Kathleen Shumaker
After going through one month of training at my new job, I joined the Call Center floor on February 28, 2016. All things were going well except for my lingering urinary tract infection.(Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections) My doctor had called in a prescription for antibiotics for me, but it had barely put a dent in it. Coupled with the kidney stone that had been lurking my left kidney for the prior six months, the pain was beginning to be unbearable.(Sepsis and Kidney Stones) Finally on Easter Sunday, I stood up to go on break and about fell to my knees with a pain in my left kidney that felt like it had hardened to lead in one blast. I clutched my side and staggered over to one of the few skeleton crew supervisors on the floor and explained my dilemma. They paled and said “Go now! Get to the hospital and get taken care of.” They logged me out and I staggered out to the car for my 15+ mile commute home.
I wanted to be in the hospital nearest my loved ones and knew instinctively it wouldn’t be an overnight. I sat bolt straight up in the driver’s seat and white knuckled it home. When I got there, my husband met me outside and took over the driving. It was less than five minutes to the nearest hospital. When we got there, they claim they tested my urine and found no infection. They basically blew it off as me being ridiculous and sent me home with pain meds and a script for more. It was Easter. Our pharmacy wasn’t open at that point.
We were due to have Easter dinner with my youngest son and wife. I went and toughed it out, eating a bare polite minimum. I didn’t want to ruin their first Easter as a couple. In a matter of a half hour, I was in the bathroom throwing everything I had eaten up that day. Non-stop. Finally I came out and handed over my banana cream pie to her father. Pale, shaking and nausea, in immense pain we went home. The next day I called off work as I felt even worse. By mid-afternoon my husband was highly concerned. I had a high fever and was soon in an altered mental status. He called 911. My stats were abysmal. BP was 60/40 and my pulse ox was 71%.
They transported me to the local hospital (the one that blew off my symptoms) where a young, newly hired doctor ran a blood panel. My husband tells me he was pale as could be and stammered out that my white blood count was over the top and they did not have the facilities to care for me. They tried to get a life flight to nearby Ogden but the wind was too high. Ogden Regional sent out an ambulance and special nurse paramedics and they transferred me down to their critical care unit. I was diagnosed with severe sepsis due to my kidney stone having dropped and backing the urinary tract infection into my blood. They said the next 48 hours would be critical.
Within 72 hours I was in the next level down critical care 2 floor. Then in two more days into a regular room. They ran tests and set me up with a stint to try and jar the kidney stone. It wasn’t working, but the antibiotics were gradually winning the war for me. I prayed for strength if not for me but for my family. My youngest son’s wedding was in less than 10 days. I wanted to dance with him at his reception. My oldest son and wife were expecting my first grand child. I had to fight and fight hard.
After 10 days I was sent home on April 6th on oxygen and with a stint in my arm. My infectious diseases doctor told me solemnly “By all intents and purposes you should not be alive. What is your secret?” I replied “Love, faith and prayer on my behalf from my family and friends. They kept me fighting and alive.” I was scheduled for one month on outpatient antibiotic infusion. Two weeks later I had the kidney stone destroyed by laser. Every morning I went to the infusion center and then went to work.
I started back to work on the 8th. I worked 3/4 schedule for a month more. Then a month on oral antibiotics and the stint was removed. Two weeks later I was off of oxygen. I am now for the most part normal. I live in fear of every pain. I obsessively take my temperature and watch my urine for any sign of odor or infection. I keep wondering when or if it will come back, but I am blessed for the life I have. I did dance with my son at his wedding and he gallantly took my oxygen tank on his shoulder as we did. My grand \child, a little boy, is due any day now. Life is good, although I fear shortened.
