To not want to be a medical guinea pig whilst being treated for suspected sepsis, one day postpartum whilst very unwell

[Februaryblooms]

In hospital after being induced with DD who was born yesterday morning. DD has jaundice and is on a blue light in the crib but she's doing ok as per monitoring.

It was a quick labour that ended up with me having a second degree tear and stitches. I've been losing alot of clots, am weak and have been told I have some retained placental products.

I've had cannulas galore, constant blood tests etc and somewhere among that lot I've contracted an infection that they won't yet call sepsis but have strongly hinted toward that being what it is and said they are screening and treating me for it "just in case"

I'm currently laid up having a blood transfusion after rushing through two IV doses of antibiotics, multiple bags of fluid, and am told I may need to go to theatre to remove the retained products if they don't expel themselves/If the antibiotics don't work soon. I'm incredibly poorly, sweating, have poor (high heart rate, blood pressure, temperature) and can't leave my bed or tend to my newborn, fortunately my partner is here and is being brilliant.

I'm positively terrified to be honest and have never felt so vulnerable in my life after hearing the word "Sepsis"

My AIBU is:

AIBU to not want my treatment process used to teach the student midwives/staff. Every procedure and obs I have is being undertaken by the student staff over seen and walked through by senior staff who are all absolutely lovely but it's making me feel like a guinea pig laying here helpless, whilst my condition is being used to train the students.

I haven't said anything, I don't know if I have any right to. I'm being treated regardless aren't I and can't afford to go private.

Am I being ridiculous and over reacting because of my current state? How would you feel? Is this the norm?

Nobody has asked whether I mind so I assume I don't have a choice.

I'm not bashing the NHS and I'm grateful I'm being looked after. I'm

They tend to offer a higher standard of care ofyour are being used to teach. They are more likely to perform tests that they wouldn’t otherwise bother with and the like

This is absolutely not true.

Glad to hear you're feeling better today.

What Nico said about the cultures. Also, they'll want to tailor your antibiotics to how the infection responds to them so they'll keep taking them bloods.

Probably a bit TMI but watch out for thrush on antibiotics that strong. I was too ill to put two and two together and blamed my discomfort on being post partum.

You do have a right to know what the results of the tests are and if the test results are not back yet but they are treating it as sepsis, you should also be clearly told that. Dignity, respect, honesty, informing the patient, are all good practices.

So glad you are feeling better today.

I only had one doctor mention sepsis directly and she was the consultant I first met when I began having kidney problems back in November. I told her then I can deal with anything if I am informed, so I think she took her lead from that.

Big hugs OP.

I was kept in after LO was born and we were both on antibiotics for days.

I found the not understanding what was going on / really wrong very traumatic later on when out of the post birth daze. I went for a de- brief later to find out what had actually happened.

If I ever find myself in the same situation will be far more insistent on knowing and understanding exactly what is happening.

I suggest you ask to speak to the doctor in charge of your care, make sure your partner is there as well in case you forget the details or your questions.

If they had told me they suspected sepsis I think I would have felt more in control and less like things were being done to me without my informed consent.

I hope you get better quickly and can go home with your baby ASAP.

Morning Febuary! glad to hear your a bit better:)

I think your in quite good hands there, this sepsis can as others have said take a while to confirm its existence BUT in the meantime as its a quite rapidly devloping condition you will be given antibotics in advance of them knowing for certain what it actually is, so the ilness is being attacked in any case and the way you are describing is around consistent with that.

Nothing unusual or odd there at all , very confusing yes but its the right way to treat it.

and - Hope the little tot is doing OK as well:)

Bless you both!

I've declined again, heart rate has shot up and had another episode of shaking

Baby DD has been taken to neonatal ICU to have blood tests and may possibly be started on antibiotics just incase she has this too.

A bug has been picked up growing in my blood and the culture is in the lab being looked at, I'm told the results will be in tomorrow morning. Doctor said it is "sepsis" but I'm not so unwell with it that I'm "septic" if that makes sense to anybody?

They've just done another test as they said the best time to take bloods is after I have a fever.

I'm so scared again, I really thought things were looking up

I

Huge hugs February

The fever could be causing the symptoms. You are being so brave, keep finding that inner strength.

Until its confirmed what infection you have they'll literally be throwing everything at you.

You're doing great, your body is fighting and you are mentally fighting too. Keep up the good work 👍🏻.

I have everything crossed for you and baby🤞🏻

Thinking of you and your little one.

What a horrible experience you are going through, @Februaryblooms - I hope that they get your treatment sorted, and that you feel better soon.

I used to be a nurse, and whilst I appreciate that nurses, student midwives and doctors all have to learn, you absolutely DO have the right to refuse to be learned on. You could contact PALS (I suspect you could email them) and ask them to intervene on your behalf - that might be easier for you than confronting the issue head-on, when you are feeling so poorly and vulnerable.

{{{hugs}}}

Oh op what a tough time you're having. But you're in the best place and it sounds like they're being proactive. Good to hear that they're making progress on identifying the problem. Don't forget, just like with a cough or cold you can have ups and downs - keep hydrated and try to get some sleep if you can. When they know what you have they'll really be able to blast it. Keeping my fingers crossed for both of you.

I'm so scared again, I really thought things were looking up

I think they are in a rather roundabout way, and untill the labs come up with the full results what they are doing is appropriate and good to see there're doing the same with babe just in case:!

I still think your in the best place:)

Glad you're not septic but it's still pretty horrible.

Thank you ladies for the supportive words

I've calmed down again somewhat. The hyperventilating episode was much more short lived than yesterday's which can only be a good sign, and it wasn't as intense.

The doctors decided to add another (different) antibiotic onto my meds list, so I'm currently having this one intravenously inserted as I type. Im now on three different ones, tablets for my iron and bags of IV fluid.

Heart rate is 110 at the moment so not quite satisfactory but not alarmingly worrisome either.

DD is back from NICU in an incubator under a second light and her jaundice is looking visibly reduced, the baby doctors are happy with her and I'm hoping she can come out from under the lights for a proper cuddle later on

Coincidentally, there has been no student midwives or trainee doctors coming in to observe us today so I didn't need to say anything in the end anyway.

I hope I didn't offend any medical professionals on here by sounding arsey about students. Every single one of them I saw were lovely and very caring, it was the volume of people in and out and the fact i was being put through repeated obs attempts, talked over whilst the senior staff explained things to them and i felt like a bit of a test subject - which was bothering me.

I'm glad you are feeling a bit better OP. The important thing to remember is that the overwhelming majority of people with sepsis survive it. I would imagine the proportion is even higher for people who make it to hospital in good time (as you certainly have!).

There is a big range on sepsis from minor reactions of the body to infection to septic shock (which is what tends to get the coverage). It is obviously great that you are moving away from the shock end of the spectrum. Hopefully you will continue in your progress.

Anecdotally I'm currently working with someone who full on collapsed at home with septic shock about two years ago. I think it did take several months to recover but he is certainly back on his feet now.

and I'm hoping she can come out from under the lights for a proper cuddle later on

Now that, is excellent medcine:-)

Get well soon

I hope you feel better soon you've had such a tough time. Hopefully you'll feel better tomorrow and be on the road to recovery.

When my son has sepsis after an op the docs didn’t tell us. They just said he had an infection. I asked directly and the answer was “the antiobiotics he’s on are more than strong enough to deal with something like sepsis”. But they didn’t actually say he had it. We only know as it was on his discharge notes!

Sounds like they on the case February. Hope things improve soon.

Developing flu like symptoms this evening and DD has been inconsolable, I get the impression they're tiring of us on this ward a little. DP let the midwife know how i was feeling and was told rather abruptly that "I'm already under treatment so there's nothing else they can do so just wait until the antibiotics work"

Wasn't asking for extra intervention was just reporting any new symptoms as I was asked to do at last hand over.

We're on labour ward and they have labouring women to tend to, I'm beginning to feel like a bit of an inconvenience.

Yanbu. I had a 4th degree tear after a no meds labour and I was bleeding a heap, so had to be rushed into surgery... I was so relieved to finally have pain relief that I agreed to let 4 students take turns doing the myriad stitches I needed. They were being taught different stitch types, inside me! Looking back I was just so vulnerable and I wish I had said no to the students, because it hurt to have sex for a year afterwards, clearly they stitched me too tightly. And they left scarring that prevented me from having vaginal births later.

There are good times for students to watch and bad times. A new mother sufferi by blood loss and emotional over her near death experience is not the best time.

I hope you mend fast and are out of there as soon as possible putting this behind you.

February would you consider asking to be moved? A side room, HDU etc or something? Maternity wards are busy and noisy and potentially you could get over looked? Maybe get your OH to ask would a different setting be more suitable?

We're on labour ward and they have labouring women to tend to, I'm beginning to feel like a bit of an inconvenience.

Which in no way shape or form is your fault. Can they get an ordinary ward or a HDU or critical care ward? perhaps the baby is complicating that issue.

Hope the lab resutls show up some answers.

I was on labour ward when I had sepsis, they said it's also hdu for postnatal mums so they can be near their babies. I had 1 to 1 care from a midwife all the time though and Drs coming in every so often too.

Congratulations on your new baby!
I had sepsis in labour, you're in the best place, I'm sorry that you're going through it.
Like others have said you can absolutely refuse a student to attend to you however if it doesn't bother you to much please let them continue!
My dm wouldn't be here today if I student nurse hadn't spotted something which was wrong with her, he only spotted this because of previously dealing with it on another ward and his fast thinking and actions saved her life. It's so important for students to learn the warning signs and how to treat sepsis.
Wishing you a speedy recovery 💐