The first 90 days of ‘what the heck just happened’!

I’m aware I promised to write my next blog about exactly what happened in the hospital with SEPSIS. However – it hasn’t all come back to me. It’s getting revealed inch by inch and nightmare by nightmare.  Tomorrow will be 90 days since I became suddenly VERY ill. I’m going to save the details of hospital visit and treatment until the next blog.

Let’s talk about the recovery- also called post sepsis syndrome. Mostly because I had NO IDEA about SEPSIS- so I had NO IDEA how to recover. I’m hoping to open your eyes too and create more awareness. Sepsis facts will follow sepsis story.

For the first 6 weeks – I was sleeping up to 18 hours each day! I’ve been creeping down and now I’m at 12 -14 hrs a day. 30 minutes in grocery store = 2 hr nap. I have no energy- no stamina.  This from the former energizer bunny.

At about 3 weeks, I developed a secondary infection. First drug – allergic; second drug- didn’t work according to the culture; the third drug finally worked.  ( the chance of second sepsis in first year is very high).

When I’m awake – the fatigue is debilitating. Which means – not much is getting done.

The biggest surprise to me was the amount of confusion, memory issues, forgetfulness!

First time I tried to cook – I thought I was going to burn the house down. Second time – I was trying to remember how to follow directions to make something – even though I threw it all away because it tasted so terrible.

How many times has hubs said – this is the third time I told you????? I have NO MEMORY of him telling me the first 2 times.

This brings me to driving. NOPE – not doing it yet. Except for the few miles to the grocery store – on a back road going 30 mph. I’m most certainly not ready to merge or drive on a freeway. Which means, poor hubs, has to drive me to all of my appointments.

It’s total confusion whether I’m cooking, reading, driving or whatever.

Part of my memory issues are related to the time in the hospital when I was unresponsive. I think that some of it is coming back in the form of dystopian nightmares.  I can honestly tell you that they scare the hell out of me.  This is new to me – my normal DREAM is all sunshine and lollipops. Not nightmares.

The final part of what’s going on is serious hip and chest pain. WTH?

I’ve just started PT to work on this new hip pain; seeing my primary about the new chest pain.  Pain seems to rotate – but something is always there.  I had to stop methotrexate ( serious immunosuppressant) until I’m much better.

I will update on recovery in another 90 days – that is if I can remember!

Please forgive any misspelled words- misplaced conjunctions, run on sentences- you get the picture.

Later

C