LoAnita McCranie

Survivor

On July 28, 2016, I had anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery then on August 6, 2016 I woke up that morning with swelling and redness at the incision site and did not feel very well but still got ready and went to my nephew’s birthday party. (Sepsis and Surgery)

By the end of the party, my neck was swollen to twice its size and the redness was going down my neck onto my chest, and I was having problems breathing. I do not know how to even describe the pain I was in. I begged my husband and daughter to just take me home so I could lay down but they refused and took me to the emergency room instead. The triage nurse noticed my neck when I walked through the emergency room doors and told me to come with him. He took my vitals and all I remember was my blood pressure was low and my heart rate was very high. My daughter and husband fill in the blanks of the next few days.

I had an abscess form under the incision site and a MRSA infection on the incision site, and the infection had got into my blood stream causing me to become septic. (Sepsis and MRSA) I had surgery the next morning to drain the abscess and clean out the infection. All fluid was tested and came back positive for MRSA. It has been almost 15 weeks and I have been hospitalized five more times trying to get this infection under control. I still currently have a PICC line and take IV antibiotics everyday. I have damage to my heart, permanent hearing loss and have been dealing with depression and anxiety.

My family and I had never heard of sepsis until this happened and I will continue to spread the word on sepsis and educate people. I owe my life to my husband and daughter. The doctor told them if I had went home and laid down I would of died that night from septic shock. This experience has also taught me to appreciate life more and live in the moment and worry less. I have also meet some amazing sepsis warriors. I am not done fighting this infection but I am a survivor.

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