Melanie A.

In November of 2020, my life was changed forever. Around August I started noticing that after a while my eye sight would get like I was looking under water, and my head felt like it was “pulsating.” I also had been dealing with a rash on my foot. My legs started to really hurt, and I was having a hard time walking. By November I could barely walk, and I felt sick a lot. Last thing I remember was leaving work at noon, after that I remember nothing. I had been found on the floor by my boyfriend. I had been on the floor for quite awhile, I had tried laying there because I was also having bad back pain and thru my legs.

After waking up in January, I had no idea what had happened. I was told I had several mini strokes, MSSA, meningitis, rhabdomyolysis, sepsis and septic shock, spinal and brain bleeding. I also had to have open heart surgery to repair a heart valve that had been infected with fungus. (Sepsis and Bacterial Infections, Sepsis and Meningitis, Sepsis and Septic Shock, Sepsis and Fungal Infections)

I spent close to 2 months in a coma. Upon waking, and after some time I had to learn to walk, talk, eat and most basic skills. I suffered severe depression and anxiety, I was devastated about not being able to walk again. Talking and eating took time because of the trachea I had. It was also hard because I was hospitalized during Covid and could have no visitors. I never thought I’d experience anything like this, I was always an avid outdoors person, and this was a complete change of life. Today, I can walk some distance with a cane, but for longer all day events I have to use a rollator or wheelchair. I do a lot of PT, and push myself to get stronger, I have brain damage, so I sometimes get my thoughts flustered . I walk like a cross between a zombie and a penguin, but I keep at it . To work my brain, I do word search puzzles, color, draw, paint, and love taking pictures. My life is different now, but I am thankful I can at least take my dog on short walk for exercise. All these things are not easy to go thru, and unless you experienced it, it’s hard to understand the after effects of sepsis. I never thought about it before, but now I’m a firm believer about sepsis awareness.