Liz P.

Friday the 13th, yes, Friday the 13th! A beautiful autumn day in October 2023 was a routine day for my husband and myself, a retired, relatively healthy couple aged in our mid seventies. While preparing to retire, later in the evening than usual for us, and feeling the need to urinate, my attempt was unsuccessful. After several additional attempts, but without pain, I made a mental note to contact my physician in the morning, believing I might have a UTI.

A decade earlier, I had, with great pain, passed a kidney stone without difficulty, but had experienced the same earlier symptom of unsuccessful urination. I made no connection this time to possible kidney stone passage, because I was not feeling pain. In frustration, I took a lengthy warm bath. Afterwards, as I fitfully dozed, severe chills woke me.

At five thirty in the morning, I woke my husband to call EMTs who, thankfully, arrived within minutes. Still pain and fever free, but assessing obvious symptoms and my vitals, they remarkably suspected sepsis. Immediate care WITHIN mere hours of symptoms foresaw possibility of survival, but hours had passed. Our hospital emergency room has protocol in place for suspected sepsis and I received immediate admission and treatment. A CAT scan revealed a ureteral blockage by a kidney stone, which had advanced, in mere hours of time, to septic shock. (Sepsis and Kidney Stones) Urine had backed up, E. coli bacteria was present, and my immune system had advanced into overdrive, with possible advancement to organ failure.

I was transferred to the Medical Intensive Care Unit, received fluids, antibiotics, placement of kidney stents, and catheterization, among continuing aggressive treatment. My exceptional team of caregivers watched my condition trend to successful recovery over 12 days and 11 nights of hospitalization. Returning home, I addressed frustrating weakness with physical therapy, experienced some temporary hair loss which resolved and growth of hair resumed, and still am working through post sepsis depression. I have had three surgical procedures, including extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, or ESWL, which shatters smaller existing kidney stones. A fourth follow up surgical procedure is imminent. That said, this SURVIVOR is forever grateful for the care given by the EMTs, the exceptional emergency hospital team, the multitude of physician specialists, the care of the MICU team, and the special encouragement of those who assisted with personal care. I am forever grateful to my family who gave, and continue to give, unending love, patience, and encouragement as recovery continues. And I feel great joy and I am so blessed to have been given a great gift of more sweet, precious time with my granddaughter! Priceless!