Hi! I’m Sarah – Sepsis Survivor & Warrior
Hi! I’m Sarah – Sepsis Survivor & Warrior
So I realised I haven’t introduced myself. Hi! I’m Sarah – Sepsis Survivor & Warrior!
My name is Dr Sarah McAleer! But I’m NOT a medical doctor, I hold a PhD in jewellery history from the Royal College of Art in London.
At the end of 2016 I nearly died from Pneumonia & Sepsis and I am currently still in long-term recovery mode.
This certainly put the cat among the pigeons and I am on a crusade to help raise awareness of both Sepsis AND Post Sepsis Syndrome!
Before Sepsis?
Before Sepsis I ran my own demanding business. I’m better known as a goldsmith of over 23 years and I’m a business mentor for artists, jewellers and creative heads. I’m also a trained jewellery historian, researcher, lecturer, teacher, writer and blogger.
Oh and I’m the wife of an ex-architect-turned-music-blogging husband and a mum of 2 highly entertaining little girls.
You could say I’m multi-faceted – like a diamond (my favourite). Part made of tough stuff, part cut from my own dust and part sparkle! LOL!
I always say, ‘I always say’ and I appear to write ‘lol’ ALL the time! LOL!!!
After Sepsis?
Now? Well I’m still ALL the above BUT I’m also a Sepsis Survivor!
Thats a pretty scary statement right there! Knowing theres only two outcomes from Sepsis – survival or death. There is no middle ground, you can’t do it on your own or just ‘get over it’ with a few days in bed and a couple of painkillers.
You have to ‘survive’ Sepsis – and you can only do that with swift medial intervention!
This is a fact that overwhelms me on a daily basis!
So join me on My Sepsis Journey and lets see where we are going!!!
#savelives #sepsiswarriors #mysepsisjourney #sepsisvitality #lifeaftersepsis
Hi Sarah 🙂 I just came across your blog and I nearly cried while reading through it. Finally, someone else who seems to have been through the “am I crazy”, “why can’t I pull myself together?”, “must get a grip” line of thinking.
My adventures with Sepsis started about 8 or 9 weeks ago when I had an infection in my foot. I was ambulanced into A&E and spent two and a half hours sitting by the main entrance waiting for Triage. The Triage nurse did no obs, didn’t even look at my foot (which by this time looked little like a foot and more like…well…. something alien.). I then spent another 5 to 7 hours sitting in the Triage area before being taken in to A&E proper.
I was so lucky that the doctor who examined me had served his time as a junior on the Vascular ward and immediately phoned the consultant who ordered drips etc… and I was then admitted and 12 hours or so later had the offending part of my foot removed. Once I was in the hospital, I can’t fault the care and, since being home, the after care has been great (except for my GP who employs receptionists whose main job seems to be protecting the doctors from sick people).
The District Nurses come every couple of days and tell me that my fatigue, exhaustion, pain and paranoias are all “normal” but it’s nice to hear from someone who has experienced it first hand. Going from a very active life to sitting on the sofa 24/7 has been traumatic but reading your blog has made me feel less like a pathetic malingerer and more like someone going through a perfectly natural process. Thank you 🙂
Same illness Sara…19 days in a medically induced coma, 6 weeks of physical rehab, and told ok, you can go home now. No one warned me, maybe they didn’t yet know about the long term problems associated with Post Sepsis Syndrome…I don’t know. Neurologist, Pulmanary Specialist, Primiary Care Physician, Counsellors, no one told me, no one said anything about PSS. I was an athlete, and succesl business owner. Nine years post sepsis, I lost my business off course, but I also lost friends who didn’t understand why I wasn’t the same. The most painful is my family. My only son won’t talk to me, or let me see my only grandson. The depression is all consuming. Yes, Sepsis changes us forever. I can’t do math, I can’t remember things, I don’t cook because its to dangerous for me. I live alone, and it’s almost to much to bare at times. Yes, Sepsis changes us forever!
Hi there Sarah…. I had sepsis and pneumonia i was in a coma for several days…. I felt i never got the real me back after that… I was never offered any aftercare… I have only just started finding out that many others are in the same place…. I am mainly positive and happy but have lows… I was so pleased Sarah to find your site today as feeling lower than low…. I hope your day is being kind to you… Big hugs
Maisy
Dear Maisy, thank you for your lovely comment! I’m hearing more and more about how people are really connecting with what I’m writing as they can totally relate to it! I’m sorry that some days are low, I know how that feels – in fact I’m sure many sepsis survivors can totally relate! Life after sepsis is NOT the same as before!
I also had to do my own aftercare. In fact thats how this blog came about, as a way for me to try to re-train my sepsis brain. I used writing a little every day to help build my brain function and memory back up! And I agree – sepsis, without a doubt, changes us forever! Sarah xoxo
Hi Sarah glad your ok. I currently was diagnosed with pneumonia. Put on a week of antibiotics at home. Went back and got a clear x ray but something isn’t right . I still have weird body aches and weezing in my lungs low grade fever. Will this resolve? I’m not sure what to do my new x ray showed clear . What are the symptoms of sepsis can you please describe . Thank you .