Juan Carlos Montanez

I met my husband Juan in 2012 we were married in 2013. I knew he was diabetic because he shared that with me. He also had a few toes amputated on his feet due to his diabetes. (Sepsis and Diabetes, Sepsis and Amputations)

Our entire marriage I always made sure he took care of himself and didn’t do too much of anything due to how sensitive his feet were from getting diabetic ulcers feet. Juan was very good at hiding the problem. Through the years I learned on what to look for and how to know something was wrong. Juan was hospitalized a few times. He even had a few more toe amputations, as far as half a foot being amputated.

After a while our marriage became difficult because he would say I nagged him too much about taking care of himself. Juan went out of state for a few weeks to help his brother to fix up some property he just bought. We spoke everyday. I always asked him how were his feet doing he always said good. The first week he was there he said he stepped on a nail. It went through his boot and he didn’t feel it until the night time when he went to take off his shoes to shower. I immediately told him to come home so we can go to doctor because he could get an infection. He said no, I was over reacting.

A few days passed, then 2 weeks later he still helping his brother. I’m in communication with my husband daily, he says he is fine. The 3 rd week out of no where I get a call my husband is in the hospital and he is doing bad. I jump on the first plane I can to get to him. I arrive to hospital my husband is in ICU, getting ready to go to surgery because he had the flesh eating bacteria in his feet left foot really bad and his right foot had gangrene on his toes only. And he suffered a stroke. (Sepsis and Necrotizing Fasciitis)

I was super confused because 2 days prior we spoke and he said he was fine. Turns out he was not fine. This all started from the nail he stepped on and him getting a blister on his other foot from standing too much on his feet. Doctor explains he is septic so they have to amputate his feet, but he would try to save as much as possible.

The minute he mentioned sepsis I broke down. I immediately started researching septic shock and strokes, how could this happen to a pretty healthy 51 year old man. Especially the stroke piece. My husband went in to septic shock within 48 hrs from when I last spoke to him. (Sepsis and Septic Shock) How is it possible.This can’t be how? So the doctor explained they had to amputate almost both legs from the knee down. He had to get rid of the infection source, which were his feet, where it all started from. So now they had to treat the rest of the body that had the bacteria with very strong medication.

The doctor couldn’t be 100 % sure that the sepsis could of been a source of his stroke. He suffered the stroke at least 24 hrs prior to going to the hospital. He was in hospital only 3 days. On the 3rd day doctors tell me he does not have a chance at a good recovery due to how bad his stroke was and the septic shock. My husband was in a vegetated state, his chance to recover were very slim and his kidneys were starting to shut down due to the sepsis. It spread very fast and he did not seek medical attention in time. So I had to make the most difficult decision of my life. I knew my husband would not be able to handle waking up and seeing both his limbs gone. I also knew he never wanted to be on a ventilator keeping him alive. So I made the most hardest choice to take him off the ventilator and let him go.

He was only 51 and was my whole world, my best friend. I blamed my self. Only if I would have insisted on him coming home right when he told me about stepping on a nail. He would have still been here with me. If he would have listened to me I could of caught the infection in time to where he would of never went to septic shock. I’m sure he had symptoms of sepsis but was too macho to ask for help. It all happened so fast with sepsis that he maybe didn’t realize the seriousness of it and after his stroke it was too late.

I believe the septic shock caused his stroke and kidney failed ,my husband was admitted to hospital and 2 days later he died. His death all caused from a infection in his foot and a blister that popped open under the calluses on his other foot, causing the flesh eating bacteria, causing him going to septic shock, ultimately taking his life – all happening within a 3 week period that he was away from home.

Only lasting 3 days in the hospital – the importance of me sharing my story for people not to wait whenever they get any type of injury or cut due to the bacteria that can come from one little cut.

I hope you listen to your body and men to listen to the wives. We only want what’s best for you. So now I’m going through my grieving journey when it could have been prevented only if he would have come home when I asked him to. Thank you for allowing me to share my story and bring awareness on sepsis and how quickly it can spread to where ultimately it takes your life when not caught in enough time. In memory of my loving best friend and husband Juan Montanez I will miss you forever your wife Marisa Montanez.

Source: Marisa Montanez (wife)