Conor's Story

Just a bit about my experience with sepsis. I have been in hospital for 9 weeks now and counting: I was feeling generally unwell with shakes and sweats and high temperatures from the 15th-17th of March this year. On the 17th of March, I decided to go to A&E as I wasn't getting any better. My temperature was 40.1, and I was placed on fluids there while they took my bloods. I had never heard of sepsis until I googled my symptoms and asked the doctors if it was possible I had it. They told me I was too well and aware of my surroundings to have sepsis. They then had to take 3 sets of blood cultures to see what sort of infection was in my blood as they lost the first 2. On the 18th of March, I was told they found the bug called Staph Aureus in my bloods, and I needed antibiotics to treat it.

Later that night, I had a seizure, and this was due to a bleed on the brain caused by the bug that had turned into sepsis. I was then transferred to another hospital and was told I had an aneurysm on my left motor strip, which most likely would have to be operated on, which could possibly leave me paralysed down my left side. Luckily, through a miracle, this aneurysm clotted off itself with the help of the antibiotics. Unfortunately, this wasn't the end of the drama as they found I have 2 leaking valves in my heart, which I now have to have replaced with open heart surgery next week, all as a result of sepsis.