Diane Stevens

Survivor

Today marks my mom’s anniversary from surviving her second round of sepsis in less than a month. The first time I heard of sepsis was last February 2015. My mother was rushed back to the hospital after having back surgery 2 weeks prior. She had been home a week and was sent home with no abdominal sounds. So for a week I watched her get weaker and weaker by the day and having a hard time eating and no bowel movements still.

Finally February 4, that night she started having bowel movements. I was so happy and thanking the Lord. But the next morning on the 5th of February she said it felt like someone shot a gun off inside of her body we had her rushed to the hospital. That’s the first time I heard of the word sepsis. Her intestines perforated and she had to have a temporary colostomy, and was told to see what happens in the next 24-72 hours. That it was in the Lords hands and hers.

I have never prayed so much in my whole life and I know the Lord knows that. And thankfully she made it. After 1 month of being in the hospital she was released. They kept telling me that I could not provide the right kind of care for my mother and that she needed to be in a rehabilitation home. Real name for these places is still a nursing home. My father and I both hated the idea of placing her somewhere like that, but we wanted to do what was best for her so we found one and she was released there . After one month she went down hill and I had to threaten that I would call 911 to get my mom to a hospital. That was 1 year ago to this date, where for the second time I hear the word sepsis.

This time mom spent 2 months in the hospital. Her kidneys failed she had bed sores, her lungs tried to collapse on us she had aspirated in her lungs and had sepsis from that. Her mobility went from being able to stand when she left the hospital to go to the home to no mobility after a month of being in the home. My mom went through 7 months in the hospital and a total of 4 hospitals and 1 home before she made it to her own home.

I hate that she and other people go through all this. All that had to be done for my mother was more test to find out why she had no abdominal sounds and they would have seen there was a problem. That’s the way I feel. But I took this as a lesson . Be my own doctor. No I’m not doing surgeries or treating myself, but I do investigate what the doctors tell me and check into what they say and ask lots of questions. There is never a stupid question.

She is doing better and has been reversed now. She has her gallbladder now that has to be removed, but waiting for her to heal and get stronger. She was blessed in so many ways and is taking one day at a time. She gets around well with her walker and me. Needs help with most things but is still alive and that’s the greatest thing in the world. Thank y’all so much for letting me share her story. She is such a strong and amazing woman who doesn’t see herself that way anymore. But I’m going to help her be stronger than ever before.

Send us Your Story
Learn More about SepsisSupport Faces of Sepsis