Emma Russell

I was admitted to hospital during the first lockdown, told that I had a kidney infection and that I needed surgery. (Sepsis and Bacterial Infections) I had been admitted with shakes and shivers and a raging fever. The nurses spent days giving me antibiotics and fluids. I was released, on the waiting list as a priority 6/8 weeks. 18 months later and several kidney infections later, low dose of antibiotics to keep the infections at bay, I was invited for my op. A staghorn calculus kidney stone was almost covering my kidney and surgery was to break this up. (Sepsis and Kidney Stones)

I felt awful but went home. Over the next few weeks I felt awful and really Ill. One day, I had visitors and I told them I felt really poorly and hot, they looked at me and said my lips had turned blue and took me to A&E immediately. I was admitted and sepsis confirmed. Step infection and protea also found but I had to have about 5 days IV antibiotics and was admitted again after a couple of week because I wasn’t well. I was told I was anaemic and that I needed a transfusion. Investigations were booked, camera up and down and it was discovered I have colitis and IBD.

I’m waiting for this to be treated and they have also found a bacteria in my bowel that could be causing me to be unwell. The sepsis was awful but also not knowing was also horrible. I found nurses and doctors didn’t want to say the word out loud and talked about infection levels and my temperature a lot. I understand that I’m lucky but I’ve had sepsis twice now and I’ve pulled through. I don’t feel exactly the same as I used to, some trauma and my memory and cognitive function isn’t like it used to be but I’m alive. This infection definitely needs to be spoken about a lot more. It comes on so quickly and can be mistaken for flu or a bug.