Richard Gustke

Sepsis, that can kill you! I don’t recall how many time I heard that, post-recovery.
My event started as with many older men, with tracking of my PSA, to detect prostate cancer.
After a blood test late 2022, it was determined that I had elevated PSA, and further tests were needed. In January of 2023 I had an MRI which proved to be inconclusive.
In late March 2023 I had a partial prostate biopsy in an office procedure, and left a little woozy.
I had had a prostate biopsy before, and kind of knew what to expect.
This one seemed a little more “invasive” than my prior procedure.
Over the weekend I started to feel sick, thinking it might be flu or maybe food poisoning.
Feeling worse, the following Monday I had my wife take me to urgent care.
The diagnosis was: weakness, diarrhea, dysuria, dehydration and being lightheaded.
I stated that I had undergone a prostate biopsy only a few days before.
This piece of information was likely critical in thinking that this might be more severe.
The recommendation was to go directly to the ER.
After a number of tests it was determined the principal problem was acute kidney injury (HCC).
Active problems were: severe sepsis, acute prostatitis, prostate abscess, hypocalcemia, e coli bacteremia and elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA). (Sepsis and Bacterial Infections)
I was catheterized and pretty much bed ridden for the 2-1/2 week stay at the hospital.
A PICC line was inserted in my right arm to administer a targeted antibotic.
I would remain on that for another 6 weeks following my discharge from the hospital.
I have to admit, for the first time in my life, I thought of death.
My internal medicine doctor was closely following my blood tests to confirm the antibiotics were working properly, and when they could be discontinued.
The antibiotics were administered by the IV PICC line twice daily, which my wife performed.
Those six weeks at home I could not do much due to being weak, catheterized and needing IV medicine given in the morning and evening..
So I was battling simultaneously the sepsis, and prostate abscess and prostatitis.
After several months the sepsis was pretty much addressed and the IVs discontinued.
The prostate issue took longer and it was very painful to urinate, I was catheterized several times.
The final procedure was a sub pubic catheter to determine how much retention my kidney had.
It gave the ability to turn the urine flow off and on like a faucet, to assess retention.
After four to five months the prostate issue was resolved and tube finally removed.
It is a weird feeling having a tube in your self for so long.
At some point it seems like some of my hair was splitting or falling out, but this seems to have stopped, and appears to be back to normal.
It is now about six months after the onset of the sepsis, I seem more lethargic than normal, my muscles particularly in the arms, hands and legs seem more stiff than normal.
It is hard to determine if my mood and memory were affected, maybe in a small way.
I tire easily, physical activity needs to be scaled back.
I am 68 years old and think I was very fortunate I did not have a more severe reaction.
It could have been much worse, going to the ER soon after the onset of symptoms, and good early diagnosis and well targeted IV antibiotics I would say helped.
It is very heart wrenching to read the other stories here.
I was one of the fortunate ones.