Jenn May

In 2013 I was diagnosed with gastroparesis (my stomach is partially paralyzed and I cannot eat like most people). I had to have a feeding tube to help me receive my nutrition, in 2016 my body declined the feeding tube and I was placed on TPN ( total parental nutrition) my nutrition went through my veins by a Tunneled Hickman ( A central line that was placed in my chest). (Sepsis and Invasive Devices)

2016 began my journey with sepsis every 3-4, months I would be placed in the hospital for a week or more. Some of the stays I would come out not being able to walk very well and would have to walk with help. At the end of 2019 my hospital stays ended up in ICU in septic shock. (Sepsis and Septic Shock) December of 2019 was my first septic shock stay. I was told that I was hours from passing away. I was in respiratory failure and the infection had attacked my heart, I had a hole in my mitral valve and I was in the beginning of heart failure.

When I got out of that stay I had to have surgery to have a mitraclip placed in my heart ( a couple of years ago I would’ve had to have open heart surgery to have my valve replaced…). March of 2020 once again hospitalized with septic shock, my white blood cell count was at a 1, and I was told that my body was done fighting. But. I gave it my all and fought and here I am. I fought sepsis a total of 17 times, my last fight was January of this year. They is when they finally got rid of my central line and put me back on tube feeds and it is going good. I am now dealing with intense bone and joint and muscle pain. I cannot sleep well and have other issues going on. But, I am very lucky I survived that many attacks… the last 2 attacks I was hours from passing away. Sepsis is very scary. I also feel with PTSD especially if I have to go to the doctor or the hospital.