Leo Perrin
Hello my name is Leo. I have been wanting to share my story here for some time. However my personality prevented this, due to the not wanting to ask for help or wanting to feel weak and my story has a good outcome, so I do not want the less than good outcomes to think I was bragging. But by the suggestions of many to help the healing and to give others hope.
So here it goes.
I was a healthy (other than back injuries) Firefighter Paramedic in a larger city back in March of 2014. I also taught Fire and Medical classes. I have had stomach issues for a lot of my life. This coupled with my back pain/numbness had gotten me quite used to having pain and ignoring it. So much that I had an appendicitis and 6mm x 8mm kidney stone in my right kidney that I did not recognize. (Sepsis and Appendicitis, Sepsis and Kidney Stones) I have been told each should have brought me to my knees.
The start of the event that almost got me began with me teaching students in a large and very good emergency department, which I left to go home without getting checked.
I was experiencing sour pressure pain in the top of my abdomen. This is not a normal presentation with appendicitis, so I though nothing more than gas. My step-daughter just happened to have a stomach virus at the same time. So I wrote it off as the same. However one day, later the pain finally settled to where it should in my low right abdomen. I woke my wife (an ED Nurse) and informed her I needed to go the the Emergency Department. We went and was diagnosed with appendicitis and scheduled for surgery. In surgery it was found that my appendix had ruptured and leaked causing an abscess to form in my abdomen (hence the sour epigastric pain). A routine CT scan showed the large kidney stone and fluid retention in the right kidney. In post-op the only memory I have is the fact I could not get the inspirometer to 200, and knew that was not good.
The ICU nurse at the small county hospital I went to was not trained in the signs and symptoms of sepsis, so they did not notice the trend I was on of dropping pulse oximetry, even though my oxygen they were giving me was being increased. I was also breathing at about 40 times a minute. My wife had to get our daughter to school so by the time she returned she was not sure what was wrong but knew something was. Between the oncoming nurse and her, they talked to the surgeon and it was determined to send me to Ohio State University’s ICU for treatment.
Upon arrival they noticed I was very sick. They said sickest in the hospital. Diagnosed with sepsis and ARDS they quickly sedated and intubated me to give me the best chance they could. I remained in an induced coma for 4 days while doctor after doctor came and gave their thoughts to the crew. They advised my wife to get my family who wanted to see me one last time to get there. That is when my wife told me she was hit hardest by being the loved one and not a nurse. She said it was like an episode of the TV show House, each doctor not knowing exactly but suggested antibiotics/procedures to try.
They knew that the infection coupled with the right kidney not being able to get rid of waste was most of it. Also the lungs filling with fluids because of my immune system kicking in hard. On the 6th day of the event, I showed great improvement to the point of them taking the tubes out. I guess there was a golf-ball sized glob of phlegm on the end of the airway tube when they pulled it. I never lost my blood pressure throughout so that helped not getting gangrene in my fingers and toes.
In just 6 days I went from strong and being able to do everything for myself to a weak shell who could not even hold his own granddaughter. A few days of PT and I could walk again, so 8 days from entering the ED to leaving the ICU for home. A month later I was able to get back to work at a desk then eventually back to full duty. I had to get the kidney stone lasered out about a month after this so it could work again.
With the help of all great medical staff from surgeons to all other doctors to super nurses to techs to cleaning staff, coupled with the love and support of my family and friends, I have made a full recovery. The staff at OSU ICU did an outstanding job of not only fixing me but treating my wife and family/friends with such respect. This I cannot thank them enough for. I do not hold any ill feelings for the staff at the small county hospital for not catching this quicker. If you are not used to seeing this often it can mimic several other conditions.
I do feel somewhat unhappy with myself for not catching the appendicitis or stone, but it is easier seeing things from the outside than inside. Being a stubborn man didn’t help either. I have had problems with PTSD since this event (which is why I couldn’t write this until now). (Sepsis and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
In closing I want to recognize Nurse Chris Rizzo for his excellent care of me and my family. He was my nurse for the majority of my stay. His dedication and knowledge to his profession are top knotch. He also does a lot of education on sepsis as well as working on spike out sepsis in Columbus, Ohio. He deserves the HERO award. I was able to stop up to the ICU several months later and got to see him and several other of my nurses. They really enjoyed my visit as I guess I am not the “norm” patient with such a good outcome. So I suggest you to go back and personally thank them when you get the ability to do so. They have a rough job and need a good outcome remind them they do matter.
