Kara Powell

In class that day, I felt freezing. I hadn’t been feeling so great for a while; I thought maybe I was run down from school and all the wedding planning. I couldn’t point my finger on what it could be other than that. I had some back pain, but didn’t think much of it because it’s quite common for me. When I came home, I called my husband who was on his way to Boston for a Celtics game. I really wasn’t feeling well. He asked if he should come home, but I insisted he continue to Boston. I didn’t know at the time how sick I was. My plan was that I’d call my mom to take me to the doctor if I felt worse. I would monitor my temperature.

Luckily my parents live close by and I was able to call, because shortly after, my fever rose. I covered myself in blankets – I couldn’t stop shivering. I felt so weak so quickly, I almost didn’t even want to move to grab my phone to call my mom but I knew I had to. My mom came and took me to urgent care. I was immediately sent to the ER. The PA was convinced I was septic from pyelonephritis related to an asymptomatic UTI. (Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections)

When I heard the word sepsis, I told my mom to call my husband and tell him to get to the hospital. I deteriorated so fast. I couldn’t talk. I was so weak I could hardly walk. I was placed in a wheelchair. My mom told triage they suspected sepsis. Luckily, they took me in immediately. The sepsis bundle began with cultures, fluid challenge and antibiotics. My blood pressure wasn’t able to be sustained well enough and I went into severe sepsis.

I spent a week in the ICU. Some of it was a complete blur. The moments I remember most were those of fear, pain, seeing my mom out of the corner of my eye crying when I was getting worse, and feeling tears stream down my face. I remember feeling so much pain and such a weakness I couldn’t believe I was even me. I thought my life was going to end. I had only been married a month and I had just started nursing school. All these great things started happening in my life. I was scared I wasn’t going to be there to live it.

My husband and family were with me every day. It helped me. Sometimes I woke up with people praying over me. Eventually I was stable enough to move out to a regular floor of the hospital. The first time I really got out of bed was to wash up in the bathroom. When I stood up to walk my legs felt like sticks bending. When I felt all the pain, how hard it was to move and control my body – I looked in the mirror – I burst into tears. I thought, “What has happened to me?”

Each day I waddled up and down the hallway holding onto my husband and my IV pole. We would walk to the window at the end and I’d look out at the trees and the helicopter pad. I just wanted to get back to school. At discharge, I wasn’t instructed on what to expect after sepsis. They said that since I was young and healthy before sepsis, I probably would be find and to report if any symptoms of a UTI return. I found this frustrating because the whole reason I got sepsis was because I was asymptomatic.

When I walked out of that hospital, I cried. I felt lost. Happy I was alive, but scared.

I had to educate myself. Shortly after I also learned about sepsis in class. When I returned to school the next day, it was a struggle. I had to leave earlier in the morning to get there because I was so slow, weak, and limping; I could hardly do regular tasks.

I showed up with no makeup on, in my pajamas, and gave my nursing instructor a hospital note saying I’m medically clear to return to class and that I was in the hospital for sepsis. Being a nurse, she asked about my treatment plan (drinking fluids, taking the antibiotic for nine days, and resting as needed). She looked at me and said, “Okay, are you sure you’re ready to come back? Do you feel well enough?” I told her, “I don’t know, but I want to try.” I didn’t want to wait a whole year to rejoin the program. I had to pair with another student during clinical the rest of that semester until I regained enough strength. My instructor reminded me to drink water and to take a break every now and then.

It took me six months to begin feeling more like myself. Sometimes, even a year later, I have days where I still don’t. I can be paranoid, especially whenever my back hurts. I’m always wondering. Even a year later, I take my own vitals whenever I feel off to check for SIRS criteria.

But I made it to my final year of nursing school. I will be graduating in May 2020 to be an RN. My first clinical this year was on the same unit of the hospital where I recovered from sepsis last school year. Day one was difficult because when I realized I was in that same hallway, it brought up a lot of bad memories (post-traumatic stress). I made it through the day and cried on my drive home. After some reflecting, it was beautiful. I realized I’ve gone from having sepsis to monitoring patients for it, teaching about sepsis signs and symptoms to report, how to prevent it, what to expect post-sepsis physically and mentally, and therapeutic interventions. I’ve worked with people as individuals. Since sepsis I have delivered care and sepsis awareness to many. It has taught me to deliver and for that I am grateful.