Melissa Doyle

My sepsis story starts before I actually went septic. It starts when I first started showing the signs of kidney abscesses and either the doctors didn’t know how to help me or they plain ignored me.

The year prior to the event, I was admitted into the hospital for my blood disorders. I was born with iron anemia and alpha thalassemia type II. Basically to sum those up, I lose iron and blood. I had to have an iron infusion. Typically for me I have to have 2 iron infusions a year to prevent the need of a blood transfusion. I experienced stomach pains, pains in my side, and constant back aches. Most of the year I had spent being on narcotics for what they believed was pulled muscles from my large breast size.

While in the hospital after my infusions, the pain grew worse. Instead of running any scans on me, the doctor was extremely rude and as I was packing up to leave, she accused me of trying not to leave the hospital and called security. I was thrown outside of the hospital and refused back into the ER.

The pain remained constant and so I stayed on a constant rotation between loratabs and Tylenol 3. By the next year, I was still a busy mom of 4. My children ages 5, 3, 3, and 2 were a handful, but a wonderful joy to have. As any busy mom, I drank my usual coffee in the morning, dressed the children, and drank a lot of caffeine throughout the day. Finally I would take medicine at night to help cope with the pain.

During September, I started to feel extra thirsty, tired, and even more sore than usual, but I picked up a job transporting children to and from daycare and figured it was part of the strain. In the next two days, the pain was similar to my fibromyalgia symptoms so I refused to go see my primary.

I felt hot, but the AC in my house and apartment were broken, so I didn’t think anything of it. The next day I finally decided to see my primary. The pain was sharp and severe I told him I suspect it might be a kidney infection. He prescribed bactrum, but it was too late. That night I decided to walk to the store to get a gallon of water and I was determined to drink it all before the end of the night. I had the time because my parents were watching my children so I sat there shivering and drinking water. My head burned and my body ached. I felt chilly at the same time and I thought, “Well now this AC is working too well.”

I grabbed my blanket and bundled up tight. I passed out and woke to my dog, an American heeler, Tundra barking and whining. I tried to get up and let her outside, but my body was so stiff. I managed to get the door open and when I shut it she instantly scratched and whined. She sat down looking at me and nudging me so I locked her in her crate for the night. I decided to check on the AC because the cold and chills were just too much. My AC read 85 degrees. I dropped my covers and realized I was running a fever.

I found a bottle of children’s Motrin and I couldn’t see the label very well so I chugged half of it and laid down. The next moments are blurry and I can only recall them from my cell phone and bits and pieces I did remember. I made a text to my mother at 7 am saying I needed to get to the ER, however, I woke up to Tundra nudging me on the sofa. She had broken out of her crate and had to been nudging me a while because her nose was dry and felt really rough. She was whining and crying.

When I stood up she kneeled at my feet. I could see in her eyes that something was terribly wrong. I called the ambulance at 9:30 am. I don’t even remember how I got outside. The EMTs found me and I remember them saying just hold on, thinking of your kids, and that I was septic. The EMT was especially great. I remember seeing his tattooed arm and thought how comforting it was to see someone that looks like me and won’t judge me for once or think I am hurting just for drugs. He asked me the names of my children and I think I may have answered, but I don’t know. I had a vision of hell. My body burned so bad from the fever. The ground was tar colored and was the consistency of tar, but I didn’t melt. I just felt hotter than I ever have and I wanted to die. I begged to God to just let me die. I felt almost lifted and I was cool and comforted. I wanted to let go. I said to myself, “Mel, just go. Die and you won’t feel this way anymore. I felt that I could be at peace and just not feel like I am going to burn to death.” The vision was over and I saw black. I saw nothing.

The next moment I have is coming to in the ER at Shands hospital. They asked me if I knew where I was and I replied, “Shands”. They asked me if I knew the date and I didn’t know it. The doctors said I went septic because of a UTI. (Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections) I didn’t feel like I had one and my symptoms was the excessive peeing and thirst. By the time I noticed something was wrong it was too late.

When they got the results back from my scan they said my kidneys were so full of abscesses and they were big, they had to have been there at least a year and a half. I explained to them about my experience at the other hospital and asked them if they had done any scans would they have found this and prevented my illness. They said absolutely yes. I was crushed. I wanted to cry and couldn’t. They said they have never seen a case this severe in someone my age.

They listed me at critical and said I still had a 90 percent chance of succumbing to my illness and to get my affairs in order just in case. The EMT came back and said he was so glad to see I was still here and alive. He begged me to live because I was going out the door, his words not mine.

My initial recovery in the hospital took 9 days. I had to have courses of antibiotics, physical therapy, and pain medication. I later developed post sepsis syndrome. Sepsis being a dangerous infection that spreads throughout your body can still have long lasting effects. I had to relearn how to walk properly, swallow, speak properly, my joints ached, my bowels ached, and my skin still tingled and burned like it was on fire. I suffered from nightmares, hair loss, weight gain, depression, and I even became full blown suicidal. My kidneys are damaged from my carelessness-not drinking enough water and a poor diet. To prevent yourself from going through something so awful you must drink plenty of water. Enjoy coffee and other beverages as they were meant to be-a treat, but make sure you meet your daily intake of water.

I beg you all as friends to please not fall for some of these diet fads because the stuff they put in them (natural or not) still have level of caffeine and toxins that will harm your vital organs. This is also info I was told from my doctor. Sepsis does not have enough awareness and not many people know of the signs or what it can do. I had heard of it before and didn’t think it could happen to me. Watch out for fevers and chills, pain in a specific location that is constant, horrible migraines, dizziness, and stiffness of the joints. If you have any fear that you can be sick, go to your primary or the ER.

I share this out of peace and love. My recovery is still going on. I still have pains in my bowels, nightmares, stiff joints, and bone aches, but with my faith in my religion and my determination that I cannot leave my children this way I am alive. I am here for them. I am here for me.