Angela Wolchansky

Sepsis struck me hard and fast and I never saw it coming. On Sunday, February 16, 2014, I didn’t feel 100% well but not bad enough to stop me from going out for dinner and drinks with my boyfriend, Robert. The next morning was a different story. I woke up to get ready for work and literally couldn’t lift myself out of bed. I was in so much pain I couldn’t even push myself up. I asked Robert for help to get up so I could contact my employers to let them know I would not be able to go into work that day.

As the day progressed, I trembled with chills and burning fever that reached over 103. I was in excruciating pain in my entire body and especially where any pressure was placed (mainly my back from lying down). I felt as though I had been beaten by a baseball bat over my entire back side. I could not bear to be touched. By the afternoon Robert decided to take me to the emergency room.

At first they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. My blood pressure was extremely low and they didn’t want to give me any medication at all until it came up, meanwhile I writhed and cried in agony. They continued running tests and when they finally determined I had sepsis, they urgently began inserting IVs in me and rushed me into ICU. They pulled Robert to the side and told him to call my family – they did not think I would make it and estimated that I had a 20% chance of living. My family came as soon as they could and each came to my bedside to say their goodbyes.

I had sepsis, strep throat, renal failure and anemia but the pleurisy in my lungs was beginning to take over. (Sepsis and Strep Throat) Every breath I took I fought for. I had to reach into the depth of my very core for each breath that I took. Many times I wondered if I would have the energy and strength to take my next breath. I now truly understand what “fighting for your life” means. I recall a brief moment that first night in ICU when I wondered if I fell asleep if my body would keep fighting for oxygen and that it was possible that I may not ever be waking up again. A few days later they drained my lungs. My lungs continued to fill with fluid so I underwent surgery and a tube was inserted into my lungs and they were drained for 3 days.

After 11 painful days in ICU, I was finally moved into a regular hospital room for another 16 days. The torturous aches and pains that I dealt with is hard for me to even think about now. I prayed for relief constantly. I did finally begin to heal but it was extremely slow. I couldn’t do much for myself. When I finally got out of the hospital on March 16th, just walking down the hall was difficult. It took another month at home and many more doctor visits to recover before I could start back to work. The doctors and nurses that cared for me tell me what a miracle it is that I am still alive.

It took several months for the pleurisy to finally go away. I lost 60 pounds and was very weak. I would have panic attacks thinking I had sepsis again and made many trips back to the doctor. In May I began to lose handfuls of hair. It continued for 2 months and I had a couple of bald spots so I began to wear a wig. My hair did begin to grow back and I was able to cut the hair I did have left very short. Since then my hair has grown back very full and is now thick and healthy.

I am reminded daily how short life is and am thankful and blessed to still be here.