Ericka Simmons

Here is my story on how I went into septic shock.

After getting a hysterectomy on December 21st, due to a uteral tumor and spending 2 days in ICU for a blood pressure of 83/60. (Sepsis and Surgery) I went home on December 23. Not knowing at the time that during my surgery my OBGYN clipped my right utera. From that I spend five days at home with urine dumping into my abdomen and newly opened surgical wounds.

I remember trying to go to the cardiologist for an appointment, because I also found d out I have too many heart beats. And there the nurse said you need to go to the ER if you’re in that much pain.

I could barely walk, I had to be wheeled in. At first, I’m sure the nurses and doctors thought I was crazy because with each passing minute the pain got worse. To the point were I asked to be sedated. After all the “normal” blood, urine (which I could barley produce and or urinate at this point) and MRIs, CT scans. They told me I had several pockets of infection in and around my kidney.

I was admitted immediately and from there the story did not end. It took them almost three days to find the right IV antibiotics to give me. My blood literally grew bacteria in the lab.

There was one point that they saw vegatation build up on my heart. They thought the Infection reached my heart which was no a good sign and could mean that I would have to be on IV antibiotics for 6-8 weeks.

During all this there I laid in the hospital bed alone much of time, trying to find reasons to keep fighting.

There was a point were I truly did not think I was going to make it. I laid in my hospital bed in a fetal position, saying some type of prayer to the Lord or a Lord any Lord. I ask them to save my soul. At that moment, my life didn’t flash before my eyes. I didn’t think about any thing not even the children and husband that I was leaving. My only function in that moment was to prepare my body and soul for survival or for death.

Although I did wake up the next morning the fight wasn’t over. I spend over a week in the hospital and then had the get a PICC line to administer antibiotics to myself at home for over a week. Three weeks later I was back in the hospital preparing for another surgery to fix the problem that caused me to go into septic shock. After this 2nd surgery I spend additional 5 days in the hospital with low pressure.

Once I was home and healing I thought everything would go back to normal but I was wrong. I struggled to get back into the rhythm of things, I even went back to work, which didn’t work out so well. From there I felt lost, worthless and wondering why I was saved from death. I even contemplated suicide several times after this experience. I continue to have memory problems and my muscles get weak very easily. This all so hard for me being that I am only 34 years old. (Sepsis and Post-Sepsis Syndrome)