Steve Tow

Hi, My name is Steve Tow. I’m 58, and a diabetic, type 2. I’m stating my story because my stubbornness nearly killed me.

I am a manager for a paint and body supply store in St Cloud MN, a fairly high pressure job that I love. Anyway, I usually have to be really sick to not be at work, and I believe this is really something a lot of men, especially, can relate to. I was at work, and was extremely ill. I was waiting for my guys to come in so I could leave. I had taken my temp at work, and it was 103.6! I was miserable, I thought I had the flu. I went home and took 800mg of ibuprophen, took a 2-hour nap, woke up and felt terrific.

I was building a new 12’x12′ shed, and was really focused on that, so I was outside working on that when everything went fuzzy, and I thought I was going to pass out. By that time, it was 8pm, and to late to go to the doctor. I took a shower, and told my much better half that she was right, I needed to to the emergency room, that I was really sick. She had been after me to go to the doctor for 3 days.

She drove me into the emergency room, and I actually passed out on the way. I told her I was falling asleep, but I was out for a few minutes. At the emergency room, they asked me and I told them I had passed out. They then immediately took my blood pressure, and I it was 48 over something! I remember they asked me if I had anything unusually hurting, or a sore. I had just discovered a cyst like thing on my right leg, in the lower groin area. That was one of the last things I remember. I was mostly unconscious for the next 10 days.

I woke up in intensive care at the Hennepin County Hospital in Minneapolis, where they had transferred me because of their expertise with sepsis. I had the necrotizing fasciitis version, and I was told by a nurse yesterday, you can actually watch this stuff grow with the human eye. It’s that aggressive! (Sepsis and Necrotizing Fasciitis)

I nearly lost my life and my right leg during this journey. I was in the hospital for 65 days, and beat myself up a lot for not listening to my wife, and letting my STUBBORNESS win out over common sense!

That is the real reason I have taken the time to write this today, is to tell the A typical men out there they are NOT superman, they need to watch their health very close,and LISTEN to the people that love them!

The good news is I am back at work after being gone for 3 and 1/2 months. I cannot say enough about the care and knowledge of sepsis the hospitals had. I was told I may not have lived if it had gone on even a few more hours! LIFE IS GOOD!