Erin Montgomery from Irvine, North Ayrshire found her life taking a shocking and unexpected turn in mid September 2023. Prior to that 24 year old Erin had enjoyed long walks, gym sessions, and trips to the cinema, spending time with her boyfriend Ewan and taking holidays and trips away. Erin takes up the story here:
My sepsis journey began with a severe urinary tract infection (UTI) that escalated into pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidney, typically due to a bacterial infection). This apparently treatable condition quickly became life-threatening though as the infection spread to my bloodstream, leading to a diagnosis of sepsis.
My symptoms first developed at my boyfriend’s house, when I started getting hot and had a pounding heart whilst sitting on the couch watching TV. At this point I already knew something wasn’t quite right as I was calm and sitting quietly watching TV and hadn’t done any exercise or anything. When I went to the toilet and passed urine, it was making me feel like I was going to die as my heart rate kept increasing more and more each time I went. I initially phoned 111, where I was passed between a nurse and 2 doctors, who were initially sceptical about bringing me in for review as they put it down to being solely a urine infection. I continued to explain over the phone as best I could how abnormal it was for me to feel like this and insisted on coming to the hospital. After being on the phone for over 45 minutes and waiting on a callback from 111 for another hour I was finally told I could make my way to hospital. My boyfriend drove me Crosshouse Hospital in Ayrshire where I was first seen at the combined assessment unit (CAU). Once I was there, my resting heart rate soared to 149bpm. Due to there being no beds at first, I lay on a bed in the hall until I was moved through to a couch in the family room. I was there for over an hour after arriving before it was concluded that what I was experiencing was sepsis as the result of a urine infection that had spread to my kidneys. From here on I was kept in and treated at Crosshouse Hospital until I was well enough to go home and rest in my own bed.
When the doctor in the CAU informed me of the sepsis diagnosis I can remember feeling shocked, panicked, scared, lost, and depressed. My family, including my mum, dad and Ewan were really supportive throughout but I know that they also felt very worried, helpless and sad. My treatment involved five days of care at the hospital, where I received drips, oxygen, and antibiotics. The support from my family, boyfriend, and my very understanding work colleagues really helped in my recovery.
I can remember hoping at the time that it would be over fast, trying to stay positive although feeling very hopeless and depressed, angry at the world and very upset. I was lucky though that the Sepsis Research FEAT website and social media posts helped me identify the first symptoms of septic shock and to get to the hospital before it was too late.
My body is still recovering fully now almost four months later. I still feel weak and my moods are very variable since I had sepsis. I think that I am also still shocked that it happened to me at all as it all happened very fast. I am trying to get myself better and back to some sort of normality.
I was supposed to be running the Edinburgh Half Marathon in September 2023, however I ended up in hospital with sepsis at that time so never got to participate. I am now doing the Half Marathon this year in May and would like to try and raise some money for this charity as I would like to give something back to people that helped me through this time.
My message to others is that you should always trust your own body – if something feels out of the ordinary for you or just doesn’t feel right, seek medical help and attention as soon as possible. Don’t wait until its too late as you are risking your life. I will be forever grateful for the doctors and nurses who helped me stay as positive as possible.
Charity comment: Urinary tract infections like Erin’s are amongst the most common causes of sepsis, with as many as 25% of sepsis cases arising from a UTI.
Like many sepsis patients Erin reiterates the importance of trusting your instincts when you or someone else experiences illness that feels far worse than the norm and infection is present and seeking urgent medical help to ensure the best possible outcomes. There is still an urgent need for more research to improve diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for sepsis patients worldwide. Amongst other groundbreaking studies into sepsis supported by Sepsis Research FEAT is the GenOMICC study at the University of Edinburgh. Its aim is to identify potential genetic susceptibility to sepsis and other critical illness as well as new specific and potentially life-saving treatments. To find out more visit the Our research partners page on the charity’s website here.