Rachel Wright

Last year on October 13, 2016, I was working full-time from home for a large company taking inbound calls, a virtual call center, and was scared to call out as I didn’t want to get occurrences and lose my job. I had a kidney stone that I attempted to pass on my own so I would not have to call out and miss time. (Sepsis and Kidney Stones)

I tried cranberry juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and more to get it to pass. It did get lodged in my left kidney ureter tube and backed up everything into my left kidney starting an infection which I did know I had. I was sitting at my desk on October 13, 2016, freezing, sick to stomach and shaking through my entire shift. I clocked out at the end of my shift, told my husband I was taking a hot bath to get warm, mind you we live in Tucson, Arizona and it was 91 degrees out and I was in a sweatshirt, jeans, a warm hat, gloves and scarf on me and I was still freezing. I took a hot bath, hotter than most people could stand as it just wasn’t hot enough for me. I got out, wrapped myself in a towel and told my husband that I just needed to lay down and sleep, I was too tired, too cold and just didn’t feel right. He said I started to shake so hard laying there on the bed that it slammed against the wall. He picked me up dressed me in what he could find and raced me to our emergency room.

When I was rushed to the emergency room, they of course took me right away. They took my vitals, all I remember hearing is septic. They had me give them a urine sample and I ended vomiting bright yellow fluid. That is my last memory of my hospitalization.

My husband said they gave me 20% chance to live through the night. My husband was told if he had waited another hour like I wanted I would have died that night. I can’t even imagine what Ronnie went through that night, as well as Kim, my sister, who stayed by Ron’s side via the phone.

I had emergency surgery to place a stent into my ureter to bypass a lodged kidney stone that night. I was in isolated ICU for three days, time which I do not remember. It took three days to determine what bacteria was in my body and it was found to be klebsiella pneumoniae (the 2nd deadliest bacteria after e-coli). I was hospitalized for a week due to this horrible illness.

I was put on heavy antibiotics and my immune and my respiratory systems were wiped out by the illnesses and the antibiotics. I was told it would be a full year and half to recovery fully without complications. I did come down with a severe topical yeast infection down my legs and it did clear up. I had to start taking acidophilus daily for good bacteria.

I had the stent and stone removed safely in February of this year (2017), developed another serious kidney infection right afterward, more antibiotics were given. This backed me up on the recovery process, now it’s more like 3 years since the beginning of this or so I am reading.

The day before being released I was told my brain function will be slim to none, I will not have much memory either. I do not remember much of my life during this past year of recovery, it’s been a blurry long y ear for me. I can say that it’s been a year now and I am finally starting to feel better as I went through something very traumatic for my mind, body, and spirit. I am still very emotional, which is normal. I am no longer trying to piece back together the broken part of my former life or piece together myself. I am taking each day step by step, being who I am now. The person I used to be is long gone now. I have to move forward now and live each day thankful.
I have to be the best me I can be.

I went back to work for the same company in March after I released from one doctor’s care, had two promotions in 8 months time started as a technical adviser tier 1 to a senior tier 2 technical adviser, which is not a job for just anyone to do. It takes training and yes it does take some brain power to do what I did. It caused a lot of stress and I have since had to quit as of last week.

Every single day is a new day for me to be alive, to see the sun shining, to be with Ronnie and all my loved ones.
Every single day is a new day to grow and re-create my life.
Every single day I get to celebrate that I am alive.
Every single day I have a new chance to improve myself.

I am also alive that is the most important part of this!!

I survived!!

I am thankful for my husband Ron, the doctors at St. Joseph’s hospital here in Tucson and the surgeon who saved my life.

I am so thankful for those who stood by me, far and wide, those who prayed, lit candles, visits, called and continue to check in on me.

I am happy and so thankful to be alive this year!!!

Never give up on life!!!