The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘I feel really lucky’, sepsis survivor says
An Arbroath woman says she “really feels lucky” after surviving three days on her kitchen floor after being struck down with sepsis.
Frances Andrew told of the horrific experience which happened after a trip to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
She had been at a routine appointment to have a dressing on her ankle changed.
But little did she know in the space of hours she would be passed out at home where she would remain all weekend.
After lying unconscious on the floor from Friday evening to Monday, Frances somehow found the strength to reach her community alarm.
And now she is speaking out to warn others of the dangers of the condition which can strike terrifyingly quickly.
Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to an infection spirals rapidly out of control, injuring its own tissues and organs, which can result in multiple organ failure and death.
More than 3,500 confirmed cases of sepsis have been recorded in NHS Tayside hospitals over the past five years.
Frances, 80, said: “I was quite surprised it was so common because before I was affected I’d never heard of it.”
In cases of severe sepsis (sepsis shock) signs can include nausea, slurred speech or loss of consciousness. Hospital admission is likely.
If detected early, it can be treated through a dose of antibiotics. Patients often recover with no lasting after effects.
Frances had been at Ninewells on a Friday afternoon in May and returned home to Andy Stewart Court that same day.
She explained: “They were putting a new dressing on as I’d had a skin graft near my ankle.
“I was brought home by ambulance and I remember getting to my door, because the girls from the ambulance made sure I got to the door OK.
“After that, I just can’t remember anything.”
Frances, who came to again on the Monday morning, continued: “I have a community alarm which I hadn’t taken with me to Ninewells. I woke up and remembered it was on my walker.
“I managed to get hold of it and pressed it – but at that point I couldn’t remember what day it was! I didn’t realise it, but I’d been lying on the floor for three days.
“When I pressed my alarm, they got in touch and were round in no time. It was such a relief when they got to me.”
Following treatment with antibiotics at Ninewells, Frances moved to Arbroath Infirmary to recuperate.
“When I found out more about the condition and heard that not many people survive it, I knew I had to speak out to raise awareness,” she said.
“I really feel lucky as it all happened so quickly.”