Jenny R.

I went to my GP with a chest infection on October 3rd and was told it was viral and did not need antibiotics. On Monday 10th I walked 11 miles in the Black Mountains but it was a struggle. Late Tuesday night I became very ill and my husband woke my doctor daughter who lives opposite.

My temperature was 39.9, oxygen levels in the 80s, and I was shaking uncontrollably (rigours), vomiting and with tummy pains. She took me straight to hospital as the ambulances in our area Monmouthshire are very scarce, and I spent 5 days in hospital on oxygen and having intravenous antibiotics. X-ray didn’t show much but a CAT scan showed bilateral pneumonia with 50% of both lungs congested. (Sepsis and Pneumonia) Oral antibiotics continued at home for a week and another x-ray is due in 6 weeks, I feel well but very weak, and need to rest a lot. However I am thankful my daughter rushed me to hospital and flagged up sepsis, as without the promptly administered antibiotics and oxygen I might not be here! I am a healthy 75 years old.