Hello Everyone!
Today I want to discuss Sepsis. This is a difficult and scary topic for me because I am a 3 times sepsis survivor with a year. On August 19 2023. My life was changed once again after losing my mom the month prior on the 4th of July.
I went to work that Friday did a 10.5 hour shift at my old job then I went home and collapsed in my doorway. Thankfully my bag broke my fall. I spent the weekend in and out of deliciousness until I talked with my aunt who insisted I call 911. By time 911 got to my house I had to be picked up and put on the stretcher. I passed out 3 different times in the ambulance with a fever of 104 and at the time I only lived about 10 minutes away from the hospital.
By time I got to the ER I was in pretty bad shape, very sick, scared, crying, and confused. I will never forget the ER doctor held my hand and said that I was just really sick, but he wasn't going to let me die. Come to find out later if I had waited a few hours or the next day I probably wouldn't be here sharing my story.
As most of my regular readers know my mom died, but one of the main things that killed my mom was sadly she went into septic shock. I had never heard of sepsis or septic shock. I was trying to understand this cruel illness that ultimately contributed in taking my mom's life, but I didn't know a month later I would be fighting my own battle with Sepsis.
Sepsis is a life-threatening emergency that happens when your body’s response to an infection damages vital organs and, often, causes death. In other words, it’s your body’s overactive and toxic response to an infection. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. Sepsis can lead to severe sepsis and septic shock.
Your immune system usually works to fight any germs (bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites) to prevent infection. If an infection does occur, your immune system will try to fight it, although you may need help with medication such as antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics. However, for reasons researchers don’t understand, sometimes the immune system stops fighting the “invaders,” and begins to turn on itself. This is the start of sepsis.
I usually check my temperature daily. It's become routine. If I have a 100° fever I need to go to the ER. After effect I don't feel like I used too if I'm being completely honest. When I got out the hospital I suffered from nightmares, tiredness, and leg pain. Emotionally I tend to get frustrated and irritated. I usually can get a grip on these feelings, but there have been days that I would cry because I just want to feel like myself again before sepsis. Sepsis has taught me don't wait to get medical treatment. When I feel extremely sick or when in doubt, I'm going to doctor or emergency room.
