Dixie Garden

This story begins with a workaholic nurse, single parent, healthcare surrogate for a good friend that was in intensive care and a full-time student that had just graduated from college. I began to feel poorly, so much so, that I had to have my teenage son drive me to the emergency department and was met by my physician that promptly admitted me to the hospital. After undergoing several tests it was deemed necessary to take me to the operating room to further evaluate my kidney status.

As they were starting to put me under anesthesia I waved to my friend and told her that I was afraid I was going to die and a few minutes later my heart stopped and they had to revive me. Needless to say I was very sick my kidney was full of infection and once open the infection spread throughout my body.

I awoke two weeks later to find that I had been on a breathing machine that entire time and had long term multi port IVs in both arms and that pacer wires had been inserted in my neck down to my heart. I had a slow recovery over several months due to the fact that I was static for a long period of time and had to learn to walk and build endurance so that I could return to my nursing duties again. Sepsis put me in a very bad position and left my children to fend for themselves as well as care for my dogs. Thank goodness for my hospital family that stepped in and made sure my kids could visit on a regular basis and ensured that they had food and anything else they might have needed. Since then I have moved from Florida to Colorado where all of my family resides just so that if needed the familial support would be there for myself, my children, and my dogs.