Tiffany Owens, LPN

I am 35 years old and work as a hospice nurse. It has been a year since my battle began and I am still fighting to recover back to “normal.. It was the end of July and me and my now ex-husband signed our divorce papers on a Friday. That Monday I had started a z-pack and medrol dose pack for a sore throat, felt great that Friday. Saturday I woke up with a strange soreness in my left shoulder, general fatigue, and headache. I spent most of the day in bed. Sunday I felt even worse with nausea, vomiting and fever added to the symptoms. Decided that afternoon to go to the ER.

Diagnosis was dehydration and bronchitis, even though I had no respiratory symptoms. I received 2 bags of IV fluids and another z-pack and was sent home feeling NO better. That night I went back and forth between having severe chills for up to an hour at a time and sweating profusely. Kept motrin in me to control pain and fever but was ineffective. Woke up Monday and needed assistance getting dressed due to my intense shoulder pain and weakness. Was unable to put on makeup or fix my hair. I tried to drink as much as possible. I work as a hospice nurse and even my patients could see how ill I was but I fought it and kept going. Took a nap after work that day and woke up with 105 degree temp. Treated myself for fever and continued pouring fluids in. Continued with chills and night sweats.

Tuesday woke up in more pain, unable to move my left arm but somehow managed to drive to work and see 6 patients. By the end of the day I was short of breath and unable to hold my head up and pale. Finally went to ER again. I was in septic shock, hadn’t urinated all day, BP was 80/40, pulse 150, Respirations 32 and in the most severe pain I ever felt.

ER doctor and nurse were amazing and very attentive. They began explaining my course of treatment and informed me I would be staying a while. I was terrified and heartbroken. They worked to raise my BP before anything else, got a central line in my neck, x-rays etc. Spent 12 hours in ER before being moved to CVICU, then the next day to ICU. They decided I needed a PICC line in my arm at this point. Began receiving morphine for pain, which took several days to get under control. Was getting 4 different antibiotics around the clock. Oxygen dependent. Couldn’t get myself out of bed or care for my personal needs. I was literally dying and it felt horrible.

Diagnosed with pneumonia and septic arthritis. (Sepsis and Pneumonia) My heart was affected making my ejection fraction 35%, normal is 60%. Finally convinced my doctor to let me go home after 12 days. Continued antibiotics and the pain was minimal. I could barely walk. I couldn’t shower myself. I got short of breath just repositioning myself. For the next 2 weeks at home I spent all my time either crying or sleeping. I was so weak. I had no appetite and lost 25 lbs. Two weeks in the hospital had me completely atrophied. I had been physically fit and active before this.

Went back to work too soon but couldn’t sit at home any longer. Felt good to be back and see my patients but I was still weak. I had patients praying for me, sending their chaplains to pray with me and caregivers coming to visit me. It was beautiful and sad at the same time that people I was caring for as a nurse were doing their part to tend to me. Traumatized, I would often sit in my car and cry before I could visit my patient because I had trouble coping with what I went through and how weak I was. I suffer mostly now with anxiety, complete muscle fatigue after short activities, very poor activity tolerance, shortness of breath walking short distances, BP and pulse spikes, and abnormal bowel movements and other issues. I hide it as much as possible.

At the end of some days, I can no longer stand as much legs just give out. I know I am lucky to be alive. I look at everyday as a blessing especially in my work as a hospice nurse. I continue to try to regain strength. I pray to keep my spirit up. I love the people in my life as m
uch as possible knowing how short life truly is. I can relate to my patients as they adjust to chronic illness that has changed their life and created a new normal. My doctor says if I hadn’t been so healthy before I wouldn’t have made it.