Kim
Hello everyone. I have had a very interesting year and want to share my story. To start from the very beginning in 2011 I had a microdiscectomy at my L4-L5 for a large herniated disk. It ended up compromising my L5 nerve root and three toes of my right foot, right side of my right leg have been numb since.
In April I started getting severe pain in my spine and down my right leg. We did my MRI and found 5 bulged discs and osteoarthritis. We have done many injections; 2 nerve root, epidural, trigger point, facet and piriformis. I was in PT for 10 weeks and on many medications.
Mid-treatment, August 9th, I woke up at 3am throwing up. I thought it was food poisoning but by 10am it was getting worse so i went to ER. They said I had a ulcer from the medication, gave me benadryl and fentanyl, and sent me home. I woke up on the couch around 3pm unable to move. I called 911 and took the ambulance back to the ER. Turns out I had appendicitis and my appendix ruptured. (Sepsis and Appendicitis) I had emergency surgery and during the scan they found a breast lump and ovarian lump. (Sepsis and Surgery) I received a ultrasound the next day in recovery and found out they were cysts. Then 3 days into recovery all my vitals dropped, the doctor did a CT scan they found 2 abscesses. They sent me to the larger hospital about a half hour away via ambulance to have a drain inserted.
When I arrived at the hospital the nurse said I was way too sick to have the surgery for the drain. She ran blood work and called ICU. They found I had severe sepsis. They got me on antibiotics and I spend 2 days in the ICU before they installed the drain. I was in the hospital for 10 more days getting the infection under control and then a PICC line was inserted in my arm so I could get IV antibiotics every day for 3 weeks after I was discharged. During this entire time my back problems got put on hold. Also I celebrated my 33 birthday on August 28th.
Fast forward to this month. We are still progressing with my back treatments. I am looking at having a spinal cord stimulator installed but am very nervous because of my experience with sepsis. It terrifies me that I could get the infection again.
To summarize my 2016 year I have had 3 MRI, 3 x-rays, 9 CT scans, 2 surgery, 15 days in the hospital and many many injections since April.
I have incredible happy I am a sepsis survivor but it does still scare me that it could happen again. I have also noticed that I am more prone to catching bugs (colds or sniffles) since having sepsis. I do not know if that is due to my immune system being damaged or just illness going around.
