Sian Hill

My story starts with a simple kidney stone. (Sepsis and Kidney Stones)

Before I was given a date for my stone to be lasered, I had a CT scan. When I phoned for my results I had learned that it had ‘migrated’ to my urethra. Through my own research I knew this could potentially block my kidney.

Whilst waiting for a date to come through for my small op to remove my stone, I started to feel unwell. I went home from work early and went to see my GP. I had started feeling shivery and achy all over. I’m afraid to say my GP just put this down to it being my kidney stone, and did not do my blood pressure or temperature.

I went home and over the next day and a half I felt worse and worse. T
he aching had got so bad I could feel every muscle in my body. Even my fingers and toes ached. I was shaking too and couldn’t get warm. I felt confused and had cold shivers every few seconds going up my body.

My boyfriend convinced me to go to A and E (accident and emergency). When I got there, within minutes they knew I had sepsis. My temperature was high and they arranged for me to have a nephrostomy. This was a drain going from my kidney to a bag on my back. This relieved the blockage but the sepsis worsened.

With IV antibiotics and paracetemol they were able to stop my temperature spiking and control the sepsis but I really haven’t experienced feeling so, so ill before. I even had an intensive care nurse monitoring me for a while, so I am very aware of how lucky I was. I was lucky my sepsis was spotted. I had never really heard of it, but the hospital staff was very quick at spotting the signs. I only wish my GP had when I went to her a day before. I could have got vital treatment earlier.

I am pleased to say I recovered from this nasty illness. I am aware now that many do not and this is do preventable. I was one of the lucky ones! I even got a marriage proposal at my bedside! More awareness is needed for people to spit the signs, which is what I will try to do.