Debbie Palmer

Survivor

I had keyhole surgery to remove a bowel tumour this was done successfully and I was also given a stoma. (Sepsis and Surgery) Apparently later that day I was sat up eating and drinking but have no memory of this.

The next day I became very ill with severe pain in my right side again. I told my daughter this on the phone but have no recollection. Later that day my family were told I was very ill and had be taken back into theatre where I was cut open beneath my stomach to check the surgery, which was ok. During surgery they discovered I had a rash internally on the right hand side of my abdo next to stoma bag so they cut it all away and left it open so it is packed each day until it closes up.

I was taken to ICU where my family were informed that I was very ill and later that day they were told there was no more they could do and that I had sepsis. In the afternoon I became even more unwell and was again taken back to theatre where I had yet another operation where I was cut from my chest to my pelvis. All my organs were checked as something was showing as being a problem on my liver but all seemed ok and I was given a wash out.

Three hours later after my family thought I was not going to make it I started to respond. I stayed in ITU and was intubated for just over a week then went into a ward where I spent five weeks on 9 bags of IV antibiotics a day plus a TPN feeding system which was in my neck. A total of six weeks later I went home I am now 11 weeks post op and awaiting chemotherapy I am so grateful to everyone who was involved in my treatment for there hard work and the support of the sepsis trust. I was not aware how ill I was and knew the signs of sepsis as my daughter had it and was very ill after giving birth so will do anything to get the warning signs out to people .

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