Ryan Russell

Two years ago I got up to go to work as a deputy sheriff. Had a fever of 102 but took Tylenol and started feeling better. Went to work and had to go to the hospital for an inmate. I started feeling light headed and just thought I needed something to eat. Then my ears popped really loud and I couldn’t hear. Then I started losing my vision. It was bright white and was closing like a tunnel. I went home to rest and was feeling worse. Took my blood pressure and it was 48/27 pulse of 150 with 103 temp. Texted my wife who is a nurse and she said go to hospital now.

On arrival my blood pressure was the same and I was immediately admitted. They put in a central line and started fluids and antibiotics. Had a severe UTI and pneumonia. (Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections, Sepsis and Pneumonia) I heard the doctor also tell the nurses to keep the crash cart close to my room. Liver, kidneys were shutting down and I was not stable enough to be transferred by ambulance or helicopter. Doctors told me I had about a 30% chance of survival. Took my blood pressure 24 hours to stabilize. After 5 days I was released to go home and recover.

Thankfully they were able to find the type of bacteria and attacked it. Still have to watch myself and if I start getting sick I immediately go to doctor. t was sepsis that almost killed me after 22 years of law enforcement. Unfortunately sepsis was what killed my father a year later. He had pneumonia and tried to get through it but at 80 years old his body could not take it. I try to share my story as much as I can because sepsis makes you a frog in a pot. Our bodies get sick and we slowly start going down hill because the symptoms can be so vague. We go to work, do things with our families, we push ourselves instead of taking care of ourselves. I was lucky.

Ryan’s father, Bob L Russell, 3-6-1936  11-01-2016