Susan Honeyman

I went in to the hospital for an intestinal blockage on Sunday 2/9 this year and had the operation on 2/10. Things looked good, except my stomach looked like I was 9 months pregnant. On the Thursday evening/Friday morning I felt something go “pop” inside my stomach and felt pain in my right groin area. The nurses put a call out to the doctor but never received a call back, according to my medical notes. I had vitals done twice that morning and at 10:30 I was discharged.

I didn’t feel good at all on the Saturday and went to bed. By 7:30 am on Sunday, I felt that ill that I told my husband I needed to go back to hospital but didn’t want to go back to the hospital I was discharged from. I didn’t have a good overall experience there. He took me to a different hospital and at 8:30 am I was admitted as I was in severe septic shock. The doctor explained that if I had stayed at home for an hour longer I would have died. I was that seriously ill. I was operated on immediately because my bowel had been perforated multiple times during my previous surgery and had ruptured.

I stopped breathing during this surgery and was intubated, and kept in an induced coma. I had a further 2 surgeries in 3 days to clean out the infection, making a total of 4 surgeries in 9 days. I was so swollen that I was unrecognizable and the identification band had to be extended as it was cutting off circulation in my wrist. The one they replaced it with I could, at a later date, get it over my shoulder! I had breathing problems, kidney failure, severe anemia, liver failure, and my heart was monitored for damage. I also had to have insulin shots. I was in ICU for 2 weeks and had my final stomach closing operation. I was kept open as I was too swollen to close, plus I was still showing signs of infection in my blood. My father and 2 sisters flew over from England to say good-bye to me as the doctors didn’t think I was going to make it. I have no recollection at all of them, or any one being with me although my husband and daughter were at my bedside constantly.

I was eventually moved to a “normal” ward and was there for a further 3 weeks. I couldn’t walk, had no memory, and had difficulty talking, being unable to form sentences. I have been back into hospital twice for abdominal fluid collection drainage, so add on another 10 days hospital stay. It is now the end of July. I still have multiple pockets of abdominal fluid, which they are still monitoring. I still have difficulty walking. I used to walk at least 6-10 miles per day completing 4 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer walks, the full 39.9 miles in 2 days. I find it difficult to walk 1/4 mile with out my stomach hurting.

All my joints ache. My voice has changed and sounds like I have a permanent sore throat after being intubated. I have major memory loss, sometimes not remembering what I had for dinner the day before. I cannot lift things. My L4 and L5 spinal bones have lost the “spacer” in between so I have major back pain. And just to add on something else, I have arthritis in my spine! It took 4 months for me to have a “normal” blood test.

I know I have come through sepsis with out losing limbs or having major organ damage, but mentally and to some extent physically, I am just not the same. I cannot work at the moment and don’t know when I can. On the plus side, my husband now has a home cooked meal every night as cooking has now become one of my passions again and my dogs are so happy to have me home every day. I do count my blessings and in time things will hopefully get better.