Karin B.

 

August 28th 2016 is a date that has been permanently etched into my memory. I experienced what it was like to go septic. I had red streaking that appeared from an IV site that a nurse had not cleaned well and had threaded the IV catheter in and out four times to start a routine iv on me five days earlier, to rule out a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and for pain control from my laparoscopic hysterectomy that I had August first 2016. (Sepsis and Invasive Devices)

The pain and swelling up my arm from my elbow was slow and then began rapidly progressing. My husband drove me to an after hours urgent care and that nurse practitioner took one look at my left arm and told me to go to an ER. My husband and I concluded that I should go to the same hospital that caused the infection and since I’m their employee they should take good care of me. Wow that conclusion almost cost me my life! As I was standing at the ER window to check in, I felt my legs giving out. I felt very sweaty, nauseated and so cold. When my legs began to buckle someone offered a wheelchair. I began to writhe and scream cry in pain as the swelling in my arm started going to my left chest and shoulder blade. I started sweating through my shirt asked my husband for more jackets because I was getting freezing cold and shaking.

I was triaged by an ER nurse who concluded I was a priority but since I didn’t run a temp, in fact I was only 96.8 degrees, I wasn’t critical. I was left in the lobby to cry, wail, and begin to pass out from the pain. My husband screamed for help to hear the nurses reply, we’re doing best we can sir. I watched as other patients were taken back and were able to walk, which I couldn’t at this point. I told my husband take me out of here, they are going to kill me. They don’t care. My husband wheeled me out to parking lot and called an ambulance. They told him that they can’t pick me up to take me to another hospital while I was in the parking lot of this one. I was sobbing, in so much agony and I had this awful feeling of dread. I have two kids to live for and a husband who loves me I have to stay awake and get help. So he drove me up the street to another hospital that was slammed full in lobby. I begged him I can’t wait anymore just drive up hill to Thousand Oaks, pull over and call 911. This time when he called, a fire truck and ambulance came and put me on stretcher from the car and put me on healrt monitor and took vitals. I remember a least six guys standing staring at my vitals bp 200/111 heart rate 200, 02 sat 94, respiration 23, waiting to see for a few seconds if I was going to code.

They were very quiet and positioning themselves around equipment. They got an IV in on right arm gave fluids and 10 mg of morphine, which made it easier to breathe. My shoulder, arm and back were so painful that I couldn’t have them touched or lay directly on them. They called code sepsis on the way to Los Robles and I knew I would be okay. They look labs, vitals and changed me into clean dry clothing since I was profusely sweating. I was put on antibiotics and then after they had a room for me, transferred upstairs to stay for almost 3 days on antibiotics. But I had horrible arm, chest and headaches that I had to keep after the nurses to give me meds for to stay comfortable. The internal medicine doctor told me I was incredibly lucky that I had caught the infection in time before it spread into my blood stream.

The red streaking I started with slowly went away but left deep blue brown bruising under my skin and I had two hardened lymph nodes in my axilla that took time to resolve. Upon discharge, some info given about sepsis signs, symptoms to watch for, continuation of antibiotics and follow up with my primary was recommended. I lost a tremendous amount of weight. It was hard to eat and I fatigued easily. I was in ER again 3 days later due to me being so deconditioned my 18 month old threw his head back while I held him and hit my chest and I found out he fractured 4 ribs.

I have had numerous infections and another bout of sepsis later from the same arm from tests with an IV, but less severe since I knew who to go to and get help.

I also seemed to get cold UTIs, kidney infections and yeast infections easily since the initial bout of sepsis. (Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections) I have also had a hard time going back to or being around that hospital I first went to that night for help. I did survive because of me and getting help elsewhere. I still feel betrayed, angry about how I was treated by the hospital I work for. I get anxious, scared being around that place but I’m getting better. I just wanted to tell my story so maybe other people and hospitals would know that sepsis can be long lasting and initially present in different ways just cause you don’t run a temp doesn’t mean you don’t have sepsis.

I am very grateful to Robles Medical Center and to my husband who stood up for me and has been my rock when I was so overwhelmed. I pray that more medical center ERs and triage nurses get the training they greatly need so someone else doesn’t suffer and be put in harm’s way, because a hospital system lacks the proper education to provide just basic care not quality but at least basic care of a septic patient.