Rachel L’Heureux
Three years ago I was in the midst of my graduate studies at the University of Missouri in Columbia. I was studying to be an opera singer and loving every moment. On February 17, 2009 I went home after class to grab lunch and a quick nap before I had to go back in for rehearsals that evening. I never made it back to class.
After about 30 minutes of napping, I woke up to a wave of nausea. I began vomiting and would continue vomiting for the next five hours. My condition deteriorated and it was not until I caught a glimpse of my blue-tinged lips in the mirror that I realized something was seriously wrong. My boyfriend drove me to the hospital where I was admitted to the ER. My blood pressure was 40/15, I couldn’t keep down fluids, and I was in septic shock. I was fitted with a central line, an arterial line, an IV, and a catheter, and wheeled into the cardiac ICU. I was in multi-system organ dysfunction. My kidneys were failing, my mental status was compromised, and I had pulmonary edema. My parents were called to the hospital and were asked to take the next flight from Georgia to Missouri because my condition was so critical. I was not expected to survive.
After a battery of tests, including multiple CT scans, a spinal tap, a pelvic exam, a colonoscopy, ultrasounds, blood work, (the list goes on), the doctors still could not determine the cause of my condition. I was treated with many medications, including those for my unresponsive low blood pressure, and a barrage of antibiotics. I was given massive quantities of IV fluids. So many that I actually gained fifty pounds while I was in the ICU!
Miraculously, I survived. After a stay of LESS THAN A WEEK in the hospital, I was released to the care of my parents and boyfriend. I couldn’t walk without assistance, I couldn’t stand long enough to shower. I couldn’t catch my breath enough to sing, but I was alive.
Once my lungs recovered enough, I was back in rehearsals for Die Zauberflote. I credit my team of 13 brilliant doctors at the University of Missouri hospital for my survival. My condition was recognized as critical immediately, I was given the fluids and antibiotics I needed, my vitals were supported in the ICU, and they provided me with the companionship of my family at a time that I needed it most.
The cause of my infection remains unknown. I had none of the risk factors for septic shock. I was healthy, young, fit, and had no underlying medical conditions. It can happen to anyone for reasons you may never know. Be aware of the signs. It can save your life.
Addendum:
My doctor had actually warned me about the dangers of sepsis a few months earlier because I had had a badly infected blister on my toe that led to bacteremia. He said to watch for warning signs like a rapid pulse, clammy skin, and frequent vomiting. Because of this warning, I made it to the hospital in time to save my life. It’s been three years now and I feel fantastic! I am more careful about infections, and I have a rule for myself that if I can’t keep water down that it’s time to go to the ER. It was lucky that I was at a major research hospital where sepsis is taken seriously and they weren’t completely overwhelmed with patients. Here in NYC, where I live now, I fear that hundreds of people will die because their conditions wouldn’t be taken as seriously.
