Rosie Vento

It was the Wednesday before Super Bowl weekend, 2017, when my daughter, age 7, needed to be picked up from school because she had a slight fever. I had left work a little early to get her not knowing the would be the last time I would walk out of my office.

In addition to her being sick and wanting her mommy, I fell sick at the same time. I was at work and kept urinating, which is odd for me because I usually hold it pretty well. I remember standing in my office and getting an unbelievably sharp pain on my left side. My best friend at work asked if I was alright… of course, I shrugged it off as being the bulging/torn disk I also happen to have which radiates pain down my left side. By the time that first stabbing pain started to the time I drove home from work, it was so bad that all I could have done was lie down… with a sick 7-year-old hanging on me.

I took Thursday off work because I spiked a fever of 103.5 and shrugged that off as well as the flu… the shaking, at times, was uncontrolled, and I felt like death… but kept pushing as a single mother of 3. I had to take career of my daughter.

On Friday, I couldn’t even get out of bed. I don’t remember a thing about Friday other than I slept and slept.

Saturday… not being one to complain, my fever still not under control after taking Tylenol and Motrin every 4 hours, I didn’t budge from my bed. My boyfriend looked at me and said, I think we should go to the hospital. My response, “I WILL NOT EMBARRASS MYSELF OVER THE FLU NOR WASTE THE ER DOCTOR’S TIME!” MISTAKE ONE.

I waited until Super Bowl Sunday to finally feel weak enough and sick enough to call my family practitioner at the time. Now, I want you to understand me…she would have to CALL me to get me to come in for a check up. The only time I would go in, knowing my body, is when I needed antibiotics for something, and she knew this. When she finally called me back, I had the phone on speaker because I could not move at this point. I asked her, ” Something isn’t right…I don’t feel well… I’m shaking uncontrollably, my fever won’t break, I am having a hard time breathing, do you think I should go to the ER?”

Her EXACT response to me was, “Rosie, you’ve had these symptoms for the past 4 days, one more day isn’t going to hurt… come see me at 11am tomorrow morning.” She’s the doctor, alrighty….

The next morning, I tried to get out of bed to get all 3 of my children on the school bus. Not FEELING like me but feeling like death, I told my twin 11-year-olds they needed to get their sister on the bus for me and stay home with me in case I needed something. I’m a Dean at a high school… tell my kids to stay home WAS not the norm and they knew that.

My 11 o’clock appoint came and went…I could not wake up, feel well enough to drive, or even get dressed at that time…I said to them we will go at 1pm…

I remember having one of my sons put my shoes on because I could not. I do NOT remember driving to the doctor’s office, but I do remember them taking a urine sample and asking if I had my period…I had a hysterectomy the previous July… so um, NO that’s blood I told the young tech…

While taking a blood draw in her office, I remember telling the lady, “I’m really sick…i know it!” The doctor I had for 15 years did not know what to do with me other than put two heaters near me, her coat on me, and a shot of Demerol…. then said, “I think you need to go to the hospital.”

Both my ex, coming to get the kids, and my boyfriend, coming to get me and drive me to the hospital, came at the same time. They wheeled me out of her office and I just saw the look in their eyes….I looked at my ex and said with tears, “Please take care of our children!” I thought I was going to die!

Off to the hospital… the blood pressure cuff was not registering my BP. THE STAFF AT THE HOSPITAL WAS AMAZING! I don’t remember much but do know I was rushed to ICU where I spent 4 glorious days and then a regular room for an additional 6 days.

They told me I has 12 more hours to live. At that time I didn’t even KNOW what septic shock was or why I had gotten it; but, I did know I was dying and disoriented.

The next stage… road to recovery. Unfortunately for me, I have not fully recovered from sepsis; I’m in and out of the hospital for flank pain and discomfort with my breathing and now, was diagnosed yesterday with sepsis AGAIN. This time, I didn’t wait… they have me my antibiotics and sent me HOME. I have my follow up with my NEW primary at 11… so, I will keep you all posted… but the way, I was a healthy 42-year-old when this ALL happened…