Clare

I hadn’t been well for a couple of months but thought I was just still recovering from the flu I’d had. Still coughing and feeling run down I thought if I’m no better by Monday I’ll pop back to the doc’s. Well that weekend things didn’t run to plan. I fell asleep on the settee and awoke about 3.40ish. I felt sick so tried to stand to go to the bathroom. I was incredibly dizzy and had awful pains around my body but worst was around where my kidneys were. Before I could rise I vomited, again I tried to get up, head spinning. I vomited another two times before getting to the doorway. Slumped against the door frame I couldn’t take another step.

My husband at the time shouted was I ok. I replied no and asked him to come help me. Now’s the patchy memory part. I was flopping about as he helped me into bed. Still thinking it was a virus or tummy bug. I recall him helping me take my usual medication and then I fell asleep again. Next thing I know I awoke in a hospital bed. Numerous drop bags around me. The nurses told me I had septic shock and my kidneys had taken a beating. Apparently that morning my then husband had tried to wake me but couldn’t. The ambulance was called and the paramedics spent about an hour trying to get me dripped up and stabilize me as much as possible.

The paramedics informed my husband that if he hadn’t tried to wake me then I would probably have never woken up again. I was then an unconscious me was taken to resus where they spent the next seven hours pumping me with industrial strength antibiotics and fluids and had me wired up to all different types of monitors. I have no recollection of anything, so the blanks had to be filled in for me. I spent a week in hospital as they tried to sort my kidneys out and keep things under control most of the time I slept.

I was discharged and the whole event felt surreal. I came so close to dying and knew nothing of it . The flu I’d had had turned into pneumonia which in turned triggered sepsis but as I rarely feel well anyway, I carried on and it progressed to septic shock. (Sepsis and Pneumonia) I was told it was because my immune system was not very good due to the long term steroids I have to take for an autoimmune disorder. (Sepsis and Impaired Immune System) This all happened in April 2018. I am blessed that I escaped without any amputations but it took a massive toll on my body leaving me with post sepsis syndrome. (Sepsis and Post-Sepsis Syndrome)

I can no longer walk very far due to the exhaustion, leg pain and overall body pain. Thankfully the prompt actions from the medical team meant my kidneys eventually recovered too. It was an horrific ordeal which left me terrified of getting any bugs or coughs etc. The hardest part of recovery was coming home and having to get the balance of rest right so that I didn’t come crashing down again. I was blessed I know many don’t make it or end up with amputations but the impact was great, which I don’t think you can understand if you haven’t personally gone through it. We definitely need more doctors who understand PTSD and PSS as it’s not a condition you can just shake off sadly.