Patrick Rardin
On August 23rd, 2012 I was at my office, just finished a meeting, sat down at my desk and began getting chills and trembling.
I had cellulitis about 6 years prior and this was exactly the same. I quickly left the office and drove myself to the nearest ER (by the way, ironically this was the same hospital that initially treated my prior cellulitis but they had no record of that visit). I entered the hospital with a 99 degree fever and, despite my insistence that they initiate antibiotics, they continued ignoring my requests for antibiotics and my ability to self diagnose something I’d already been through before. (Sepsis and Cellulitis)
Meanwhile, my lab results showed nothing except elevated WBC (white blood cell) and my fever continued to rise – four hours later my fever was 105 degrees. There were a series of bizzare low BP readings (staff attributed to faulty equipment), my wife was almost hysterical asking what they can to do with my rising temperature? Still had yet to see an actual doctor.
Finally 4.5 hours into this ordeal and a doctor walked in, lifted the blanket to physically examine me and found my right lower leg swollen to double its size and it was bright red. Guess what? She believed I have cellulitis and ordered a broad spectrum antibiotic be hung immediately.
Subsequent blood cultures confirmed septicemia* as well. I spent five days in the hospital getting the blood poisoning under control. Now, a few months later, my blood chemistries still are askew and my doctor attributes it to my body still recovering from the sepsis.
All the infectious disease specialists insist that the ER staff should have listened to me and had they begun the broad spectrum antibiotics when I arrived, I might have avoided the sepsis.
I am grateful I survived but disappointed at how little is still acknowledged or known about this. I have since learned of similar events from friends, business associates, and unfortunately some who died from sepsis.
*SA NOTE: Septicemia is the old name for sepsis.
