Audrey Leishman

My story begins on Tuesday, March 23, 2015 when I underwent an IUD removal in hopes of trying for another baby shortly after. Two days later I started my first period in 18 months and resumed tampon use. That Friday evening I slept with one as I had done several times in the past. Sunday evening I started to feel achy and unwell while we were on the way to dinner. I brushed it off but I could not eat my dinner and I began to shiver. When we got home I went straight to bed but I was so cold I could not stop shaking. My husband told me I was burning up. I did not think to take a temperature. I slept fitfully that night, waking up sweating and my stomach was cramping. The next morning I started to have diarrhea and I thought that I simply had the stomach flu. I stayed in bed and continued to rest throughout the day.

The next morning my husband had to go out of town and I called my parents asking them if they could help me care for my two boys. When I woke up on Tuesday, I could barely hold my 18-month-old son because I was so weak. My temperature was 102. I was still having diarrhea, and I began to have severe pain in my right elbow and left big toe. Throughout the day I continued to deteriorate until I became short of breath and my nose would bleed with any exertion. All I wanted to do was sleep and despite many people asking if I should go to the doctor, I just kept saying it was the flu.

Luckily that evening my best friend did not give me a choice and picked me up to go to an urgent care. When I got there, my temperature was 102, my heart rate was in the 140s at rest and my blood pressure was around 90/30. They gave me IV antibiotics and fluids, but after a few hours I had shown no improvement. The doctor told me that the only thing I was positive for was strep throat but that she thought I was going into septic shock. She called the ambulance for me. I cannot say that I was even scared at this point. I was just so tired and relieved that someone else was going to take care of me.

When I was admitted the doctors tested me for every autoimmune disease. My labs were a mess. They didn’t understand why I was having the joint pain, and I just continued to deteriorate. Throughout the day on Wednesday, my breathing became more labored and I finally succumbed to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). (Sepsis and ARDS) I was intubated and sedated early that Thursday morning. Eventually my doctor learned that I had my IUD removed the previous week and he felt that I could have toxic shock syndrome (TSS). They began treatment and I was in my coma for 5 days. My diagnoses included: sepsis, TSS, ARDS, pneumonia, strep throat, colitis, and reactive arthritis. (Sepsis and Toxic Shock Syndrome)

I have learned as a survivor that my family went through their nightmare while I was asleep. Mine began when I woke up. Learning to walk again, pleurisy, pain, weakness, fatigue, and PTSD. There were days that felt impossible but I always clung to the fact that I survived when others do not. My husband and I have started the Begin Again Foundation to support survivors of TSS, sepsis and ARDS, with one time grants of $1,000. We want to ease the financial burden so that they can focus on their recovery. I have also started a blog, www.psdontusetampons.com about my experiences. I am thankful everyday that I am alive and it is my passion to spread awareness of the symptoms of sepsis and to help my fellow warriors who have fought through.

Note from Sepsis Alliance: Audrey is the first recipient of the Erin K. Flatley Spirit Award.