Olivia King was 21 weeks pregnant with her first baby when she went to her doctor’s surgery with pain in her right-hand side. At first the doctor thought she was suffering from heartburn, but it was only when the pain became worse, and she returned to the surgery two days later, that a doctor suspected a bigger problem.
My sepsis story started in late August 2018 with severe pain in my right side. I was 21 weeks pregnant and looking forward to the birth of my baby in January. I was working as a Care Coordinator and my husband, Matthew and I were in the throes of renovating our cottage in readiness for the baby.
I had been experiencing niggling pain in my right side for a few days but had put it down to my pregnancy, however, on the morning of the 29th August the pain was much worse. I contacted my GP surgery and was given an appointment that morning. Once there I described my symptoms to the doctor telling them that the pain was quite severe and making me nauseous. After a cursory examination the doctor put my symptoms down to heartburn and indigestion and the fact that “everything is being squished by the growing baby”. I was despatched with a recommendation to take Gaviscon.
Over the next couple of days the pain worsened and I contacted my surgery again for an appointment which I was given that morning but with a different doctor. During this consultation the doctor listened intently to what I had to say. She checked my blood pressure and temperature which were both raised. She then felt my tummy and knew instantly that something more than heartburn was going on. She diagnosed ‘suspected appendicitis’ and called Stoke Mandeville Hospital to inform them that I was on my way in.
Late that same evening after examinations and scans I underwent emergency surgery for a burst appendix made more complicated by the fact that I was 21 weeks pregnant. The surgeon, (who I will be eternally grateful to), explained to Matthew that my stomach was quite a mess and that she had got out as much infection as she could but didn’t want to keep me under anaesthetic for too long because of the baby. She warned Matthew that the next few days were going to be tough.
I spent the next ten days in a side ward in Stoke Mandeville hospital fighting sepsis. I was on I/V antibiotics and monitored every hour by the nurses. The baby’s heartbeat was checked regularly. I couldn’t even contemplate food and was fed through a TPN. I also had tubes in my side to drain the infection. During that time the hospital allowed Matthew to stay with me and he set up camp in my room on a mattress only leaving to buy food from the nearby supermarket. I was constantly worrying about the baby but, unlike my family, I had no idea how seriously ill I was and that my condition was life threatening.
It was a long, hard recovery and I was off work, in total, for nearly two months. I lost a lot of weight and was very weak. Just walking was a challenge and exhausting. I remember my first shower once I had been discharged and needing a nap afterwards. However, I very gradually got my strength back and as time went on I was able to do more and more.
During all of this my baby, Emily, just ‘hung on in there’. She is now a healthy and mischievous three year old and was joined this March by a sister, Amber. I cannot thank the medical team enough for saving not only my life but Emily’s too. My husband and family were also a great support helping me to recover from an illness that I never thought would happen to me.
My outlook has changed since my sepsis experience. I would urge anyone who suspects a problem to trust their instincts and not worry about ‘being a burden on the NHS’. Before this I felt as if I didn’t really want to bother the doctors but now I will always go and get things checked out sooner rather than later.