Theresa C.

I am 66 years old. In mod July of 2020 I had hip replacement surgery. (Sepsis and Surgery, Sepsis and Joint Replacements) I had had one four years previously with no complications.

The day after I was released from the hospital I became disoriented, not know what day it was, unable to remember the code on my phone. I had no other symptoms. But I knew that there was something seriously wrong with me. I told my son to call 911 and thankfully he did. I don’t remember the ambulance ride or the ER. I woke up a time or two in the ICU not knowing who I was. My kidneys had failed and my heart beat was irregular. Slowly I stabilized and after six days I was moved to the ward. But my brain was not right. I seemed to go in and out. I hallucinated people in my room. (Sepsis and Hallucinations) I thought the nurses were holding me captive and tried to fight them off. I didn’t remember who my sister was or even where I was. My short term memory was shot.

After being released from the hospital I was weak and confused. I couldn’t eat. Food sat on my stomach and my whole stomach hurt day and night. I couldn’t sleep. I lost 28 pounds. After about 3 weeks it was discovered that I had a potassium deficiency which made it hard for me to digest my food. After about a week I started to feel better. I still struggle with short term memory problems and what I describe as a lack of good judgment. I feel like there is a total lack of follow up for sepsis patients. I have read that there is an increase in dementia among elderly sepsis survivors and that concerns me greatly