Susanne Halls

At the age of 74 I had a hip replacement surgery with only minor complications. I did receive a blood donation and was released, doing very well, four days after surgery.  I returned home and for another four days, my home health friend left as I was navigating and feeling good. That was a Wednesday and on Friday I suddenly became weak and felt extremely tired. (Sepsis and Joint Replacements, Sepsis and Surgery) I had broken out with shingles on Thursday and was certain that was why I felt exhausted.

On Saturday things turned worse and I could barely move from my bed to the bathroom and then to my chair in the living room. My friend stopped by with lunch and I reported that the surgery had prompted another shingles breakout and that I felt awful, but it would be better in a few days.

On Sunday I knew that I was dying. My nephew that had passed away 7 weeks prior, was there with me and I remember thinking that he was there to escort me to the other side and that dying was not painful and it was okay. My sister came at noon and recognized immediately I was incoherent and something serious was wrong. She called 911 and within an hour, I was in the Emergency Room. A couple of hours later I became conscious and was told that my sister had saved my life. I was diagnosed with sepsis and spent 17 days in hospital.

That was in February 2018. It has taken time to recover my energy and I have some memory holes in my brain that I fall into occasionally. I crawl out of the hole rather quickly and resume my life’s journey. I am doing well and for 77+ years old, I can confidently say I’m in great shape. I know I have been one of the blessed ones with sepsis and truly appreciate the doctors and nurses that saved my life.