Farah Koodoruth was 24 years old when she was diagnosed with sepsis in autumn 2020 as a result of food poisoning. Despite making a recovery, she has been diagnosed with IBS as a result of sepsis and it affects her every day. Yet the medical secretary from Morden in Surrey remains positive, believing “you should live each day like it’s your last”. She is sharing her story publicly for the first time to help raise as much awareness of sepsis as possible.
I was eating normally during the week commencing 21st September 2020 but started to feel poorly on the evening of Sunday 27th September. I couldn’t go to work the next day and had the following symptoms: a high temperature, shivering, headache, severe stomach cramps, and diarrhoea. I called the doctor that day and they told me to go to A&E. I thought I would recover on my own, believing it to be the flu, so decided to wait it out.
However, on Tuesday 29th September my symptoms persisted and got even worse so I called the doctors’ surgery again. The doctor told me to definitely go to A&E. I was admitted to St Helier Hospital that day where I was diagnosed with food poisoning. A few days into my hospital admission, I was diagnosed with sepsis of my gall bladder and bowel.
A doctor at the hospital informed me of the sepsis diagnosis. I was confused and shocked. I didn’t know what sepsis was but it sounded serious so I felt scared. My family and friends’ reactions also made me panic.
I was in hospital for 7 days. During my stay I had a catheter fitted, suffered chest pain from a panic attack, got a tension headache, lost weight, my legs swelled up twice the size and I had slight jaundice. I was given IV antibiotics and IV fluids for 5 days and then 10 days of PO Co-amoxiclav when I was discharged. It took me a few days to begin walking again by myself. I was signed off work for 1-2 months afterwards to recover. In 2021, I was diagnosed with IBS as a result of the sepsis and this affects me every day.
Life can be very short so you should live each day like it’s your last. All that matters in this life is the people close to you, your health and to be happy – the rest either doesn’t matter or is a bonus. I value and love myself even more now and, as a result, I do not tolerate any rubbish in life and I go for any ideas and challenges in life without holding back.
When I was diagnosed with sepsis it was all such a blur but I remember thinking health is everything. I am now a medical secretary for Special Care Dentistry at King’s College Hospital and my hobbies include running and pole fitness – I train both twice per week. As part of my journey towards healing from the physical and mental effects of sepsis and to mark Sepsis Awareness Month, I completed a 10K Tough Mudder course on 14th August 2022 to help raise money for Sepsis Research FEAT. The charity has kindly asked me to share my story with them. This is the first time I am able to speak publicly about it and I want to raise as much awareness as I can.
My advice to everyone is: if you experience symptoms including a temperature, shivering, headache, severe stomach cramps, and diarrhoea, DO NOT ignore it. Speak to a doctor or go to A&E because it could be sepsis. Prioritise your health and happiness because life can be short.
You can hear Farah speak about her experience and outlook now on her Words of Sepsis podcast here