Author: Sylvie Beenaerts

Septic shock - cause unknown

I was born in 1966 and live in Schoten (north of Antwerp). Together with my husband, I had two sons: the youngest still lives at home while the oldest has built his life in Amsterdam. My days have long been filled with taking care of my family, running the household and cherishing the warmth of our daily life. Beyond that familiar rhythm, I have always had a desire to explore the world. Travelling opens my eyes, gives me new energy and makes me feel how vast and multifaceted life is. I also chaired the school council at the school where my children took their first steps in learning, and found it a joy to make time for my girlfriends.

Wednesday, 9 March 2022, disaster struck unexpectedly. What started as an ordinary day turned into a nightmare when I was struck by septic shock with multi-organ failure caused by streptococcus aureus bacteria. Suddenly, everything stood still: my body, my future, my certainties.

What happened. It actually started on Monday. I was not feeling well - nauseous, very high fever - and slept almost all day. On Tuesday, the GP came. She examined me and took blood. Meanwhile, the fever continued to rise above 40°C. Wednesday in the afternoon, the GP called to tell me I had to go to the emergency department at Klina to get a dose of antibiotics intravenously. Once there, things suddenly went very quickly: several catheters were immediately placed, and in no time I was in the Intensive Care Unit. My husband was told that my condition was very critical and that if he had arrived two hours later, it would have been fatal. Fluid resuscitation was started, vasopression with Noradrenaline, Amukin and Augmentin. This was then Floxapen via a PICC catheter. The doctor who was called in to emergency was literally my salvation. Pretty soon the term septic shock with multi-organ failure (DIC, acute renal failure, shock liver) fell. For me, that period is largely a black hole. All I vaguely remember of this period is walking through fields, endless fields of flowers... On Friday, I was transferred to the ICU of the UZA. Saturday followed emergency surgery: my ICD and leads were removed. This was followed by weeks in ICU, Mid Care and cardiology, first in the UZA and later again in Klina.

The period in the clinic was not easy and very lonely. There was a lot of time for brooding and thinking. I was only allowed (limited) visits from my husband and children - someone came every day - as special rules still applied due to the coronavirus. In mid-May, I was allowed to leave the clinic. But the struggle did not end there. A whole rehabilitation track was completed and unfortunately the implantation of a new device was necessary.

To this day, I still experience the effects: fatigue, severe pain symptoms, concentration problems, brainfog, poor sleep, moodswings and overstimulation. My world has become small and finding understanding is often difficult. Aftercare after such an experience is a big problem. There is basically no plan, no info and too little understanding. Sepsis survivors are not “fakers”. There are plenty of doctors I visited with whom you feel you are not taken seriously. You are sent from pillar to post... this is very painful. Fortunately, I have a cardiologist who does listen, helps me look for solutions, follows up my file and discusses it with colleagues. A doctor who is ‘human’, empathetic and dares to look beyond his speciality. I am extremely grateful and have endless respect for him.

This is who I am today. No longer the old me, but someone who fights every day and hopes for more understanding and for a future where there will be some space for ‘life’ again.

One more thing - not unimportant - I cannot say it enough, a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to my family and friends for your support and understanding. I am sorry that I am no longer who I once was, and I fervently hope that step by step I can get closer to myself again. For those who know me less well: what you see on the outside often does not tell the whole story. You mostly meet me in the moments when things are going just a little bit better, but the struggles I face inside every day usually remain hidden. I hope the day will come when I can say again that I am really doing well!

Sylvie

My sepsis episode

Retired but still active, I was struck by sepsis in 2006, without really being aware of the severity of what was happening to me. Apart from chills, which I attributed to a slight fever (38.4°C), I felt no pain. Although I experienced intense fatigue from the first few days, I did not worry too much about it and attributed it to a neurological condition I had been suffering from for several years.

At the time, I was volunteering at a palliative care clinic. I did notice that the wound on my tibia, which I had sustained at the clinic after contact with one of the wheels of a patient's bed, was not healing. It was only after four or five days, and at the insistence of the nursing staff, that I decided to have blood drawn the following Wednesday. The results came in that afternoon and were not good. The doctor therefore decided to take a blood sample, a urine sample and some culture tests on Friday, during my visits.