Megan Pollock

I fell ill a few months into my junior year of college. I thought I was sick with a cold, which developed into me having chest pressure. I could not lay flat and it hurt to breathe. It really felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. As the days went on I developed a fever which got as high as 104. I finally had one of my sorority sisters take me to the local urgent care.

My pulse was elevated and BP super low, they told me I was dehydrated and needed to go to the hospital for IV fluids. My friend took me to the hospital. They did a chest x-ray which confirmed pneumonia, placed a Foley catheter (no urine return). (Sepsis and Pneumonia) I was already in kidney failure. They hooked me up to IV fluids and IV antibiotics. My health continued to deteriorate. I was transferred to the ICU in this small hospital, finally I was life flighted to a larger hospital in Spokane.

I spent 5 weeks in the ICU. I was diagnosed with toxic shock, sepsis, acute kidney failure, pneumonia, and ARDS.  (Sepsis and Kidney Failure, Sepsis and ARDS) I was fighting for my life. The doctors are not sure of the source of my infection. I was on dialysis for about 4 weeks, had multiple chest tubes placed to drain the fluid from my lungs, was intubated and eventually had a trach due to coding. After I was released from the hospital I spent 1 week at a rehabilitation hospital undergoing extensive occupational and physical therapy. I had to relearn how to walk and care for myself. I was only 20. I LOVED my ICU nurses, I went on to become a nurse. Caring for people particularly at end of life has been my passion for over 16 years. To this day I still struggle with chronic pain and ongoing wounds due to old pressure wounds on my feet. But everyday I am so grateful I am here to tell my story and care for my patients and family!!