Dr. Matthew Scröggins

My story is a rather unique one.
A little background information:

I was born with pulmonary Fibrosis, rickets, and heart problems at birth. I suffer from frequent (less frequent now) lung infections. These often require powerful IV antibiotics to cure. In 2001 I was in hospital and acted on the recommendation of a medical doctor to have a port implanted for easier access and to make my hospital stays less frequent. I was taught how to access it and use it. I had absolutely no problems until start of June 2018. It was no fault of my own.  (Sepsis and Invasive Devices) Here is what happened:

I went to a hospital for chest pains. Nothing too serious but I would rather not chance any complications from my illnesses. They decided to access my port. The nurses did NOT follow proper protocol when accessing the port which I called them on. They also stuck me several times and could not access it each time with me objecting and stating I wanted someone from cath lab to access it. Too late, damage done. They finally listened to me after I said I would call for security if they touched me again. They threw everything against the wall and stormed out. My port site was bleeding and I had to find sterile gauze and alcohol pads to clean it with.

Next day I spoke to the hospital supervisor and informed her of the problem. I also let her know that if they damaged my port there was going to be problems. She assured me there was no problem and I would be taken to IR and have it checked and accessed by a doctor there. Elapsed time about 18 hours since my “ER adventure”

IR (Interventional Radiology):
The took me to IR and had no trouble accessing my port at all. But something happened. While they were flushing it I started shaking uncontrollably. Having lung infections and dealing with pneumonia, I found it possible but I have never shook like this before. What’s happening? Nurses noticed and ask me if I was cold and what was wrong. I told them I had no idea but I didn’t feel quite right. I was provided with hot blankets which helped very little.

My hospital room:
I was flushed, heplocked, and de-accessed. I still had violent shakes. The nurses made light of it and said it was probably lung infection. My temperature had spiked to 38 °C, which was odd as well. I accepted their explanation instead of following my own intuition. I was discharged with this fever to my amazement. This was the start of sepsis/septicemia, staph, and fungemia. Keep reading this story is amazing and what is even more amazing is that I survived at all.

Home first discharge:
I arrived home not feeling myself. That’s putting it lightly. Within 6 hours my fever spiked to 39 °C . It took me 3 hours to get to the restroom. I took fever relievers and started taking antibiotics po (by mouth) cefadroxil and levaquin to be exact every 12 hours. I called the hospital to speak to the supervisor again. I had a feeling my port might be infected but sepsis never crossed my mind. I was not extremely knowledgeable on that infection and I figured in today’s world with advanced antibiotics, it would be a minor ordeal if someone ever contracted it or was infected with it. I was severely mistaken. It’s very lethal with a high mortality rate as I later learned. I remember hearing my great grand parents speak on the subject and how many family members were lost to it.

The supervisor instructed me to continue antibiotics and that my port was not infected but rather I was probably ill with pneumonia. She said I did not need to return to the ER but to treat it as I know how and as she indicated. I foolishly took this advice knowing better. I vomited and don’t have much memory of the first three days. I recovered and felt better but not well. I continued life. I had odd occurrences over the next month. Sweating, rapid heart beat (tachycardia) but I suffer from tach so I didn’t think much of that other than it was more active. Other oddities, turning pale along with sweats, lack of appetite, extreme loss of energy, inability to sleep. Some of these symptoms mimicked symptoms from my other illnesses so again I dealt with them.

Hospital visit number 2:
I was having some problems which required me to return to the ER. Unfortunately, the same ER as ambulances in this area only travel to hospitals in a certain radius. I demand to be taken to the medical center in Houston but it was useless. I had a different nurse this time who again did not wear gloves or a mask. Washed her hands with antimicrobial soap. It’s amazing how fast they can stick you. When I noticed, I said just a sec. That’s all I could get out before she had accessed my port. I told them the problem I had encountered last time and was assured it would not occur again. I was released from the ER after my test. Within 12 hours I was deathly ill again. This time I knew there was a problem. I knew they had done something to my port during the first visit. I experienced the same symptoms. I contacted them again and insisted there was a problem. This time I heard I was having trouble with their heparin, an allergic reaction or something of that nature. Like the last time same symptoms and illness then I recovered to a certain degree but never became well.

Hospital visit 3:

After months of not feeling well and my health progressively declining, I came back to their hospital again and told them everything that had occurred. I was certain my port was infected and something needed to be done about it asap. They checked me and I was running a low grade fever. I had been running a low grade fever for the past several months. They hospitalized me. They refused to go anywhere near my port. They did blood test and cultures. They never did a take blood from the port and culture it, however. Even after I told them I felt this should be done right away considering I felt the problem was they had infected the port. After 10 days in the hospital and many unnecessary test they said I had an infection and that it was most likely my lungs. They sent me home with antibiotics by mouth.

From bad to out of control:

It was time for my port flush at home which I was putting off because of fear of getting very ill again. I told my mom that I was going to use 3 30ml syringes when accessed and removed everything including 2 syringes of blood. I was hoping it was bad heparin or if it was infected I would be able to remove the infected fluids. I told my mom if I was sick in 12 hours then we had a very serious problem because I removed those three 30ml syringes of fluid, flushed it really good with normal saline, the heplocked it. Within 6 hours I had a headache, 8 hours bad chills, and about 11 hours high fever again about 39 °C. I was so ill I couldn’t go to hospital. I could barely stand up. I was not calling an ambulance this time or going back to that hospital ever again. I spent the day taking antibiotics and medications to break the fever. It was terrible. I had to use the restroom and waited 5 hours then it took me several hours to get there and back. I woke up late that night wet all over. I thought I urinated everywhere but actually my fever broke and it was sweat. Perfect, now I could cognate better, I was lucid with a much better level of consciousness. Basically, I could think. I had very little energy.

The hospital downtown Houston in the medical center. Confirmation SEPSIS.
That morning I read up on port and CVAC infections. SEPSIS/Septicemia came up. I started researching it while waiting on my ride. All of the symptoms matched. When I read about how serious it is and about mortality rates I knew I would most likely not return home but the hospital morgue would be my final stop. I, with my mom’s caring help, took a shower and got dressed. My friend arrived and took me to hospital straightaway with an exception to stop and get me a large bottle of Gatorade. We made it to hospital. The ER was over crowded. The nurse took one look at me and the next thing I know they had me in the back. I explained everything to them. The doctor came in straightaway and said I was incredibly ill. My eyes, face, and tongue were pale. He started three different IV antibiotics immediately and started taking blood samples and cultures. I was immediately admitted to hospital.

They did many tests but said they could pretty much guarantee me it was sepsis. I was assigned an infectious disease doctor. They took a culture from my port and we waited for it to grow. Test for sepsis were positive, test for staph were positive, test for candida (fungemia) were positive. My port that had been with me for 18 years had to be removed by surgery immediately. It had been implanted for so long that the catheter had to be removed in a separate operation directly following the removal of the port.

Life gets worse:
I expected to go home on antibiotics after the port was removed. I figured antibiotics for a while and I would be fine. Wrong again. My PCP came in to visit me and said I didn’t seem like my normal self. I told him I didn’t feel all that great either. He said I had to stay put that this was far from over and he was correct. My fever spiked to 40°C and I started going in and out of septic shock, my blood pressure started crashing I think it was 70/45 at one point. I remember very little. Some very vivid hallucinations, I developed encephalopathy and I speak German as well as English. They said one morning I awoke to only speaking German and answering in it. Lucky for me they had a nurse that spoke German. I have no memory of any of this. People spoke to me on the phone and visited with me which I barely remember and some I have no memory of.

Homeward Bound:

After nearly two weeks I was amazed to be leaving the hospital. They installed a PICC line for continued IV treatment home. This has ruined my body. It’s 09/10/2018 at the time of this publication and I’ve been home from hospital for a month almost. I’m truly existing, not living. I hope things get better but I am a realist so I look at the statistics. I have no energy and tire very easily, I was an emotional wreck for some reason (that’s improving, thank God). I have lost all of the hearing in my left ear, my equilibrium is off so I have a hard time standing, I have trouble with my memory, concentrating, and forgetting things and there are many other problems. Do they resolve? I’m not the same. I don’t know if my hearing will ever come back.

I wish everyone the best. I know this could have been much worse as in losing limbs etc. This is just my story of survival. May God bless you all.