Lori Karchner

Survivor

My name is Lori Karchner and here is my sepsis story. I had a kidney surgery on 6/22/12 by a doctor who was not my usual doctor. The doctor did kidney surgery and then I was sent home from the hospital; I was sent home with no antibiotics even though it was known that I had a kidney infection that had not responded to antibiotics prior to the surgery. The objective of the surgery was to remove stones from my left kidney. (Sepsis and Kidney Stones)

The young, new doctor never did remove any of 50 stones in my kidney, he just placed stents in my kidneys and did nothing else; there was no stone obstruction. Due to my stone disease, I had been having recurring kidney infections from April until the surgery on 6/22/12. There really was no need for the surgery, what I needed was antibiotics.

I gave a urine specimen on 6/5/12 but did not receive antibiotics to treat the infection until 6/13/12, and only received a few days worth. I told them I had just finished a 10-day course of the same antibiotic and it hadn’t worked to treat that infection. He proceeded with the surgery knowing I had just had an infection. He did not have my urine tested just prior to the surgery. He placed stents in my kidneys, which sent bacteria into my bloodstream. I was sent home alone without any antibiotics.

The next day, although I truly do not remember much, I knew I was sick. I took my temperature and it was very high, in spite of taking meds to lower it. I remember calling the doctor, who said he would call in antibiotics. I replied that I was too sick to pick up the antibiotics. That was the last thing I remember at home. God must have interceded for me because I somehow managed to drive myself 35 miles to the ER while having sepsis.

I remember the trauma team rushing me down the hall while working on me. I called one person from my MSK support group, Shelly. I have no clue what I said, but I remember the trauma team kept saying my temp had reached 107 degrees. They asked me if I wanted a minister. I said yes, and then my memory faded again. The last thing I remember is being packed in ice in the special care unit. I know God saved my life.

My medical records indicate a MEWS score with 4/4 SIRS; my blood test cultured with gram positive cocci. I knew that night being rushed down the hall and being worked on by the trauma team that I was dying; I could see it on their faces. God saved my life that night. He brought me to the ER just in time. My life was forever changed that night. The doctor who did the surgery and placed the stents came to see me in the hospital two days later. I told him that he should have given me antibiotics; he said, “I know.”

The next day I was discharged from the special care unit, and on day three the same doctor sent me home. I was alone and still very sick. One day later I was taken back to the hospital by ambulance and readmitted. The next day the same doctor came in and sent me home. It was a nightmare! A pastor from my hometown took me under his wing for two weeks. I called him and he came to my home. He called 911 because I was vomiting until it came up green. The ambulance took me right back; the only thing that helped was being in the hospital.

For two weeks this went on, until I told that doctor to take the stents out. He did not allow anyone else to treat me because he knew he had made me very sick and he was new at the hospital. He was so mad that I made him remove the stents. When he knew that I would no longer be under his care, he threw the stents at me and told me to get another doctor.

I am one of the lucky ones. I did not lose any parts of my body to sepsis, nor did I lose my life. I attribute this to God and to a very good ER. I have PTSD so bad now. (Sepsis and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) I have had recurrent cellulitis infections three times in the last year, and I am still getting kidney infections.

God wants me here for now to spread the word about sepsis. I did not even know what had happened to me until I looked up the word “sepsis” from my medical files and found the Sepsis Alliance. I have been trying to spread the word about sepsis ever since. I was in bed for almost a year. I am still having issues from the sepsis, the worst being the PTSD and inflamed joints, besides other mental issues. Recently on 6/5/13 I fell and had a head trauma. I have a few very close on-line friends in my kidney support group who, with God, have helped hold me up this past year. I made some new friends from the sepsis group also.

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