Has anyone here survived sepsis?

[Jffs]

I’m on day 7 in hospital after a routine walk in procedure infected me with ecoli which travelled up my tubes and turned into a 7cm abscess attached to my tubes and intestines, then turned to sepsis.
I’m on the strongest antibiotics known to man. I’ve been sick every day, can’t keep food down, got the shits, pain in my abdomen. I never thought it was possible to feel this bad still be alive. Just looking for words of encouragement. This has been the most mentally and physically challenging week of my life.

So sorry to hear this, hope you improve soon. If it helps at all I know two people who have had sepsis and recovered, one after a routine operation, one after childbirth. Both are okay now. It is horribly scary though.

I think that you are able to post cohesively on here is a good sign. Hang on in there X

I'm really sorry this is happening to you.

I've had sepsis after childbirth and so has one of my friends. An actual known documented symptom is the feeling of impending death. You get this feeling you're dying. We're both physically fine but it's taken a long time to get over it psychologically. I don't think I'll ever quite be the same again psychologically.

You're in the best place to be looked after, intravenous antibiotics are a bit of a miracle.

My dh did.
He was extremely poorly, I seriously thought we would lose him, he felt like he was dying too 😭

He is 12 weeks on since his hospital stay and still isn't 100% but is recovering.

Yes, DH had sepsis some years ago (he had pneumonia and was hospitalised for several weeks).
He was so unwell and on crazy drugs. But now in fine fettle.

I'm so sorry to read that and hope you make a speedy recovery. Sounds like it was caught early, and so you have a very good chance to get completely better.

I developed a severe infection and abscess with chickenpox as a child, and was in a tremendous amount of pain and was delirious when admitted to hospital. 40 years later I'm still here and in good health (touch wood etc).

In 2019 DH developed sepsis with a perforated bowel. He spent a week in hospital on strong antibiotics and fully recovered. Has been fine since.

Christmas 2021 I had a kidney infection that started to turn septic. I honestly thought u was dying and didn't care if I did. I wasn't scared as such, just I felt so unwell and as a PP said, that this was going to end up with me dying.

I was in for 5 days on iv antibiotics and fluids. The first couple of days I could barely check my phone, so I hope the fact that you can write messages means you are over the worst.

I got over it fine, but it was a tough slog at the time. I had 5 days in hospital and then another week or so on very heavy meds at home.

Hope you are on the mend. Rest as much as you can. It is physically exhausting and mentally tough.

My son in law was seriously ill with sepsis, double pneumonia and endocarditis in 2017 and hospitalised for 6 weeks. He almost died but is fine now. Give yourself time.

I just met a 79 year old on holiday who had sepsis 3 years ago and is absolutely fine. He was in hospital for 3 months so obviously not straightforward, but fine now and jetting abroad!

Ps once I was telling a dad friend about it at the soft play, about how I'd had sepsis. Suddenly a mum, a stranger who I'd never met, came over and said "I had sepsis too, I had the feeling I was dying too." I think she hadn't been told it's a known symptom. We said, thank god we're still here eh?

My dad friend was a bit bewildered lol! I think unless you've felt it yourself, it's hard to imagine that feeling-you're-dying feeling. It's so profoundly awful

Yes… I’ll never know the cause of the initial infection, (possibly Endocarditis) but I was very ill. I turned up at work as usual -an hour early because I’m very type A and that whole feeling like I was dying just hit me like a train. I walked downstairs to the front desk and she took one look at me and said “You’ll be getting a cab to the hospital, Luv….” I was in ICU for a couple of weeks. I now have Dilated Cardionyopathy and due to a pre-existing connective tissue disorder, I am not tolerating the meds very well. I am on a waiting list for an implantanted defibrillator/pacemaker and might need a transplant.

I haven't but I know someone who did - it was very serious for a while but he's doing fine now.

My dad developed sepsis during surgery (he was mid 70’s at the time). He was in ICU for 4 days and then in a HDU for another 2 weeks before transferring onto a normal ward for another week or so. He’s still here to tell the tale, aged 83.

Hang on in there kid and get well soon.

I developed sepsis after my c-section, not a fun time, it does take a while to recover, but you will get there, hang in there OP.

I’m sorry, it’s truly awful. My newborn was taken into NICU at 2 days old with sepsis and meningitis. 19 months on and I’m currently watching him try to climb up the radiator to get out of the window.
Ive also had a blood infection caused by E.Coli (or something like that, can’t remember exactly) and remember feeling the same way. Dr 1 told me it was flu. Thankfully a few days later Dr 2 agreed to see me and immediately sent me to A&E where I had to beg them to keep me in as I really thought I would die at home. There’s really not much I can say, but you will get through to the other side, just try to sleep as much as you can and keep on with your attempt at being positive.

I had an abcess on my liver and sepsis two years ago - three weeks in hospital on antibiotics . I lost two stone and was extremely weak for a couple of months, but slowly regained some weight and strength. A bit of a long haul, but you will get there!

Another survivor of sepsis here - it’s a horrific illness and I still struggle psychologically but physically I’m fine 3 years on.

I had sepsis last summer. According to the doctor in a&e if I’d just gone to bed to ‘sleep it off’ that night as suggested by my gp, I’d not have woken up in the morning.
Luckily my mum had this mum-feeling that I wasn’t as okay as I was lying to her that I was, so she got in the car, drove over an hour to me and forced to go to hospital, by which point I was losing consciousness, vomiting often and had a very strong feeling of ‘oh my god, I’m dying’ and all that comes with it.
I’m not usually one for dramatics but that feeling has haunted me since, knowing my body was failing and that my son was never going to remember me (he was only 1 at the time) and my husband would be on his own.. it was absolutely awful. I was sat in a&e trying to tell my mum everything I could about what I wanted my son to know, what she needed to do etc which wasn’t very easy with a head as addled as mine was by then.
I was sent home after a few days in hospital, weak as fuck but alive, and just completely shell-shocked by the whole thing. I admit now I acted completely out of character for a good few months, swinging between being a bit manic and really quite depressed.
I am absolutely fine physically now, 12 months later, and have been for a couple of months id say. Mentally I still have some dark days but nothing too drastic. Just very very grateful to still be alive!!

Ah you poor thing! I hope you start to feel better very soon. My DH had sepsis back in 2018. He was so poorly. Needed hours of surgery. In intensive care etc etc. It was an awful time but he he pulled through and ran a marathon 12 months later so all ok in the end!!

When I had sepsis I couldn't even look at my phone. Heart rate through the roof and I needed an emergency operation to fit an abdominal drain as I had a large pockets of puss. I was so ill and I still have issue with post op adhesions over 10 years later.

Get well soon op, it sounds horrific. I know a couple of survivors, one in their 50s and one in their 70s. You'll get there. 💐

I developed sepsis during a very long labour, but luckily it was caught and treated immediately and I recovered quickly. Due to the labour pain, c section pain and exhaustion I’m not sure what part made me feel the worst!

But I do know someone who developed very serious sepsis from the most minor cut on their finger. They spent a couple weeks in hospital and lost all use of that finger, but they fully recovered (apart from that finger), though it did take a while.

Sepsis is very scary how it comes on so quickly and from something that can be very minor. But you’re in the right place getting the treatment you need. Wishing you all the best in your recovery. Hope those strong antibiotics kick in and make you feel better soon.

Yes me 👍. I was in intensive care for 7 days but made a full recovery. It really affected me mentally for around a year afterwards, but 8 years later it’s just a distant memory now.

My dad did. He was in a lot of pain. He was really unwell. He went to the GP and was told to go home and manage up. A few days later he was in agony. Mum put him in the car and drove him to the hospital. Anyhow, he had a narcotics gall bladder. It burst inside him. He got an abscess and peritonitis. He nearly died. He was delirious. I sat with him 12 hours a day and he had no idea what was going on. He become more aware but he was still in hospital a few weeks. Really, helpful becoming a shadow of himself. He lost a lot of weight and muscle. Anyhow, that was about 5 years ago now. He's fighting fit.

OP, I had sepsis after child birth. It was without doubt the illest and most vulnerable I have ever been.

IV antibiotics weren’t working, in and out of consciousness and on the verge of organ failure. It was horrific and I send you all my love.

The breakthrough for me was my consultant tried a lesser used antibiotic which turned a corner for me.

its terrifying but people do survive.