Lisa Harmon

Last year, in 2024, I began to have low-grade fevers (around 99 degrees). I felt sluggish and tired all the time. I could not get in to see my doctor because these fevers were short lived.

Then I began having episodes where my temperature went up to 104. I was vomiting and very sick. I went to the ER after I felt well enough to go, but still felt sick. By then, my temperature was down to 102. They ran tests and found it was not covid or the flu, but I was not admitted. They thought it was a virus.

The low grade fevers (between 99 – 101) continued after I recovered from that. So I didn’t bother to go to the hospital. I had no other symptoms besides fatigue.

Around August I started having trouble with constipation. I became very ill from it. Eventually I developed some type of hemorrhoid. I’d never had them before so I didn’t know what was normal or not – like when I should go to the doctor about it. I also continued to have the low grade fevers. I would go to the ER, only to be told there was nothing they could do.

I finally got in to see my GI doctor. He told me I likely had internal hemorrhoids and scheduled me for a colonoscopy.

I had the colonoscopy and he did some type of electro surgery on the internal hemorrhoids and after that I felt much better. I thought I was fine. I went on a trip and the day after I got home I was sick again. Nausea, vomiting, and my temperature shot up to 105 after a few days of this. I finally went back to the emergency room where I was told I had sepsis and was admitted to the hospital.

I don’t remember much about that time because I was immediately taken to the ICU & remained there for three days while they tried to stabilize me and get my temperature down. I was pretty much out of it.

I was moved to a step down unit and stayed in the hospital for four or five more days while they pumped me full of a whole cocktail of antibiotics, fluids, and who knows what else, that seemed to just give me diarrhea. I was miserable. I had weird dreams. I was so weak and I could barely have the strength to get out of bed to go to the bathroom or even push my food tray closer to me, both of these actions or even turning over in bed, left me breathless. I was on a liquid diet. The doctors were constantly taking my blood to try to identify the source of the infection.

In the end, they never positively identified the infection but did tell me I had colitis – not the ulcerative kind. I wondered if something happened during the colonoscopy and surgery that caused this. But they never made the correlation.

When I was released I was sent home with two antibiotics which I tolerated well. I had in-home physical therapy to help regain my strength. I have never in my life been so weak. I got out of breath so easily and when I tried to walk up the stairs I felt like my legs weighed a ton.

I finally completed my physical therapy and felt a little stronger at the end of six weeks. However, here I am seven months later and my whole body aches every day. My lower body, especially, hurts. I ache from my lower back down to my calves and sometimes even my arms ache. Moving is a chore, getting up from a chair takes a herculean effort. I am starting physical therapy under the advice of my orthopedist in a week. And I seriously hope that somehow helps with the pain I feel every day.

I hope that sharing my experience helps someone feel they’re not alone and not crazy!

Also, another lasting effect I’ve noticed is that I am hyper aware of my health. I notice every little thing and I can tell when I feel feverish. I take my temperature randomly or when I do feel feverish, and I usually do have that low-grade fever. I have no idea if it’s something I should address with my doctor or just let it go. I think these things are all physical and psychological side effects of my bout with sepsis.

I was able to beat it and don’t think I suffered any permanent damage to my organs, but I do have these other symptoms that just won’t go away. The main thing is, I survived! We should all be proud and grateful that we made it through and don’t stop trying to get help if you feel bad after your sepsis bout. You deserve proper treatment and respect and you deserve to be listened to and taken seriously. Keep on keeping on!