Maurice Maxwell

This is the story of my Dad, a Sepsis survivor.

About 8 weeks ago my healthy 80-year-old dad was having flu-like symptoms. On a Saturday morning, he went to the local Urgent Care near Claremont, California and they diagnosed him with the flu. On Monday, my dad was still declining in health, so I made him an appointment for him to go back to the doctor. That doctor said to my dad, “You should be dancing. All your tests look good, and it is just the flu.”

My dad walked out of the doctor’s office and puked his guts up in the ivy. Tuesday, my dad still felt horrible. Wednesday, I made an appointment for him to go back to the doctor. His primary care doctor tells my dad there is nothing she can do for him, and sent him to the emergency room. My dad sat in the emergency room for 10 hours. They ran tests, gave my very sick father an IV, and discharged him at 11 pm, telling him he had the flu. My dad’s health continued to decline on Thursday and Friday, to the point he could not even talk to me on the phone.

I live and work in Las Vegas. I told my boss that I had to go home, that my dad was sick and weak and I had to see what was going on. When I arrived at my parents’ house at about 9 pm, my dad was laying in the family room, literally I thought, on his death bed.

My dad’s breathing was labored and he was only taking short breaths. He could not walk to get to the bathroom, nor hardly stand. I slept next to my dad all night, a million times thinking I should call 911. At 8 am my nephew who is a paramedic in Orange Co. California came by after his shift. He took a look at my dad and we called 911.

My dad was rushed to the hospital. Initially they thought he had some type of ‘heart episode’ and said he would be admitted. Upon further testing, and my dad being transferred to the CICU, they told us my dad had sepsis and was in heart, lung, and kidney failure. My dad was put on life support that night, sedated, intubated, put on 24-hour dialysis, given multiple medications and given less than 25% chance of surviving.

This was not the way my dad was supposed to leave us. This healthy 80-year-old, who only takes a multivitamin and fish pill, was now in the fight for his life. After 4 days they had to bring my dad out of sedation. Then they took him off dialysis, then the tube came out of his throat. My dad was weak, but holding his own. After 10 days in the hospital (which the family feels he was rushed out way too soon) he was transferred to a facility in Claremont, California. My dad had to learn to walk again and get his strength back. His toes turned black due to the heart medication he was given while he was sedated.

The nurses and physical therapists at the facility were wonderful to my dad. After 4 weeks, my Dad got to come home. He is still weak, but getting stronger each day. He has doctors’ appointments each week, and we are just taking things day by day to see what the lingering effects of the sepsis are going to have on dad’s heart, lungs and kidneys, and how much of his toes he will loose. The doctors still don’t know where the sepsis infection started. It has been an emotional roller coaster for the whole family.

How did the sepsis get missed by 4 doctors, including being at the emergency room??? I had never heard the word sepsis before this. I hope I never have to hear it again. Getting the word out that symptoms that appear to be the flu…check again. We are thankful to have my Dad still with us. Thank
God, and the friends and family who prayed and supported us during this tough time. We are grateful.

 

Source: by Shelley Maxwell (Maurice's daughter)