Cindra Gillespie

Arriving home on Friday, April 13, 2012, after working a 9.5-hour day, I changed clothes and planned to go out to eat when my husband finished mowing the lawn. Walking to the door to let him know I was ready, I was hit with such severe abdominal pain that I fell to the floor, face down. I guessed that it may be a kidney stone (I had kidney stones once before 3 years prior) and I rolled over, thinking it may lessen the pain. It did not. I rolled back over and crawled to the back door, hoping to get my husband’s attention. I was able to open the door and he saw me, and knew something was wrong.

We rushed to the local ER, but it was full, and I thought it would be easier to wait at home in pain than in a roomful of hurting people. My husband called a hospital in a nearby town, and was told they were just as busy. I took 2 extra-strength Tylenols and tried to relax. Writhing in pain, I was able to wait a few hours before begging to go back to ER.

When we arrived this time, the admitting nurse recognized that I had been there earlier and evidently I looked pretty bad because she told us to have a seat. I began vomiting, and they rushed me back to a room, began taking blood and urine samples, and told me I had a bladder infection, and probably kidney stones. I was given prescriptions for an antibiotic, pain medicine, and a med that was supposed to aid the kidney stones to be able to pass easier. (Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections, Sepsis and Kidney Stones)

I was able to sleep through the rest part of the night, thanks to the pain medicine, but awoke in the morning, convulsing. My husband had slept on the couch, concerned he would keep me from sleep, and I could hardly call his name to alert him. He was already awake and walking past the door or he may not have heard me call his name, I could barely speak.

I was alert enough to put my knuckles in my mouth to keep from biting my tongue, but could not stop convulsing. My husband called 911 and tried to comfort me. The wonderful EMTs realized I was in much distress, and I was immediately transported to the hospital.

I was made more comfortable, but continued to convulse off and on, and my blood pressure kept plummeting. I had not urinated since Friday night and the doctors finally realized a kidney stone was blocking my bladder and I was in septic shock. They performed emergency surgery to insert a stent, but were unable to give me anything for the surgery, due to my extremely low blood pressure. (THAT is something I will NEVER forget.)

I was in ICU for 3 days and remained in the hospital for 7 more days, heavily medicated for the first 5 of those days. When I came home, I seemed to have very little strength, and I am so thankful my husband was able to stay home and take care of me.

They removed the stent 10 days later and my long road to recovery became a little more bearable. However, it has been almost a year and a half, and I still do not have my strength back. I have returned to work, but not as many hours.

Trying to exercise to regain strength is very draining. My husband says he can see in my face when I am “wilting,” even before I feel it. When I have a melt down, I don’t really have much warning, but just completely lose all strength and have to stop whatever I am doing. (Sepsis and Post-Sepsis Syndrome)

I am so thankful to be alive and able to function, even if it isn’t at full speed. I pray for renewed strength and the health and energy I used to enjoy.