Pamela Popp

I entered a local community hospital for a hysterectomy, feeling comfortable with my surgeon and the resources at the hospital. I went home as planned two days post op…but then I suffered a seizure and was taken back to the ER.

In the ER, they noticed my low O2 level (easy, since I was gasping) and my anemia and they started a transfusion. But the other symptoms eluded them. Within 4 hours of presentation to the ER, I was in the ICU, unconscious on a ventilator with SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) racing through my body. (Sepsis and Surgery)

I was on the ventilator for a week, in the hospital for a month, and home with continued anti-fungal and antibiotic IV fluids for another 6 weeks. I also had home care visits, to address a 12 x 8 gaping (open) abdominal wound covered with a wound vac. (Sepsis and Fungal Infections)

At the end of the IV/home care/wound vac treatment, I made arrangements to go to Mayo Clinic to get some answers to my condition, since the specialists at the original hospital had no idea. In fact, they would come see me periodically during my stay and announce their confusion with my condition. The Mayo Clinic essentially explained the sepsis symptoms missed, as well as the lack of other ‘rule out’ testing that was not done (and could have explained the origination, lumbar puncture, Lyme titer, etc).

The irony is that my job is that of a risk management lawyer, who works to educate physicians on how to best protect their patients and themselves when things go wrong. Consequently, I did not pursue a claim, instead was grateful for the chance at life without deficits (amazing, given the experience), but was also faced with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills (and yes, that was the balance AFTER insurance paid).