Gail Irwin

It could have been a dose of arsenic or antifreeze. But it wasn’t. It was severe sepsis impacting five major body organs. And this malady, compounded with a traumatic brain injury, led to misguided treatment and an uncertain future. Neither condition was outrightly acknowledged while hospitalized. The trauma happened in 2017, after a fall on a concrete driveway.

Now in 2024, at age 80, I know I will never again be free from sepsis aftereffects. Unfortunately, I was antibiotic resistant, and experiential drugs did not help. This speaks to the warning of existing antibiotic overuse and the need to develop newer treatment drugs for this worldwide sepsis problem. Survivor T-shirts should read, “Survived sepsis and in good health.” It is not enough to just survive. Two comments I made to my grown daughter should not ever be heard by any other family caregiver regarding sepsis, “I feel like a freak,” and “Something’s wrong with me and somebody better find out what.” It’s a substantial burden having experienced something that no one else can relate to, and medical advances are critically needed.