Ann H.

On April 17th, 2025 I went to the walk in clinic with a very slight wheeze thinking my asthma was acting up. The nurse practitioner gave me some prednisone and said everything else looked okay. This was just a precaution.

I took my first dose of prednisone that night.

April 18th I felt great. No more wheeze and felt as if nothing had flared up. I took the dog for a run. While on the run I felt chilly so we went home.

I was a bit tired and retired for the night around 10 pm. After about 1 hour lying there my body felt restless. But that happens to me when on prednisone so I ignored it. I still felt great.

At 4 am I woke up with severe chest pain. I told my family about the chest pain and tried to lay back down thinking it was just indigestion as we had tomato soup for a late supper. I took some Pepto Bismol and tried to sleep some more. At 7am at my boyfriend got up to go to work. I told him the pain was worse and I was very cold. He went to get a shower for work and said that I should get check out and he would drop me off to the hospital on his way.

At 730 the pain was totally unbearable and I could not even walk as far as the bathroom. I couldn’t talk and breath at the same time.

He called 911.

When I arrived at the hospital my temp was 40.9. Test were done. My x-ray showed pneumonia. (Sepsis and Pneumonia) My right lung was so badly infected that there were no breath sounds on that side. The doctor wanted to send me home on oral antibiotics. I said I didn’t not feel safe going home. I felt way too ill. It was shift change. The new doctor came on and again tried to send me home.
Finally blood work was done and it was noticed that I was septic.

I had gram positive cocci., so basically strep pneumonia and the bacteria had now taken over my blood stream. I started with severe headache and neck pain. I was finally admitted after an 8 hour fight. I was treated with IV Vancomycin, IV zocephin, IV Zithromax. Then it was discovered that I also had a UTI which was yet a different bacteria. (Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections)

I was in hospital for 2 weeks. 10 days on Vancomycin IV. Then 3 days IV steroids. With 5 days of oral steroids.

I have been out of the hospital for 12 days now.

Within 4 days of being home I started to feel sick again. It has been over a week of being sick again. I have no energy, fevers off and on, nausea, terrible nasal discharge and very sore throat. My lungs are starting to fill up again.

The day I left hospital my white blood cells were still high. I am afraid to get sepsis again.

I have had it 4 times now since I was 23 and I am 51 now.