In May 2022 I had an outpatient surgery to remove a cyst… The wound got infected in the OR, and 5 days later I was admitted to the hospital in septic shock. I got better and then worse and 4 days after hospital admission on May 29, 2022 I suffered a cardiac arrest. My husband had to press the code blue button. He won’t talk about it and I’m sure he’s still traumatized. They did chest compressions and used a defibrillator to get me back to life.
Once I had a pulse again, I was intubated and sent to the ICU. I spent 9 days in a medically induced coma. I had septic shock, cardiac arrest, double pneumonia and then 2 collapsed lungs, ARDS, organ failure, and delirium I know now. I self extubated. On day 10 I woke up, spent another 7 days in a step down after I left the ICU, and was discharged home.
I knew nothing about sepsis, ARDS, or cardiac arrest before this. I was 40 years old, healthy, and had just run a 10K at Disney the month before the surgery. My life changed so dramatically so quickly.
I’m so glad for the ARDS advocacy groups and the opportunity to help educate others about PICS!