Joe Caruso

I entered the hospital on July 11, 2011 with sepsis, the result of a meningococcal infection (Neisseria meningitidis). After a week in a coma, and significant organ failure, I emerged eight days later, one of the lucky ones. One year later, I am well, having been spared removal of gangrenous toes, and with my heart back to normal.

In my case, I believe infection was facilitated by dental work. (Sepsis and Dental Health)  I had three root canals – in one hour – performed by one endodontist, followed by the placement of three posts to allow for the re-cementing of a bridge by another dentist (a prosthodontist), in an another hour, in a different location. The next day, I felt fine, but by evening, a bit more sore. By the following evening, I was in excruciating pain.

The following morning – three days after the initial dental work – I called the endodontist, and after mentioning the little bump behind my front teeth, he said, “that’s infection, I’ll prescribe an antibiotic.”

By the next day (Monday), the little bump had grown into a Chiclet-sized pillow of abscess, but I was feeling better. Yet another dentist looked at it on Wednesday, and said he’d aspirate the puss, but nothing came out. He said not to worry; the bump on the roof of my mouth would be gone by Friday. It wasn’t and when I called to tell him so, he said it would be, soon, not to worry. I then left on a week’s business trip to the west coast, which each of the three dentists knew about.

Each day, the abscess went down a bit more. I felt mostly fine all week, with a runny nose and the beginning of what seemed like a cold coming on, but able to function, which required intercity metro travel and face-to-face interviews with several people. After the week in California, I left on an afternoon flight home, arriving back in Albany on Monday morning, July 11, 1:30 a.m. I had been traveling with a friend who also had business out west, and who drove me home from the airport.

The next morning, I felt tired, feverish, and had a bit of a headache, but it didn’t seem like anything to worry about. I had a follow-up appointment with the endodontist at 11 a.m., which I kept, although I couldn’t tell you a thing about that hour. I only remember not being able to make the ten- to twelve-minute car ride home through city streets and having to pull over to rest. Obviously, I wasn’t clear- thinking or I would have realized that anyone unable to attend to such a small task must be really sick. I went home, threw myself on the bed of my second story flat, and fell asleep.

My mother, who lives ninety miles away and doesn’t drive, had apparently been trying to reach me all day. She knows I always get back to her in a timely manner so when I didn’t call, she was concerned and tried to find my tenants, or my neighbor. Striking out, she called the friend with whom I’d been traveling, who shared her concern – and premonition – who drove the 25-30 minutes to my house.

He found my car unlocked (unusual) in the front of my house, although the door to the house was locked. He kept calling to me, through my open second story bedroom window. I awakened and (remarkably) walked down a flight of stairs to let him in and another flight back up to return to my bed. My friend insisted, thankfully, on calling the EMTs, who took me to a nearby hospital. Meanwhile, as (I’m told) I waited two hours, in and out of consciousness, for a doctor in the ER, my friend was in contact with my general doctor, who is also a good friend of mine. The doctor called the ER and insisted that an ER doctor see me immediately. That changed everything, or so I’m told. Doctors and IVs were flying everywhere, and my friend was told that he should “notify the family immediately.” I learned later that they were concerned that I would die before my family arrived from Utica.

In the next few hours and days, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver – everything – failed. Eight days later, I showed signs of the chance of survival. I was brought into consciousness. The ventilator tube was removed, and I started my climb back.

I’m left in a quandary about how I was exposed to the Neisseria meningitidis and what, if any, role the dental work and its subsequent infection played in all of this. Knowing of my own “safe” behaviors – I never drink from a glass or eat from a plate of people I know, much less people I don’t know – I am left with the belief that meningococcal infection is much easier to contract than one would believe.

Fortunately, I’ve returned to my normal state. I know this is not the norm, and I am very grateful. I intend to find a way to pay back, to demonstrate my appreciation, and I believe that Sepsis Alliance may provide the way.

 

Update: Joe is featured in our short film, Faces of Sepsis.