Crystal Vandewater

Hello, My name is Crystal I am a mom of two beautiful girls ages 11 and 2. And a proud wife as well. Our lives were perfect until I felt like I was coming down with the flu!

Our youngest at the time was only 6months old so I thought I was just tired from the late nights with her and being a mom to our then 10-year-old as well! I started off sleeping for hours, waking up dripping in sweat having to change my clothes just to be so exhausted I would fall right back asleep. This went on for days! My husband was growing more concerned as so was I!! By the fourth day I woke up and I was unable to move. I was paralyzed literally. I yelled for my husband he rushed in to find me sweating and crying.

I had to use the bathroom but could not move my legs. So my husband picked me up and helped me onto the potty! And literally carried me back to bed the pain was so bad I was passing out! We decided it was time to go to the ER!

We got there. We signed in. My temperature was 104. They left me in the waiting room for hours! I was in so much pain I was screaming and passing out! Finally after a few hours of waiting and my IV bag dried up to the point my blood was going back inside the dried up IV bag! They brought me back. They examined, me put a catheter in me and left me alone yet again for hours. Mind you, my temp was maintaining 104 and I still could not walk!

The nurses switched shifts and there I am alone again and having to explain now 5 times my symptoms. Finally the nurse comes in says they had to do a pregnancy test, standard before getting an x-ray done. So we did it and it came back positive. I was devastated due to me not being able to walk and the amount of pain I was having in my pelvic area and my abdomen! So they brought the doctor in with a portable ultrasound machine! The doctor put the gel on and tried to.press down to get a look at the baby, but I was in so much pain.

I was shaking and ready to throw up. He told us our baby had NO heartbeat. I was beyond upset. I felt like I was dying. I still had the fever. I still couldn’t walk and now the doctor says we weree pregnant but our baby had no heart beat and to go see our OBGYN, and they let us go home Mind you I still have my fever 104 and I still couldn’t walk and the pain ws so bad!!!

We went home the next morning. We woke up and I told my husband, “Something is not right.” He asked how. I told him I felt like I was having contractions! I have had two kids, one 6months old. I KNEW what labor feels like!! My husband came in the bedroom. I was crying, still have a fever and still couldn’t walk. I Look at my husband and say I have to push! I pushed two times and our baby, Hope, our name for her, was lifeless. We were over 23 weeks along. She had hands, fingers, a little lifeless body. was balling. My husband was balling as well.  I was bleeding, hemorrhaging. Couldn’t walk, still had a temp of 104. We decided to go back.to the ER. We went to a different one.

We had our our 6-month-old and then we had our baby Hope wrapped up in a soft baby blanket! We arrived at the hospital. It took 25minutes to get me out of the car. Because I still couldn’t walk and I still had my temperature and I was hemorrhaging. We decided to donate Baby Hope for research so no one ever had to go through what we had been going through.

The nurse came in and because I was hemorrhaging, I could not give a very clear urine, so they asked to put a catheter in.  I asked if they could help with my pain since I was in the worst pain of my life and if I could have 10 minutes with my husband to get my composure! The nurse yelled at me and threw discharge papers at me, and said I denied their care. M ind you all I had been going through. We just lost a baby, I couldn’t walk, I was hemorrhaging, and my temperature was still high as 104!!! So we left yet again to go home!!

We got home. I was bleeding so bad, I was going through a hospital pad every 10 minutes! I passed out for the night and woke up.  I was still hemorrhaging, I still couldn’t walk and my temperature was rising. I could not breathe at this point. I was grabbing at my chest and I had to write on a piece of paper that I could not breathe. We rushed back to the ER, where I fell into a coma for 6 days! I flatlined twice. They brought a priest in to say my last rights to my family! My husband was facing being a single father and my kids were facing loosing their mother. My sister was facing losing me as well. They gave me a 33 percent chance to LIVE!!!

I had 2 surgeries they wanted to give me a hysterectomy!!! I gained 75 pounds of water weight I had tubes all over my body! After I woke up from my coma they made me try and walk so I could leave ICU and go up to the room I would spend another 42 days in! I told them it hurt so bad to try and walk they mocked me said, yes you can. So I tried my best. I made it to the nurse station! Later on we found out I had septic emboli in my pelvis and my legs, and that is why my pain was so bad and I literally had to relearn how to walk and do everything! I am a survivor BUT I also still deal with anxiety and I believe that me and my Husband had nervous breakdowns with all we have been through!

I still have nightmares and I am constantly having panic attacks. My life will never be the same! My husband had to quit work to be with the girls and he still has to be with me due to my health issues following the aftermath of having sepsis. We have no car, we can’t afford it! My infectious disease specialist says I am his walking miracle. My girls and my husband are my miracles. They drove me to live and be my reminder what I’m here for!

Sepsis was and is the worst and yet the best thing that has happened to me now I do not take life for granted!

Thank you for allowing me to share my story! I have no support except my kids, my husband!!  I’m  happy to be alive!! #godisgoodimsohapoytobealivelovemygirlsandhubbyihaveapurposeinlife!