Mary Waite

On September 17, 2015 (which was a Thursday), I was taken to the ER. I was told if I hadn’t gotten treatment when I did., I would have died that day. It all started Tuesday evening, after coming home from work. I had the chills and the worst headache of my life. My temperature started rising. I told my adult son that I felt like I was dying. I just didn’t know how right I was.

On Wednesday, I slept most of the day. My tempature was a little above 101, I still had the headache. I was getting dizzy and I couldn’t reason what day it was. I was very confused. Thursday my boyfriend took me to the ER. I couldn’t walk on my own. I was started on an IV drip immediately, was told my blood pressure was low and my temp was over 102. The ER doctor started the papers to admit me. He was concerned after all the liquids he gave me, I couldn’t pee. Before I was admitted, I started losing control of my bowels, my temperature had spiked to 104 and as I was telling a new doctor my symptoms, I had a seizure.

As soon as I was taken to my hospital room, the nurse informed me that they were waiting for an ambulance. I was being transferring to a trauma hospital ICU. That was the last thing I remember. I woke up in a room full of people, a bright light over me. A voice was telling me, “Miss Waite, can you hear me? She said, it was touch for a while and we almost lost you a couple times. We are waiting for a helicopter to airlift you to UNM hospital in Albuquerque.”

My family was told I couldn’t travel by ambulance as I wouldn’t make it. That they would try to stabilize me long enough to be airlifted. That was my best shot but I still could die in transport. They were told I had been septic and had gone into Septic shock. They had inserted a PIC line and started me on antibiotics. I survived the helicopter ride and spend about 5 days in ICU. There was a team of doctors trying to figure out where my infection was.

I was diagnosed with a case of the plague and spent about 10 days in the hospital. I was out of work about a month. Today I am so thankful to be alive and to have survived sepsis. I had never heard of sepsis or septic shock before Sept 17,2015. Today I am back to normal aside from some memory loss and at times when speaking, have trouble finding a word or completing a sentence. I feel very blessed.