Lisa Sellen

Lisa Sellen
Survivor

My name is Lisa and on March 28th 2013, I left work in the middle of the day with what I thought was the flu. That Sunday, Easter, March 31st 2013, my brother and his wife came to check on me and they immediately took me to the ER. I do not remember this nor do I remember the next 3 weeks.

I was in ICU those 3 weeks. I have been told I was dehydrated, that my organs were all shutting down and I ended up on dialysis for a week. The drugs they gave me to keep my organs working caused me to have my legs amputated above the knee and both hands amputated. (Sepsis and Amputations) I was in the hospital a total of 9 weeks, then a rehab center for 3 weeks and then a care center for 6 months. I also had to have additional surgeries on both legs as they were not healing and had infection behind both incisions. This delayed my recovery by months. I know this was a horrible time for my daughter, my parents and my brother and sister and the rest of my family. It’s been very difficult for me living with the loss of my limbs.

I’m in therapy now learning to walk with prosthetics. I just want to be as normal as possible again. I’m living on my own in a handicapped accessible apartment. It makes me feel independent but it gets very lonely which tends to make me depressed. I have wonderful neighbors who check on me daily. My daughter lives in Orlando and wants me to come live with her so I’m seriously thinking of moving down with her.

The doctors could never tell me how I contracted sepsis. I just know whenever I get sick I worry.

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