Coreen B.

I was 44, a working mom of 2, a student, and a wife, when sepsis entered into my life. I had always been healthy and fit, but struggled with managing stress. A little over 2 years ago, I noticed that I had a UTI. I’d had it before and had been able to take care of it without taking antibiotics, so I figured this time was no different. (Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections) My water intake was hit and miss, and I tried drinking a lot of cranberry juice, but I noticed that my urine would be dark and cloudy one day, and slightly clearer the next. And since I hadn’t had to see a doctor before to clear up a UTI, I continued in the same pattern for 4 weeks.

One Saturday, my 4-year-old and I were home, while my husband and 14-year-old were out running errands. I slept in pretty late because I felt more sleepy than I normally was for having slept more than 8 hours. I figured I was just over-tired because I had been experiencing a lot of stress from all of the exams I had to study for. Once I finally got up around 10 am, I forced myself to eat breakfast and clean the house a little. I was feeling ok, and was looking forward to the weekend. Then, I decided I was going to work out. However, after about 15 minutes into my workout, I felt extremely tired and ditched the rest of my workout. I told my 4-year-old that I was starting to not feel good, so I had him play quietly while I retreated to my bedroom, and I took a hot bath.

After getting out of the bathtub, I remember feeling feverish. It felt like a sudden onset of the fever because I hadn’t been feeling fever-like symptoms at all until after my bath. I also remember feeling extremely cold and achy. I knew deep down something wasn’t quite normal, but I brushed it off as being exhausted from the stress and from forcing myself to workout, when I probably shouldn’t have. Before I laid down, I called my husband to let him know how I was feeling and to come home as soon as he could because my 4-year-old needed someone to watch him, and I had absolutely no energy to stand up.

I stayed in bed the rest of that day without having any food or water because I felt so sick. My husband took my temperature that night, which read 103.5. Despite that being the highest temperature I’ve ever had in my life, I still managed to convince myself that I could take some ibuprofen to reduce the fever, and just rest it off. But over the course of the evening, I alternated Tylenol and ibuprofen to try to control my fever. I slept horribly, and thought that if my fever didn’t break, I would see a doctor the next day (Sunday). I felt cold and was shivering all night. Everything hurt to the bone.

Sunday came and before I knew it, Sunday morning had turned into Sunday night. I didn’t manage to get myself to the after hours clinic because at some points during the day, I thought that maybe my fever was getting better. But by 10 pm, I was the coldest I’d ever felt, and I just kept shivering uncontrollably, and my body ached all over like no body ache I’d ever felt in my life. I couldn’t think straight, and I noticed my breathing was faster and more shallow. I asked my husband to start a hot shower, but when I decided to get out, it took every ounce of energy I had to climb out and grab a towel. My husband was in the bathroom with me, and I literally felt like I was going to pass out. He looked at me and told me that my lips were turning blue. Sure enough, I looked at myself in the mirror and the horror of seeing my lips turning blue scared me. I told my husband that I thought he needed to call 9-1-1. By that time it was around 1 am (Monday), and he didn’t want to scare the kids with paramedics in the house, so he suggested he just take me to the local E.R. So he helped me get dressed, woke up my 14-year-old to let him know what was happening, so that he could keep an eye out for his little brother, and drove me to the E.R.

When I got to the E.R., they immediately took my vitals, took a urine sample, hooked me up to monitors, and quickly determined that I was not doing well. My temp was 104.1 by this time. I heard the nurse tell my husband that I was “very sick.” They quickly inserted an I.V. into my arm and over the course of the next few hours, I received about 4 units of fluid, and a cocktail of antibiotics. I was extremely dehydrated, and all I wanted to do was drink the Gatorade I brought with me, but they wouldn’t let me.

My blood pressure started at about 70/40, and as I received fluid it hovered around 80/60. My blood sugar was high, my respirations were fast and labored, and my heart rate was in the 130s. I mostly remember just hurting so much that I wanted it to just be over. I started feeling a tiny bit of relief after a couple of hours (and a little Motrin and hydrocodone), so I was able to finally rest a little. By about 6 am, they told me that I would be transferred to a hospital, but miraculously to me, I wouldn’t have to be in ICU, so they put me in the telemetry unit. I had worked as a respiratory therapist earlier in my adult life, and had treated patients who had suffered from sepsis, but never in my life did I ever think that I’d ever be on the receiving end of the medical care.

I was in the hospital for 4 days, while they gave me strong antibiotics and continued to give me fluids via IV. Upon discharge, my body was so incredibly swollen from all of the fluid they administered to me. Even lying on my back was impossible because I couldn’t breathe. I could barely take 4 steps without being out of breath. It took about 5 months for me to get to about 80% normal, and even to this day, I know I’m not 100% to where I was before I got sick.

As a result of my experience, I don’t take any kind of infection for granted. I know without a doubt that if I had not gone to the ER the night that I did, I don’t believe I would be here. I’m typically super stubborn when it comes to my health but I truly believe that God’s Holy Spirit told me that I had to go to the E, and not to wait. Had it not been for the wonderful care and quick diagnosis I had received, as well as God’s mercy, I don’t think my life would be the same.