‘Being so unwell, I felt really vulnerable. I wasn’t fully able to advocate for myself and having people do that for me when I desperately needed it was a life saver.’ 

Kara from Antrim is a psychologist working in healthcare. Just 27 years old when she experienced sepsis in 2016, she goes on to say, ‘I am now a single mum to two amazing boys. I love animals – we have a three year old Siberian cat named Eevee. I’m a Friends superfan and collect antique books.’ 

My first child, Caleb, was born on 8th April 2016 by emergency C-section. It was a particularly brutal operation with difficulties getting my son out and I had severe body bruising and pain as a result. Despite this, nearly three weeks on, I felt like I was healing well. One night whilst doing the usual night feeds though I began to feel very unwell with severe pain in my stomach around my belly button and I felt unusually hot and nauseous. When my husband got up the next morning, I was so cold I could barely move. He covered me in blankets, duvets, even dressing gowns, but I just could not get warm. With me out of action, my mum came round to help with the newborn. She took one look at me, knew instantly that I was seriously unwell and rang the out of hours GP.  

I arrived in A&E with my letter from the Dalriada urgent care out of hours doctor raising concerns that I might have post-natal endometriosis. Unfortunately, the triage nurse was very dismissive and stated that it was ‘just a UTI’. I felt embarrassed that I was wasting everyone’s time. My symptoms also led me to believe I might be coming down with a very bad case of flu. 

The doctor sent me for an x-ray thinking that the pain might also be diverticulitis, but it came back clear. Thankfully he saw the pain I was in trying to get on and off the bed and I was admitted to the ward.  

I was then sent for a CT scan and shortly after this a doctor arrived and explained that I had a 7cm necrotic tissue mass in my abdomen, attached to the omentum by my belly button, and that this had been at the root of my symptoms.  

No one officially told me that I had sepsis. I only realised when I overheard the nurses talking about me and when I read my discharge letter which stated ‘severe sepsis with tachycardia’. Apparently my CRP levels had been off the chart. 

I felt frightened, I didn’t really understand what sepsis was at the time but knew that it was serious. Even though I was over the worst of it, I was frightened that it had so nearly been missed. My baby was only three weeks old – being away from him for a week was so distressing, but I knew I wasn’t well enough at that time to care for him. The thought of what could’ve happened had I not received the treatment I needed still scares me to this day. The thought that I wouldn’t have been there for my baby boy was sickening. When I went on to have my second son, I was terrified that something similar would happen and that I wouldn’t be there for both of them. 

I also felt a sense of fear and shame that I had allowed my own feelings to be dismissed by my partner and by some of the medical staff. I had thought that I was exaggerating or that it was ‘just a UTI’ or something simpler and that I was wasting people’s time. I put it down to my C-section.  

Despite this, I feel so incredibly grateful for the people who had seen and understood how unwell I was and had taken action. This included my mum, the doctor in A&E and two nurses in particular that I will always remember. Being so unwell, I felt really vulnerable. I wasn’t fully able to advocate for myself and having people do that for me when I desperately needed it was a life saver. 

My mum’s reaction was similar to mine – she felt frightened of what could’ve happened if she hadn’t come round that morning to help with the baby. She took one look at me and knew that I was seriously unwell. 

I spent a week in Antrim Area Hospital, during which time I was treated with IV antibiotics and fluids. The doctors were fortunately able to use blood samples to identify the most effective antibiotic to give me. After a week I was discharged with further antibiotics. 

It was being listened to and being seen that was so helpful during my treatment and recovery – having my mum and the medical staff who saw me and my symptoms and took action, even when I didn’t fully understand that I needed it. The A&E doctor and two particular nurses really stand out for me as people who made me feel safe and looked after – like I was in safe hands. Getting to see my baby whilst in hospital made being away from him slightly more bearable and so did having friends and family step in to help me with my son.  

The hot sweats and freezing chills that I experienced made my time on the ward very uncomfortable. From a practical perspective being given a fan made a huge difference to my comfort levels.  

 
With hindsight, I think it was because there was so much emphasis on my C-section and on me being post-natal that my sepsis was nearly missed and that’s frightening. Often women seeking medical care can have their symptoms dismissed and put down to ‘women’s things’: periods, hormones, pregnancy, birth etc. My C-section scar appeared to have healed well and I was almost at the point of being discharged by the gynaecologist. As is a common issue with women seeking healthcare, I felt that the nature of my experience delayed diagnosis and treatment and caused a worsening of my symptoms. 

My outlook now is one of knowledge and awareness. I feel more empowered to know the signs, to share my story with others and to encourage them to speak up for themselves and others. Give yourself permission to speak up and ask questions of healthcare staff if something does not feel right. In the back of my mind I always have the ‘could it be sepsis?’ slogan in my head. It can be difficult to speak up, especially in a medical setting with trained professionals, but you should speak up if you feel something isn’t right. 

I feel like I was lucky the way my story turned out but I can also see how it could have very easily been so different. I’m sharing my story to raise awareness and hopefully to empower people to become knowledgeable about sepsis so they can advocate for themselves and others. 

Charity Comment 

A key part of Kara’s story of sepsis is about care for others and advocacy.  
 
Whilst elements of her initial treatment and care meant that her sepsis could have been missed, and that the outcome could have been very different, the fact that Kara’s mum knew her daughter, and could tell immediately how unwell she was when she visited that first morning to look after Kara’s baby son, was one of the most pivotal parts of Kara‘s sepsis journey. Combined with the ongoing care that she received at Antrim Area Hospital, this is likely to have made a huge difference to Kara’s ultimate recovery. 
 
Kara is now seeking to pass on that care and advocacy by sharing her story and encouraging others to look out for those closest to them – to speak up on their behalf.   
 
Sepsis is a notoriously difficult condition to diagnose. Kara highlights how many different conditions her symptoms could have related to, including a severe case of the flu. Crucially, patients may be confused and often not in a position to advocate for themselves. Equipping individuals to flag serious concern about someone else’s condition if sepsis is suspected and to ensure urgent medical treatment has the potential to save lives and to optimise long-term outcomes. 
 
Sepsis Research FEAT is so grateful to Kara for sharing her story so eloquently to ensure the same positive outcome for others.