Norma Reiners

My mother, Norma Reiners, died on October 15, 2014 from sepsis. She was 85 years old, but not your normal 85-year-old. She was active, vital, a contributing member of society, loved and needed by all who knew her. She fell in her own home and broke her ankle on August 24, 2014. For a variety of reasons, my mother was unable to have the surgery needed to repair the fractures and an external fixator was placed. Due to the fact that she was confined to a wheelchair and required rehab to hopefully prepare her for surgery at some point we had to place her in a skilled nursing facility. She excelled in therapy and did everything she needed to do to eventually return to her home.

By early October, my mother was still in the skilled nursing facility but doing everything for herself. She got herself to and from therapy, to the dining room for meals, in and out of bed, to the stool and shower, etc. She did it all from a wheelchair, but she did it on her own. She was scheduled to have the external fixator taken off and a cast put on October 13.

On October 9, the therapists took my mother to her home for a home visit to see if she would be able to manage. After that home visit, later in the evening she developed pain in her leg and ankle. Prior to this point, she had never complained of pain. Over the course of the next three days her condition began to deteriorate. Her appetite decreased, she developed a low-grade temp, she had nausea, weakness and vomiting. On October 11 I urged the RN to call the orthopedic surgeon on call and alert him of her change in status. That call was never returned. On October 12 the RN called again and the doctor on call said that since she had an appointment on October 13 to just bring her in then. On October 13 at 7 AM when I picked her up, my mother was clearly not herself. She was lethargic, weak, had a temperature, drainage from the pin sites of the external fixator, and she had not been able to keep food down. I told her the doctor would likely admit her to the hospital and to be prepared for that.

When I got my mother to the orthopedic surgeon and he walked in the room and I explained her condition he said, “Maybe it’s Ebola.” I couldn’t believe it. Was that supposed to be some kind of joke? Anyway, he removed the external fixator and put on the cast with orders to return in a week. When I asked about what we should do about her present condition he stated that maybe she had a flu bug and I might want to call her primary care physician. Well, I thought if he doesn’t think this is a concern then it must not be.

I took my mother back to the skilled nursing facility and urged the RN to call her PCP. She did and after what seemed like an eternity (the rest of the day), labs were drawn and a urine sample was ordered, but the RN was unable to get one. During the afternoon my mother became confused and complained of chest pressure. At about 6:00 that evening (approximately 12 hours after we had seen the orthopedic surgeon), the PCP said we needed to take her to the ER to be evaluated. We did. It was determined that she had a urinary tract infection and had suffered a heart attack.(Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections)

My mother was admitted to the ICU that evening. Her symptoms progressed very quickly and before we knew it she had full-blown sepsis. She was being treated with IV antibiotics and BIPAP for breathing. She had been very explicit about her end-of-life wishes. She did not want extraordinary measures taken. When it got to the point that intubation and mechanical ventilation were necessary to keep her alive, we had to make a decision. Based on her wishes, we made the transition to comfort care. My beautiful mother, my best friend, and my personal hero, who had just weeks ago been the most active senior citizen I have ever known, passed away October 15. Coincidentally, this was also my daughter’s 33rd birthday.

My family and I firmly believe that had her symptoms been recognized and treated appropriately her outcome would have been so different. Nobody told us about sepsis during her whole ordeal. We didn’t realize how quickly it could act and how very serious it could be. We are mourning the loss of someone who was very important to us. My goal is to speak often and loudly. To tell my story to all who will listen. I don’t want this to happen to another family.

Source: by Brenda Ludens (Norma's daughter)