As Sepsis is in the news I have told my story here.

As Sepsis is in the news I thought I ought to write about my experience of this.

I was attending the Royal Marsden every three weeks in my trial and over many months they took my blood, flushed and then I would see the Doctor who would wait for the results of my bloods and if I passed he would order the drug for that session.

I then went for a coffee and the waiting began for the drug to come to the ward for my treatment to begin…

Over some months I would go woozy in the Restaurant and I used to hold my head in my hands until the feeling wore off.

I did tell the Doctors as I would always end up being sick in the loo and we thought it might be because I had set off so early and so my blood sugars dropped. I used to make sure I ate a piece of toast after my bloods were taken.

This kept happening until one session when after the bloods were taken I got in the lift and then I did what I called my dying swan over the banisters of a stair case.

Nurses help me to a chair and I recovered.

Another time I was sitting in the restaurant chatting to a mesowarrior and his carer and my dying swan act really took hold.

Sitting at the table drinking my coffee and chatting the people in the room were going further and father away the sounds becoming a muffle. I felt hot and sweaty and sick all rolled into one.

Lynne (my Friend) went back to the ward to get help and everyone was in a panic.

People were talking to me but I couldn’t really understand what they were saying. I was taken in a wheel chair back to the ward. Where I came round and cooled down.

I was put into a bed and it was found that Sepsis was in my blood. They grew the blood culture over night and yes I had Sepsis.A young nurse had mentioned my Pic Line and said it does sometimes grow in that so the Picc Line was taken out and tested and yes There was the bug living in there.

I had a whole 5 days of very strong new antibiotics as Sepsis has become so hard to treat…

I hadn’t realised just how serious this was but Ray said everyone else was very worried about me.

So as this is in the news I urge anyone who feels faint after a blood test please seek help.

If you have a PICC Line make sure the District nurses do come in to clean it. Apparentley the bug loves plastic so anyone with a new hip has to be careful as well.

A watchdog has urged doctors to treat suspected cases of sepsis within an hour, amid fears the warning signs are too often missed.

Sepsis – a life-threatening complication of other infections – should be dealt with as an emergency just like a heart attack, according to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

What is sepsis?
Sepsis is a rare but potentially fatal condition, which can cause multiple organ failure.

It happens when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive as it tries to fight an infection.

This can cause more problems than the initial infection, as widespread inflammation damages tissue and interferes with blood flow.

It can be triggered by an infection anywhere in the body, but most commonly in the lungs, urinary tract, stomach and pelvis.

Other areas with infections that can be associated with sepsis include the appendix, gallbladder, bile ducts, skin, brain, bones or heart – and even flu can trigger it.

What are the symptoms of sepsis?
Early symptoms include fast breathing or a fast heartbeat, high or low temperature, chills and shivering. Sufferers may or may not have a fever.
Severe symptoms can develop soon afterwards and include blood pressure falling low, dizziness, disorientation, slurred speech, mottled skin, nausea and vomiting.

Who is at risk of sepsis?
Anyone can develop sepsis after a minor infection or injury, with 260,000 estimated cases a year and tens of thousands of deaths.

But the most vulnerable people are young children, the elderly, people with a medical condition or treatment that weakens their immune system, people in hospital with a serious illness, people injured in accidents and people who have just had surgery.

Is sepsis the same as blood poisoning?
Sepsis is often called blood poisoning or septicaemia, but they are not the same.

You can get sepsis and it can affect multiple organs without having blood poisoning or septicaemia.

You can also get sepsis from viral or fungal infections as well as bacterial ones.

What is the treatment for sepsis?
Treatment involves antibiotics, intravenous fluids and oxygen if levels are low, with three tests also likely to be carried out.

But severe cases or septic shock – dangerously low blood pressure – may require admission to an intensive care unit, which can help keep the body going while staff focus on tackling the infection.

How likely is sepsis to kill?
Sepsis is treatable if identified and treated quickly, with most sufferers enjoying a full recovery with no lasting problems.

But up to four in every 10 people ill with severe sepsis die from the condition, and an estimated six in 10 dying from septic shock.