** Due to the increasing severity of MY ILLNESS, it has become impossible for me to continue to post on a regular basis. Unfortunately, as much as I desperately long to, I am also unable to visit each of your blogs often or reciprocate all the loving, supportive comments many of you continue to leave - even though at times it may appear as though you've arrived at some long ago, forsaken blog! With that said, I really want you to know that I miss every single one of you and that I really am still here! I'm just too sick and too weak most days to be able to sit up long enough to create a brand new post...or even read one. However, I absolutely do receive AND read every new encouraging word you leave (and, often, the old ones, again and again!) and I cherish them now more than ever! I truly appreciate your love, support, and, most importantly, your precious time spent on your knees in prayer for my family and me. It ALL means the world to me and I am truly blessed to have friends like you!
~Hugs and Sister Love, Teresa

FYI: All comments come to my email, which I can easily read on my phone. I also enjoy Facebook on my phone because I can catch up on A LOT in a very short time there. Soooo, if you're on Facebook, come 'friend' me there! {{HUGS}} **

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

ENDURING SEPSIS
with Dysautonomia
Part 1 of 2

Syringe and Medicine


It had only been six weeks since I was last hospitalized with a very serious bacterial infection, so I was not quite prepared when I suddenly came down with those, oh, so familiar body aches and a rapidly spiking fever again 2 weeks ago. It is so amazing and quite terrifying just how fast it all comes on! It is very hard to explain how dreadful that feeling is when it all starts but I have come to know 'the feeling' very well, unfortunately. I seem to be relatively {normal} one minute and spiraling downhill very quickly the next. It happens so fast that I barely have time to let someone know and then quickly lay down, if I'm not already. Then the extreme violent shaking begins, followed by horrible nausea, vomiting and gut wrenching pain. And it lasts. And it lasts. My goodness, does it last. The pain is like nothing I've ever experienced. Childbirth was nothing compared to this!

Thankfully, this time it happened in the early evening when Bek was already home with me. Plus, D was almost home for the day. As soon as I could get settled down just a bit, we loaded up and headed to the ER. Have I mentioned just how bad I hate that place?

When we arrived, they called us back to triage. By that time, I was bawling my eyeballs out and, at times, literally screaming from the excruciating pain! In the middle of all that, the nurse was trying to get me to answer all kinds of questions. Now, after working in the medical profession for many, many years, I totally understand she was just doing her job. However, when you are in pain - you know, the kind of pain that is at least a 20 on the pain scale of 1-10 - you just can't think straight enough to answer all those questions they ask. The questions they have already asked (and usually already have the answers to in their computer) the last 15 times you were in the hospital - THIS YEAR! My chart is flagged for SEPSIS for goodness sakes!

After a quick triage, we sat in the waiting room for what seemed like an eternity to me but was actually just a few short minutes. I don't remember much about the next little while. Apparently, my blood pressure dropped to 58/34 and I lost consciousness. This was followed by a brief 'freaking out' period where all the ER personnel ran around in circles telling everyone else to find the crash cart. Of course, this is quite common for me, especially when I am SEPTIC and sitting UP in a wheelchair. However, it is NOT common for most everyone else, so it tends to send the whole ER into a bit of a frenzy, even as D stands there calmly telling them I am fine, just get give me a few minutes of laying down with my feet raised to let the blood flow back to my brain! It works every time!

When I woke, I was in a bed with a team of doctors and nurses surrounding me, poking and prodding me from every direction. It took me a few minutes to figure out where in the world I was and what was going on - again, nothing uncommon in my world these days. I was already hooked up to all the various monitors that were all beeping and buzzing because of something and it wasn't long before they had drawn all the necessary blood samples, hung IV fluids to start bringing my pressure back up to an acceptable level and had IV antibiotics flowing through my body to start attacking whatever kind of bug was after me this time. Of course, when I woke, I immediately started the awful act of dry heaving. I hadn't had anything to eat since lunch so there was nothing there to actually vomit but my body was trying its best to produce something. And it tried and tried and tried. Bless the good doctor's heart, he quickly wrote orders for meds to help with the pain and the vomiting and soon I was off to sleep for a while.


to be continued........Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

11 comments:

Ter said...

Gosh, I'm so sorry you're going through such a rough time. I hope you're feeling better now and somewhat normal again. whatever normal means.

A Nerd and A Free Spirit said...

Thank you for the update. I am so sorry - praying for relief from your pain!!!

~Kathryn

Unknown said...

The experience sounds just awful. I am so thankful that you pulled through it and are finally home healing. I pray for your continued strength!

JudyH329 said...

Oh Teresa, how awful for you and your family! I will keep you in my prayers. It is good to hear from you. Hope you have a good rest tonight.

Anonymous said...

Oh, Teresa! My heart goes out to you (Heads up on the dry heaving - drink water in between - at least it gives you something to hurl - and oddly enough, it tastes like there's sugar in it-that's my childbearing experience there).

I am so glad you are better. I am so glad you understand the cycle - that's bound to reduce the stress!

I'm praying for you!

Ramblin Mama said...

Welcome back, Teresa!

Jane In The Jungle said...

Over from SITS....wow, what a time of it you are having!

JudyH329 said...

Thank you so much for stopping by. I check my bloglist each day to see if you left a post. That way I know you're at home rather than in the hospital. I view you as one strong woman. To deal with your illness the way you do and yet, try to lead a life by trying to share the events happening to your children and husband (who from what I read is a treasure)! Take care and I hope you have a restful day!

Sharon said...

wow Theresa, you've been through the ringer.... I know words are meaningless, but I'll be praying for you. Hang in there my friend. And we would love to have you link up to the carnival of JOY... there are a lot of praying ladies there too!!

Jeanne said...

Teresa,

Oh my! You have been through so, so much. I'm so sorry to hear about it. It sounds just terrible!

I'm glad Bek and D were home when it happened.

I certainly understand how impossible it is to answer a slew of questions when pain is a 20 on a scale of 1-10. Been there, done that. I'm so sorry.

It would seem like the fact that your chart is flagged for sepsis would help at least somewhat. Is there a way that you can talk with the hospital staff and your own doctor(s) once you're up to it to plan ahead for how to make the triage process go more smoothly in the unfortunate event that this type of thing should happen again in the future? To save time?

Perhaps they can set up some sort of "express" process for you? I'm serious.

Plus, maybe they can put some sort of written protocol in your chart regarding the handling of the port??

My husband once got very ill and was dry heaving off and on for many hours. The next day, we rushed him to the ER for what we feared was a heart attack. As it turns out, he had pulled a chest wall muscle with all that dry heaving.

I am so, so sorry for everything you've been through.

To be continued...

Jeanne

alienredqueen said...

Good lord! That must be terrifying! Sepsis is SO dangerous. Maybe not having the port would be better than risking that again. I'm so sorry you have to go through this, but I'm glad you have such an excellent support system in your family and faith.

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