Wendy Fraser

Survivor

It is now 15 days in hospital, 9 in ICU and 6 in a private room on a ward. It has been such a shock.

Two weeks ago on a Wednesday night, I was driving home from work and my teeth were chattering and I had rigours. I got home and said to my husband that I didn’t feel well, I thought it was a cold coming on. I took my temp it was 39.2 (Celsius). I took some Panadol and went to bed. In the morning I got up. My temp was still high although I felt better. I decided to stay home and made appointment to see my GP at 4 pm that day.

My husband went to work I was up and down out of bed. At about 10:30, I got excruciating pain in my left to the point I was whimpering. I called my husband to ask him to take me to hospital, our private one near home where you pay 350 bucks but get seen quickly. The nurse in ED was rude and asked if I had been to my GP. I explained I thought I was beyond that. The doctor saw me and my blood pressure was low and dropping. They couldn’t give me pain relief as my blood pressure was too low. They then put fluids up and eventually got my BP to 95/60.

I demanded pain relief and they gave me morphine after the ED nurse told me to be patient! It was now 3 hours since arrival. Well before I knew it, an hour later I was sent to intensive care. I was told I had cellulitus, then blood poisoning and then septic shock (Sepsis and Cellulitis). I was in ICU for 9 days on medication to maintain my BP, heaps of antibiotics and line drips, and a catheter coming out of me. I was then sent to ward where I have been for 6 days so far. No improvement to my leg so I asked for a second opinion. This was difficult and my appointed specialist was rude and dismissive. The new infectologist I had chosen came to see me. He listened, changed my antibiotics and has taken 17 different blood tests. I feel more optimistic with him and have a long way to go.

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