Septic Shock Recovery

Hi guys,

My 60-year-old mom was hospitalized on Feb. 19 and we later learned she had gone into septic shock. A few days prior, a large kidney stone had obstructed her kidney, which led to a kidney infection that got into her bloodstream. We called an ambulance because she was having terrible symtoms (symptoms), such as chills, a fever reaching close to 105, throwing up/nausea, weakness, etc. Her blood pressure dropped really low as well and her kidneys were failing. She had two types of bacteria in her system and was placed on antibiotics. A tube was put in her kidney for drainage until she has her procedure on March 20 to break up the stone.

She came home from the hospital a few days later but was soon back in the ER after experiencing the same symptoms as before. The blood culture showed no signs of an infection so she went back home a couple days later.

On Monday night, we had to take her back to the hopsital with the same symptoms. Her urinalysis results showed she had a UTI. Last night, her pulse had dropped to 52 beats per minute and went down to 33 beats per minute three hours later. It currently is right at about 36 beats per minute. Her temperature and blood pressure are fine. Her procedure to break up the kidney stone is still scheduled for March 20. I just wanted to know if this is a normal part of sepsis recovery or if anyone knows what is going on? The nurses/doctors aren't really telling us much. Hope somebody can help!

[jnde1]

I hope your mom is doing better, the symptoms she had sound like sepsis, and her story unfortunately sounds all too familiar.  Sepsis needs to be treated aggressively with IV antibiotics and fluids. I'm surprised she was out of the hospital so soon.  I had sepsis in Dec 2011 for kidney infection. I was fortunate and was admitted and it was treated aggressively for 8 days in the hospital, then home for IV therapy for 3 weeks.  It is a long road to recovery, I am 3 months out, only 52 y.o. and still not back to myself.  Be persistent with the doctors, if she is not well enough to go home, fuss. be her advocate.