Connie Barris

On Saturday and Sunday, November 10 – 11, 2019, I became sick with flu-like symptoms. On Sunday, I started having severe low abdominal pain. I assumed it was part of the flu.

That night I got up to go to the bathroom, and coming back I ran into the corner of our bedroom where our clothes tree is (it’s filled with my purses). It fell on me. I was so confused that I just laid there. My husband jumped out of bed and he was just as confused. He picked me up and took me to bed.

A few hours later, I got a drink of water from my cup at the bedside. When I went to put the cup back, I didn’t know how. The cup dropped. I tried to get it, but my husband came to my side of the bed. When I had reached for the cup, I cut my arm open. I didn’t realize it so I turned over and fell back to sleep. I had a large laceration. I woke up the next morning to my phone ringing. It was my husband from work. He said I was not making coherent sentences. He came straight home.

This is now his words, because I have little recollection. He said that I said, “Take me to my doctor,” then I collapsed. He called the ambulance. When the ambulance arrived, they took my vital signs. My blood pressure was 50/30. My husband said they immediately put me in the ambulance and left.

My husband was so confused. My husband got to the hospital, as well as my son (an ICU nurse) and shortly my daughter from out of town. The doctors told them that my blood pressure kept dropping, and that I was having periods of not breathing. The doctors immediately intubated me.

They had no visible cause. Once I was stable, I was taken to get a CT scan. That is when the doctors found an 8mm kidney stone blocking my kidney-ureter. (Sepsis and Kidney Stones) Immediately the urologist was called and I was taken to surgery. He put in a stent. In doing so, a smaller stone passed.

Sometime during all this process, I briefly woke up while I was intubated, and had was given a paralytic. I felt like I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t move. I felt like I was buried underground. It seemed like an eternity, but it was probably briefly.

After surgery, I was taken to ICU on a ventilator for five days. I remember a few things when I was moved to the floor. I remember the cardiologist coming to my room saying I had a heart attack. That evening I had a heart cath. I was suffering from fluid overload. I was so swollen.

Then, the infection control doctor came in. He said, “We have put you in isolation. You have VRE.” That is after 600 questions.

After being discharged, my urologist said he did not expect me to live.

The next week? The stone was removed and the third stone as well. I had three stents over two weeks, and passed three stones. Lucky me, my urologist showed me my current CT scan. I have three more stones.

I now suffer from short term memory issues, poor equilibrium, PTSD, depression, flashbacks, nightmares, irritability, anger, extreme fatigue, and paranoia, probably more. My body is not the same. (Sepsis and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

At sometime during my unconscious state, I remember my dad being there. He didn’t say anything, he was just there. He died ten years ago. He had a distinct presence about him.

From what I have read, I’m suffering from post sepsis syndrome. Does it last? I don’t know. I have to quit researching, it’s keeping me in this trauma. It’s wearing my family down.

This is my journey, I pray not my destination.