of sepsis that invaded our lives and took our dad too soon. Sometimes you think these things can’t and won’t happen to you. But it can. So I feel that by telling our story we are letting everyone know that sepsis is out there and to be aware. Just maybe it will prompt someone else who has the symptoms to check for sepsis, because it can be caught on time. If it gets too far there is no going back.

Our dad Fernando Gonzales was a 55-year-old, healthy man with two jobs. He has 5 of us kids and 15 grandchildren. He and our mother, Rosie Gonzales, just bought a house that they were so proud of. It all started in March of 2014 when he was not feeling like himself but thought he just had the flu and could tolerate it. Then when things started getting worse instead of better he let us know he needed to start going to the doctor. He also let us know he had blood in his urine. We went ahead and started making him appointments with his doctor who ran a few tests, and decided to send him to a G.I specialist. However in the middle of all, this my father had gone to the hospital where we lived. There they would run tests, say nothing and send him on his way.

When he did go to the G.I specialist, he also ran tests and when we went back for results, very rudely that G.I doctor said, “Yup you have an infection and cirrhosis of the liver.” (Sepsis and Liver Disease) My dad was shocked, trying to ask questions, but the doctor was not responding. We were not sure how he had this when he was not a drinker, nor a drug user. Our dad was a veteran. So we took a different approach. We took him to the VA hospital were we thought he would get the best care. It took a little time because he had to register and make a appointment with one of their doctors. After making an appointment, they would cancel it. When they would make his appointments, they would be far apart, when something so serious was wrong. When he was finally seen by a doctor, they also ordered blood work.

The next day which was Wednesday, June 11, 2014. My father was in a lot of pain due to what he thought was pain from a hernia he had. So we were on our way to the VA hospital. They had us go up to get the blood work done. They took his blood pressure and didn’t seem to be concerned when it was low. After being there all day, they sent him home saying, “Yes you have a hernia but you are too high risk to have surgery done on it.” We felt that by this time, anything he complained about or any of the symptoms, he had the doctors blamed it on the cirrhosis of the liver he was diagnosed with. They did not make any attempt to run other tests just to see if maybe there was anything else going on.

On Thursday, my father was sick not able to get up, walk or do anything. The next morning, Friday, June 13, 2014, about 6 am, he woke up throwing up black stuff and was very sick. My mom texted me early in the morning letting me know my dad said he needed to go to the hospital. By the time I got to my mom and dad’s house, my brother had already taken both my mom and dad to the hospital. I also went to see what was going on with my dad.

By the time I got there he was already being seen. They let me go back. The doctors ordered some tests and to have a CAT scan done. When my father came back from the CAT scan, he was shacking uncontrollably. The nurses and doctors must have known something was seriously wrong, but said nothing other then we are going to keep him in the ICU. We feel that had they ran other tests and went that extra mile on Wednesday when he was there and maybe he would be here today. We got up to the SICU and had to wait in the waiting room while they settled him in. After a while, we got to go in to see him and they were already giving him fluids and antibiotics. We were trying to find out what was wrong. We were there all day, then came Saturday, June 14, 2014, when in the afternoon, they told him that he had an infection and had a 20 percent chance of living. Nothing was ever said about sepsis. We had no idea it even existed. When we all got there my dad let us know what was said. We couldn’t believe it.

The whole day went by with all of us by my dad’s side. And the last thing he said to us before some of us went home for the evening with the kids was, “who is coming tomorrow?” Our answer was, “All of us dad, tomorrow is father’s day.” Half of us spent the night at the hospital. My mom wouldn’t leave. The next morning, Sunday, June 15, 2014, they were going to put my dad on the ventilator due to fluid building up in his lungs. Meanwhile his organs were already failing. So when they were putting him on the breathing machine, he coded. At that time my brother and sister texted me that we need to get there now. They were able to bring my dad back.

Our dad passed away on Sunday afternoon on Father’s Day. We didn’t know exactly why my dad passed away from until we got his death certificate. And it said cause of death Sepsis.

Source: by Misty Solis (Fernando's daughter)

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