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Shanavya Waller
Survivor
I’m 28 years old. I had problems with my stomach pain for five years. I went to every doctor I could find to find out what the problem was. Nobody could find anything. They started telling me it was all in my head. So I tried one last gastroenterologist. She ran a light in me and found something but she couldn’t tell what it was. So she did another test and got a sample to make sure it wasn’t cancer. It wasn’t, so she sent me to a surgeon. He came right in and told me you have to get the tumor removed. It’s by my pancreas, he told me. You would have to stay in the hospital five days. So Dec. 3,2015, I went for surgery. A couple days later I started to pass out 3 days straight. (Sepsis and Surgery) They thought they were giving me too much medication. My bowel movements were black. The nurse told my mom that it was blood and that I was bleeding in the inside somewhere. So my mom told the doctor. That day I told my mom I was going to take a nap and she said me too. The doctor came in and told my mom I see she is getting some rest. Because I was in so much pain I couldn’t rest. So he told her I’m just going to check her. He checked me and saw that I wasn’t breathing. He called everybody in and they rushed me down while he was on the bed trying to bring me back. They found out I had got sepsis. They cut a big hole in my stomach and took out part of my intestines because I had holes in it. (Sepsis and Perforated Bowel) I had about four more surgeries. I was on life support for 2 weeks. Fighting for my life, the doctor said I was a strong fighter. After coming back off of life support I had 6 drain tubes. I kind look like an octapus. I was left part of my stomach open and I had a colostomy bag. I didn’t eat for 4 months. I couldn’t even drink water. After a month they put me in a rehab because I could walk or stand on my own and I had to have wound care. I stayed there for a month then I got sick again and they sent me back to the hospital. They had to put another drain in. I stayed there for 2 weeks and I went home. With one drain and my bag and I was still unable to eat or drink. So I had a feeding tube for a while. But day by day I got better. I never thought I would be the same anymore. I like to tell my story because it could happen to anyone at any time. I wanted to give up and I asked the Lord to take me and watch over my family, but he didn’t let me go so I know I have a purpose to be here. If it wasn’t for my family and friends helping me fight I don’t know where I would be. I still have aches and pain but I’m here and I’m blessed.
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Asha Gupta
Tribute
Everyone loves their mom for the unconditional love and care that’s impossible to find anywhere else. Come what may, just one call to your mom, and you rest assure that everything is fine with you and this world. On 28th Dec, 2017, I lost my mom. And with her, I lost a chunk of my heart. Her urinary tract infections started mildly with urgency to pee (no pain). She soon developed fever (101-102 F), with chills down the body, fatigue and loss of appetite. She soon consulted the local physician who started her on antibiotics. My mother was also diabetic, but tried to controlled it at large. (Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections, Sepsis and Diabetes) The medications went for almost two weeks, after which the doctors advised her to go to a hospital. At this point, she was not diagnosed with urosepsis. It was a case of UTI. I and my family were unaware of sepsis and the possible threat it could pose. When the fever didn’t go after two weeks of medications, she was hospitalized for a week with IV antibiotics and started showing signs of improvement. Her fever subsided on the fifth day, appetite and sleep recovered. The doctors and the hospital decided to discharge. On the evening she was discharged, the fever and chills returned to 102 F and her blood glucose dropped to 37. She was taken to emergency and once in ICU her essential salts (Ca, Na, K) were found low, accompanied by high serum creatinine (which indicates improper kidney function). Though she was being administered antibiotics (intravenously) but the E. Coli (infection bacteria) strain was drug resistant. At this point, her condition deteriorated by the day and her fever barely dropped to 99 F even after rounds of paracetamol IV and broad range antibiotics. We panicked and tried to go to the previous hospital. Her drug therapy was changed and she was administered with IVs again. At this point, she began showing symptoms of mouth blisters and amnesia. We requested the doctors to give her sleep medicines to ease her situation. On the morning of 5th day of being re hospitalized, she began feeling pain in chest and breathless. The sepsis started affecting her heart, by next day her condition deteriorated. The BP started dropping and her ejection fraction was 35% accompanied by still a high serum creatinine (the kidney were failing). At this point, Although the fever subsided, the doctor assured that they have treated the infection but the heart condition is new (they blamed her past heart history – which was minor). On the following day, my mother had a cardiac arrest post which her heart could not be revived. To see my strong and wonderful mother in such a vulnerable state was something that tore me apart. I always knew as a bold woman, struggling to speak and her hands trembling crushed my soul. To see her feebly trying to remove her BIPAP O2 mask and ask for water. It’s something that haunts me all the time. Every time I came out of the ICU ward, I would cry uncontrollably to see my mom in such a condition. I wanted to protect her and save her. I held her hands and embraced her and always told her that everything would be fine. She stayed brave and strong throughout; always believing that she’ll be fine and eager to get back to her normal routine. But neither did she nor did we comprehend that a UTI case could become life-threatening until the fateful day. I just hoped everything would be same when I sat beside my mom all night observing the ICU monitor for her heart rate, Spo2 level, respiratory rate, her temperature and reporting any anomalies. When she suffered cardiac arrest, I just hoped my mom’s heart would beat again while the doctors were giving her CPR. I just hoped my mom would speak again when the doctor said that they couldn’t revive her heart and I embraced her body crying like a little kid. I loved my mom a lot. And, certainly, I have my own reasons to believe that she was special. And those reasons are enough for me to write about her and share with as many people as possible. She is one of the boldest women I’ve ever known. A strong woman, who cared for everyone around her. She was the critical link in our family that brought all of us together. Losing my mom has left a huge void. The first few days, I became too numb to feel anything. However, as we gradually return to our routine, I feel all the things same except for just one thing — my mom is not present. It feels as if I had a protective layer that isn’t there anymore. Maybe, if we known about the sepsis early enough, we would have taken different decisions. I just hope, people and doctors have more awareness about this disease and detect early to save lives.
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Susan S.
Survivor
April 2017, it started with uncontrollable shivering and a general feeling of discomfort. The following day, I was extremely short of breath and very lethargic and told my husband, “Today is the day that I’m going to die.” He drove me to the emergency room where I was diagnosed with pneumonia and had gone into septic shock and respiratory failure. (Sepsis and Pneumonia) Survival flight was called and I was transferred to a University Hospital where they were better equipped to handle my situation. I stayed in Surgical Intensive Care for two weeks until I was able to go home. Its been a struggle every day since that day in April. I continue to have breathing problems and memory issues, but I am thankful to still be alive. (Sepsis and Post-Sepsis Syndrome)
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Shelley Humphrey
Tribute
On April 13, 2016 I was awaken by a phone call. Mom was being taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital for abdominal pain and shortness of breath. A few hours later she was being transferred to OSF St. Francis in Peoria, IL. My sister and I made the 1.5 hour trip to the hospital. After several hours of waiting to finally see her, we were told they were having troubles maintaining her blood pressure. They had put in an arterial line and central line and moving her to ICU. We stayed with her until she was settled in ICU late that evening and finally after a long day we left with a kisses and I love you’s. With families of our own, my sister maintained contact with the hospital to check in for updates. By 10:00 am the next morning there was a mad rush for medical surrogates. Mom was married and her husband had taken a phone call from the hospital that morning and gave consent for intubation and then said he no longer wanted to make medical decisions for her. At that moment my world changed forever. Out of four children (2 boys, 2 girls), the boys told my sister and I that they trusted us to make the decisions. By that time were already making our 1.5 hour drive back to the hospital. We were stopped outside her ICU room by the doctor and told they were putting in a chest tube and that she probably wouldn’t make it. They had her maxed out on 4 pressors and they usually stop at 3. At this point we had no clue what was wrong with her. We knew she had an infection in addition to the BP issues but that was it. Finally after a few hours we were able to see her. Intubated, arterial line, central line, chest tube, 2 IV poles with more numbers and buttons and fluids I have ever seen. I’m not quite sure when it hit me but with some medical knowledge somewhere sepsis came to my mind. I asked the doctor if she was in septic shock. She said they didn’t know, but I knew without a doubt that was it. Over the next week we kept vigil by her bedside waiting for improvement. Maybe one day her BP would be better but kidney function would be worse. That was when I learned about Palliative Care. Then the decision. Keep trying invasive procedures like dialysis or make her comfortable. The agonizing decision was the worst thing I have ever had to do. I begged and pleated for her to wake up and tell me what to do. Ultimately we made the decision to let her go. One week to the day she went in, Mom passed with all four of us children by her side. It wasn’t until I requested her death certificate that I learned I was correct and that she had died of septic shock. My mom was 57 years old when she died. On April 20, it will be 2 years since we lost her. Losing her was like losing part of myself. That week she was in the hospital will never leave me. On April 13th I will start to relive it all,every day of that week, every decision, everything. Mom had an infection that turned septic because it wasn’t treated fully. I don’t blame anyone but I have absolutely learned the consequences of not properly and fully treating an infection. I search articles and research for sepsis treatments and I hope one day no one will ever have to lose someone to septic shock.
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Jim Green
Survivor
This June 20, 2018 will mark my 11th year as a septic shock survivor. I had a UTI (Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections) on 6/16/07 that the doctor prescribed to low of an antibiotic. On Saturday, 6/18/07, I called the doctor on my cell phone (cell phones had a lot of dropped calls in those days) to say I wasn’t feeling any better. In the middle of the call, it dropped out, and numerous times I tried to recall the doctor were unsuccessful. He was a covering doctor; my main urologist was in Europe that weekend. On Monday 6/20/07, during the wee hours of the morning I was feeling worse, sluggish, and feverish. I went to the bathroom to urinate, when my entire body went into a convulsive state, and suddenly was ejected into the bathtub laying in a fetal position. I stayed there for several hours, and when I woke up, crawled upstairs to my bedroom to go to sleep. I mentioned to my wife my entire body went into a convulsive state, she said, “go to bed you feel better in the morning.” From that point, I don’t remember anything except waking up in the hospital some days later. My grandson was the first credit I have for saving my life. He was 4 at the time, and when I didn’t get up to go work, came up in the bedroom to see why I hadn’t got up yet. My wife was already at work. My grandson saw I was in convulsive state, doing silly things with my hands and proceeded to call my son who was sleeping at the time and was 23 years of age. My son called my primary care physician, who was located in NYC. The doctor told him to get me to the nearest hospital on Long Island Nassau University Medical Center. My son called 911 and I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital. My family and a priest were called in to administer last rites because the admitting doctor didn’t think I was going to make it. They ripped my clothes off and the doctors were fighting to save my life. Several hours later when I was stabilized, the attending ER doctor (who was consumed with saving my life) told my wife, “if his blood pressure drops any lower, he is a goner, just sit with your family and pray.” And that they did. Within hours my pressure started to rise, and I was then admitted to the hospital to recover. My sepsis didn’t come without residual effects. (Sepsis and Post Sepsis Syndrome) When I got discharged from the hospital, I had a squeezing pain on my two right fingers like a plier was squeezing them. I had an unneeded fusion on my neck. After getting 3 opinions, the last doctor said it was spinal stenosis and assured me it was a text book operation. It wasn’t because I was left with the same pain on these two fingers and caused me to have a second surgery in a different cervical area some 2 years later. I also suffered from severe pain in my left hamstring and foot. After seeing about 30 doctors in NYC, I finally was diagnosed with idiopathic neuropathy. No medicine has ever alleviated the pain. I exercise to combat the pain, and although it has been a tough battle moving on, there is not a day that goes that I thank God I’m alive.
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Burt Campbell
Survivor
I had been dealing with a toothache for a short time and saw a local dentist I was referred to by a friend. The dentist took x-rays and informed me I needed a root canal, which he would perform in three days and gave me a script for Augmentin to make sure infection would not be a problem. I took the antibiotic and went in for the root canal, only to have the dentist stop more than half way done because he did not have the proper tools to finish the job. He gave me more antibiotics and said he needed to obtain the proper instruments to finish the job. (Sepsis and Dental Health) By 3:00 the following day, my pain was terrible and my cheek area was red and very hot to touch. I had a friend drive me straight to ER and they immediately put me on two IV antibiotics and admitted me for treatment of sepsis. After a two-day stay and many scans to determine the extent of damage done, I was released to a doctors care who specialized in infectious diseases. Turns out I almost died because of a failed root canal and poor case management. My message to readers is to get to a hospital at the first sign of advanced infection, and see a real endodontist when in question concerning a bad tooth. Sepsis moves very quickly, and minutes can matter. One good thing came from my hospital stay however. Doctors discovered a brain tumor, and I am in the process of treatment. It is likely I would have learned about the tumor too late had I not been forced by pain into the hospital.
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Danielle Brett
Survivor
My story of this hideous experience a month ago is somewhat odd. Only symptoms I had on the day, like a brick in my stomach. Went out with girlfriends dancing at ABBA Tribute night. Started feeling generally unwell stomach very uncomfortable. Left early. A very long painful night followed with fever, vomiting and inability to move due to intense pain. Hours later my husband found me on the floor on all fours unable to speak just moan. Called an ambulance at my request (whispered), rushed to hospital where was semi conscious. Went through the X-rays, CT scans, blood testing etc. Urgent surgery need as twisted bowel had ruptured. (Sepsis and Perforated Bowel) This was all explained to me but all I could say to my husband “call my Dad.” He is 86 lives in New Zealand and I live in Gibraltar, Spain. Strangely I didn’t think of my four children living in the UK. My husband was asked to give me a final kiss goodbye apparently, thank god I was unaware. A month on I weigh 44 kilos, too shriveled, bowels not brilliant, walking bent over and so so tired. Not to mention depressed. The surgeon said I was lucky to be alive as he wasn’t sure could save me. I wonder – where is the light at the end of this tunnel?
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Todd K.
Tribute
My brother had a massive stroke on December 11,2011 while in a detox facility getting his body clear of alcohol so that he could go to rehab. He was 43. In spite of losing the entire right hemisphere of his brain, he retained most of his cognitive abilities, but became hemiplegic on the left side. He had been a semi-professional drummer and was left handed, so this was devastating. Since that time he’d been in and out of the hospital because of infection and surgery to release a contracture in his affected leg. In December 2016 Todd was in the hospital for a month battling pneumonia. (Sepsis and Pneumonia) While working on diagnosis many blood labs and scans were done. During the time in the hospital he had 7 liters of fluid drained from his lung and was on high dose of a variety of antibiotics because docs weren’t able to identify the specific bacteria they were dealing with. In August Todd was diagnosed with C-difficile. (Sepsis and C. Difficile) He had had c-diff in 2013. He remained in the hospital for a week on high doses of vancomycin. 3 days after he was released he had another bout of c-diff. On Monday, March 13, my brother’s aide called me to say that Todd was not responding to her when she needed to have him assist her to reposition him. I told her to call 911 and that I’d meet my brother at the hospital. I suspected that he had pneumonia again because he had a nasty sounding cough on Saturday, but it wasn’t frequent and he said his lungs felt fine. I decided I’d keep an eye on him. When I arrived at the hospital Todd was incoherent. He was trying to speak, but couldn’t form words. This had never happened before. He had a 103 fever. Docs immediately ran labs and discovered a very high white count. They immediately started IV antibiotics Flagler, Vanco and a third- don’t remember the name. After scans, docs noted some fluid in one lung, but when we looked at the scan we all agreed that it appeared to be the same amount of fluid that remained in his lung when he was discharged in January. Finally, docs found the problem- a kidney stone was lodged in the urethra. (Sepsis and Kidney Stones) Docs did a straight catheterization to get a urine sample- it was clean. In the meantime other labs came back and docs diagnosed sepsis. One of the docs asked me if Todd had completed a MOLST form. He hadn’t, but based on a conversation we had with docs the last time he was in, the hospital knew that he did not want to be resuscitated or intubated. Since I’m his proxy I was allowed to complete the form. Docs noticed that fluid was backed up in his kidney so they determined that a PCN tube would be inserted into the kidney to drain urine. Docs told me that the procedure would take no more than 45 minutes. When there was no word after an hour I knew something was wrong. The surgeon came to get me and told me that Todd had gone into septic shock and my family would have to make decisions. Todd has been through so much. His quality of life after the stroke was low. He couldn’t bathe or toilet himself, get out of bed without assistance, He had a manual wheelchair that he couldn’t move because his feet didn’t touch the floor and he was not strong enough to use one arm to propel himself. 3 weeks ago he finally qualified for a power chair and although it would improve his life, it wouldn’t change his inability to do all other things without assistance. We opted to provide comfort care to end Todd’s suffering. He passed peacefully, surrounded by family and friends at 1:11 on Tuesday, March 14. Reading the survivors’ stories on this page has reassured me that we made the right decision. I am certain that, because Todd was in such poor health prior to sepsis, he would have even more issues after he recovered.
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April Sims
Survivor
I was 42 at the time. In October 2015, I was just leaving work and started to have pain in my side. As I was driving home the pain was getting worse and worse. I felt as if I would pass out. I made it home and ran to the bathroom as I felt I had to throw up. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced. My Mom asked if she should call an ambulance. I said no, I’ll be ok. I took an Advil and the pain went away. My brother said he had had pain like that from a kidney stone, so I thought that’s what I had and I would just have to pass it. The next day I felt OK just a little tired. I said to myself I would go to the doctor the next day just to get checked out. When I woke up in the morning I was shaking so bad my body hurt. I was going into shock. My Mom then called the ambulance. When I got to the hospital I was feeling OK, the shaking had stopped, as I had taken Advil. As the doctors were checking me out and asking me questions, I had apparently said I was having trouble breathing. I don’t remember this happening. I had to have a breathing tube put in. I was in the critical care unit for about 10 days, on a breathing tube and all I remember was weird dreams and hallucinations.(Sepsis and Hallucinations) My heart stopped at one point and I had to be resuscitated. As all this was happening my feet were turning purple, I wasn’t getting enough blood flow to my feet. My toes were starting to get gangrene. When they got the sepsis under control I started to wake up. They said I had a kidney infection from echoli bacteria. My feet were bandaged up. The podiatrist waited a week to see how much of the tissue on my feet would come back. The tissue on my right foot came back, but the toes on my left foot were all black and they had to amputate all my toes on the left foot. (Sepsis and Amputations) I needed dialysis while I was in the hospital and thank god my kidneys started to function on their own and I didn’t need the dialysis anymore. I was in the hospital for 5 weeks and then I went into a rehab for a week. My doctors tell me I almost didn’t make it and I am very lucky to be alive. I have permanent nerve damage in my feet now. And the toes on my good foot are a little curled now. My feet are a little numb and they hurt and burn if I’m on my feet for a long period of time. But it’s a small price to pay for my life. I’m grateful for my doctor’s and my life.
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Marsha Stolberg
Survivor
I am a 74-year-old sepsis survivor. I was very active prior to my infection. I volunteer, keep my own house up and did my own yard work. I also walked 30 minutes several times a week. In April of 2017 I was sent to the hospital with a bowel obstruction. Unfortunately, it perforated before surgery was performed. (Sepsis and Perforated Bowel) Following surgery I had peritonitis and that progressed to sepsis. I also had two abscesses in my abdomen that had their own infections. Two nights after surgery I crashed. It started with afib that took two hours to convert me to sinus rhythm. After I converted I went into organ failure. I understand I was close to death. I was in ICU for 3 weeks in critical condition and then sent to a step down unit for a week. I was then transferred to a nursing home where I spent 6 weeks in rehab, followed by 5 weeks outpatient rehab. I continue to go to the Wellness Center at the nursing home I was in to work on my stamina. I have been frustrated because I don’t think I have progressed as far as I should have considering the amount of time since my illness. After all I have always recovered quickly from any other illness or surgery. The PT keeps telling me I am progressing and to remember where I was before the illness. I have other post hospital problems and, in an effort to find a reason, I came across this site. I think I understand better why I have not progressed as fast and why i have other problems that were not there prior. Thank you for this site, the work that is being done and bringing it to the attention of the health care community. It would be great if I could find a support group in my area to discuss this with other patients who experience the after effects of sepsis. I seem to dwell on what I don’t understand because I was so “out of it” during this episode. The only reason I know what I know is because my siblings who were present have told me what happened. Thank you for letting me share my story.