How long is recovery, and what symptoms remain such as body pain, fatigue, dizziness, weakness and memory loss. I had sepsis and gall bladder removal, spent a week in ICU, ten days hospitalized and still feel weak and unable to walk fifty feet without needing to sit.
My legs and knees hurt, I sweat more than companions, I can watch a movie and completely miss segments according to my spouse. I am 63 was pretty active, now scared and couldn't remember how to work my coffee pot when I got home.
It has been about 7 weeks... almost 2 months since my surgery, and I have heard everything from you should be ok now to it might take a year. My family doctor retired, and the place I went for followup gave me a nurse who didn't seem interested and did not even do blood work or touch me. I know I must find a good doctor, but I am exhausted and broke.
I would love to hear anything from people with experience with sepsis. Thanks so much for your time and input.
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
49 Answers
LI
Lizzylou69
24 March 2021
It's been one year and 6 months for myself. I was in hospital for two Weeks with Sepsis. I still get out of breath. At times is worse than others. I can do house work for 5 minutes and start getting winded. For myself thanks to God and wonderful Dr's and Nurses, that has been my most difficult issue and pray nothing else comes. Have numbness and tingling aswell. Anyone that has never had sepsis doesn't understand the exhaustion that comes with it. Im trying to help my mother because of age and health. So please pray for me to have strength to do so... Because she is my Angel... I will pray for you all to get stronger. I had a kidney stone that was infected that caused Sepsis...
Votes: +0
GO
Goldensmommy
10 Feb 2019
Always had a “ bad back” due to a stupid trick on a trampoline in HS. It painfully acted up from time to time ... it would maybe would lay me out for a week or so occasionally. Last June it “acted up”, so I thought. . Layed me out, big time! Went to the doc after a few days , they said “yep you have back issues - you need to walk, here’s some muscle relaxers. “. So I thought I was being over reactive about the immense pain and tried to tough it out. A few weeks later I was in an emergency room being told I had a massive Staph infection which involved my spine. Underwent multiple tests, drainage bag procedure etc. It was touch and go in the hospital for a while and I was “ out of it” a good deal of the time. No ability to focus on anything. Couldn’t really move any body parts from mid chest to my knees ... literally paralyzed temporarily in some parts of my body.
Compounded by contracting C diff in the hospital just to add to the festivities.
19 days later they discharged me with the condition that I had to have 24 -7 Home care along incoming PT and Nursing for at least 8 weeks . That all happened and I began to “ come back” about mid October - It was like I had been In a tunnel or something. I often had thoughts that did not coordinate with what I would translate into words, which scared me to death. ... until I started to “come back “ mentally I could barely manage a remote for the tv . There was zero education about the sepsis while I was hospitalized or during after care. Thought I was crazy with the anxiety and uncertainty until I found in the voluminous amount of paperwork that I had from the medical reports , which reported I actually had been suffering from sepsis as a result of the infection And subsequently researched the effects on my own.
I was lucky and only have minor lingering physical matters, which are manageable. I ended up with significant and continual hair drop after about 90 days after the fact and once the blood work evidenced that it was not caused by any deficiency other than the multiple AB’s I was on for about 14 weeks on top of the sepsis itself . I just had my husband and shave my head, rather than crying in the shower every day. Such a silly thing... it’s just hair.
It’s 6 months In, now... my haircut looks like a photo of me at a year old ..and I’m ok with that... I took back the power when it came to my hair by just getting the hair loss over with ... I am grateful to be where I am.
Recently I am having occasional flashbacks and am still getting the “ diagnostic look” from friends that are medical professionals who are constantly “checking on / assessing me”
Im back to full time work and not having issues there other than my stamina isn’t quite what it was before. I’m hoping that will improve with time.
I’m only sharing because others who might go through the same thing may find this blog and gain some comfort that they are not alone. I know it helped me a great deal to know it wasn’t just me .
Votes: +0
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remah2005
9 Feb 2019
There is not set time period for a complete recovery from sepsis. Remembering that sepsis coursed through the body trying to do the most damage possible. It takes time to recover. You have to learn to pace yourself. Your body fought a tremdomous battle against sepsis and won, now is the time to go slowly. Take good care of your health. I have had sepsis 3 times since 2016. I wish you the best.
Votes: +0
LO
Louise Kroft
4 Jan 2019
There are so many sepsis survivors who report they can’t walk. I wonder why that is. If I had known that inability to walk and generalized pain was a symptom of sepsis, I would have been able to save my mom. Too bad the physicians at the emergency room didn’t recognize the symptoms.
Votes: +0
LO
Louise Kroft
3 Jan 2019
I see you posted a while back, but I only joined today. My mom died unexpectedly of septic shock from a hospital-acquired bacteria, Serratia. She died two months after she was hospitalized. I understand that sometimes the bacteria can form a contained pocket and then, later, suddenly burst into the bloodstream. She never fully recovered in those two months. The entire two months she remained lethargic, weak, and couldn't walk. There was a temporary improvement with PT, but it was short-lived. We didn't know until it was too late that she had a serious infection.
Votes: +0
JT
Jtorre
15 Oct 2018
I am 26 years old, male and was released a few days ago because i was on the verge of going into septic shock.The Doctor said it was an e. coli infection that had started attacking my kidneys. The scariest thing i have ever experienced. Ya know i was sick with kidney pain, stomach pain and throwing up, bad bowel movements as well however when i went to see my family doctor he sent me home with pills. 2 days later the er doctor ran some blood tests and catscans and sent me home saying he found nothing and that it was probably just a virus even tho i had a high count of white blood cells. I told the er doctor while i was there that i had been fighting a tooth infection and he mostly said ok and shrugged it off. 3 days later back to the er because i couldnt take the sickness anymore and went to a different hospital where the young er doctor decided to take blood cultures and found that yes indeed i had an infection starting to invade my blood. e.
coli of all things!!! Antibiotic iv fluids rest and after 4 days im out of the hospital. Doctor said the infection had started going down. Im still experiencing kidney pain and lots of gas constipation and yellow stools But now where do i go from here? Does anyone know how long the kidney pain will last? My family doctor im afraid being as young as he is has never encountered a septic patient i assume. So ill probably get a new doctor.
Votes: +0
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tntwo99
15 Oct 2018
IMO you should have been kept in the hospital longer. Medical professionals still aren't aware of sepsis and what it can cause. It is still thought of as a simple blood infection. If you can find one go to an Infectious Disease Specialist. Right now they seem to be part of the few that know about sepsis. E-coli infections are quite common actually. I usually have e-coli urinary tract infections. But Medical Professionals should know to check organ function immediately. You are young and you most likely will recover quickly. But you still need to see a doctor who understands sepsis. And always tell any docs that you see that you have had sepsis. Oh, and antibiotics can and will cause all kinds of bowel reactions like constipation, gas, and black or light-colored stools. Just make sure you tell your doctor about it. Go to Sepsis.org to read about Sepsis.
2T
2 times Sepsis guy
16 Sep 2018
I know this an old question, but this might help other people. It's 5 months since my double case of sepsis. I'm starting to feel better but my arms and legs are still very weak and I fatigue quickly. My doctor initially told me that it would take 8 weeks to get over it. That was not the case. A specialist nurse in these matters said that a year is more like it, and that I might never fully recover. It's better to know. My shoulders hurt so that coupled with my legs being weak, it's hard to get up out of an armchair. If I get onto the floor to carry out some work, it's agony to get up and the effort of getting up, makes my shoulders hurt more. I'm in the UK.
Votes: +1
TN
tntwo99
17 Sep 2018
I am a year and a half out from having severe sepsis and still feel just as you have described. Honestly, I think this is about as far as I will improve. My shoulders and arms are constantly in pain and my legs and feet are extremely weak. When I am at a doctor appt and they call me, it takes me a while to get myself up and balanced so that I can walk. My doctor's office is a very large campus and building and you must do a vast amount of walking to get to and from his office. I use a cane to steady myself but all of the walking is torture. And yet friends, family, and my doctor feel I should be over this by now. If a doctor doesn't understand about sepsis then how in the world do you explain it to others. What was your sepsis from and wondering how old you are. I am 71.
LA
lailadayani
24 July 2018
This is so scary. I had no clue what sepsis was since my dad was diagnosed with it and the constant google searches because of the fear of losing him. My dad was taken to the hospital 4 days ago because of high fever and the inability to talk. After getting to the hospital my mom was informed he had a heart attack and half of his heart is not working then few hours later she was told he has severe anemia and sepsis, his WBC was 35000. His haemoglobin was 5 and they didn't want to do anything until it raised to at least 10. 2 days later his WBC went up to 47000 and has multi organ dysfunction. We moved him to a different hospital the night before last night and his WBC has gone down to 19000, it's still very scary. He's 72 and my parents have been married for 54 years. Not only that I fear of losing him but also fear of my mom having to live without him which will break her. I'm praying so much for him to get well and get back home soon but I don't want him to suffer.
Votes: +0
DA
daba1958
11 May 2018
I had sepsis in 2011 and I am still having problems! I had both my feet amputated and have so much pain in both my stumps and having a really hard time getting prosthetic’s to fit. I have trouble with remembering also. I was in the hospital for 3 months then went into rehab and then went to therapy so it’s been a long process. When I got out of hospital I had a horrible time with all the dreams that I had in the icu but to this day I think some of the dreams were real but don’t know for sure. I could probably write a book on my whole experience!
Votes: +2
JI
JillED
3 May 2018
I had a necrotic and gangrenous gall bladder June 17, 2017. I was 63. I also became quite septic. I was unconscious for 2 days and so sick, yet angry because they wouldn’t let me go home and wouldn’t tell me why. Once I healed and started to feel better, (it was September, 2017), I finally realized just how bad it was. Then I started to look us sepsis and found this page. So, 10 months later I am figuring it all out. Yes, I am definitely weaker And so tired. I feel like I can’t get anything done. I am groping for words on the simplest of things. It’s embarrassing around people I don’t know. Everybody says at this age it always happens. Not like I have. I’ll ask for a cup of coffee and yet can’t figure out the word cup. One thing I notice that I have are emotional outbursts. Then I look at my husband, (bless him), and go, “what was that?”
One thing I did find out by coming to these pages is to let your GP know about the sepsis and symptoms you’re having. If you get another infection, they know what to do. I recently had bronchitis for a month and a half. Something that always went away within 2 weeks before. I hadn’t said anything about the sepsis, so I went through two rounds of antibiotics and steroids. My only recommendation is to take it one day at a time. Be aware you’re not going to be as you were even a month ago. It took me too long to realize this. It gets better, but with quirks. Adjust accordingly and get on with life!l
Votes: +1
DA
Dawnkyle
3 May 2018
I agree adjust accordingly bit its hard. Im lucky to be here still but 15 months on i still have low days. My little baby girl now 15 months has missed out on so much because of this sepsis. I cant commit to weekly classes, visting friends stc incase i feel i cant attend them & i feel guilty because of it. Im managing as best i can. Sjes such a good happy little girl but still i feel inadequate because of the sepsis. I d never had an infection in 33yrs til i had this.
TN
tntwo99
11 May 2018
Hi JillED and welcome. You sound as if you have a handle on all of the problems associated with post sepsis. Good for you. Once I understood what I had gone through(2 weeks in the hospital and 6 weeks in nursing/rehab) I sent email after email of sepsis facts to my PC doc and a couple of specialists as I believed they really didn't quite get what sepsis did to a person. And I was right. Luckily I had an Infectious Disease Specialist that figured out what was wrong with me and it was only because of him that I am alive today. My husband was told that I was very sick but they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me and that quite possibly I wasn't going to pull through. And I have no memory of those 2 weeks although they said I was up in bed eating and talking. I remembered being taken by ambulance and admitted but nothing after that. It is really a creepy feeling coming out of that parallel world and having to learn to be yourself all over again.
My lingering symptoms are just like yours. Forgetting simple words and the outbursts of emotions and anger. And the fact that most people don't have any understanding of what it was we went through and they are just like "well it is time to move on". As you said, one day at a time, and I try to laugh at the "quirks".
KI
Kiwiabroad
9 April 2018
Hey all,
Comforting reading all your stories and reading familiar sounding struggles. Was hospitalised two months ago with a mass in my abdomen, turned out to be a ruptured appendix (had ruptured weeks before!) And eventually turned into sepsis.
I am only 25 and really didn't grasp how sick I was. Totally spaced out in hospital for 3 weeks on IV fluids, antibiotics, everything.
Went home and still had sweats, abdomen pain, general discomfort and complete exhaustion and weakness.
Had to go back in after a week as the sepsis had affected the pressure around my brain but that's another story.
2 months on, I'm feeling happy to be alive! Shocked that I thought I was healthy and untouchable by something like that but man I knocks you for 6! Still really on bed rest with a little outing every day for my mental health.
Wishing everyone in here not just physical strength and mental to not succumb to the fear it will return and the horrible hallucinations it can bring in ICU! X
Votes: +1
TN
tntwo99
5 May 2018
Dear Kiwiabroad It really is amazing to be alive after sepsis isn't it. You really went through hell. Were you aware of all that was happening during that time? I was in the hospital for 2 weeks with Strep septic arthritis in a replaced knee. The infection started from a weeping small wound on my leg. Once they got me to the hospital I was in another world. Don't remember a thing but I was told I was rather mean and bossy. I then spent 6 weeks in rehab to relearn myself. Couldn't walk or concentrate and now I can't spell either. And I was always a Spelling Bee winner. What happened with the sepsis affecting your brain pressure? How scary that must have been for you. I live with the fear of recurrence. And I believe that sharing our stories helps us understand just what we have all been through. It is hard explaining to someone that has never been around it or through it.
NA
nagarretson
22 March 2018
I have had 14 hospitalizations for sepsis in the past 2 years. I know that number doesn't seem possible but trust me, it is. Due to my primary immunodeficiency syndrome, I have had a central line, infusaport or picc line in my body since 1994. I've had sepsis numerous times but nothing like the past 24months. I won't go on & on but I wanted anyone suffering from post sepsis syndrome to know that it's very real. I was told 12 months was the average time before feeling like you did pre-sepsis. At this rate, I have a long way to go. I no longer have a foreign body in my body thanks to a life saving & ground breaking surgery. All of my infusions go in through a fistula created in my thigh. Anyway, I cry all the time, I'm anxious, forgetful & can't spell anymore. There are so many things that happen on a daily basis that I now know are from sepsis. Thanks for listening & I am keeping all who are suffering in my prayers!
Votes: +2
ST
stusmith93
26 Dec 2017
I was bitten by a dog around Christmas 2016 and a few days later was hospitalized for 4 nights with sepsis after I came down with extreme fever and confusion. It took me around two weeks to recover and get back to work. For a couple of months I felt good but then started to have constant headaches, nausea, diarrhoea and extreme tiredness. The symptoms got worse over the months, then went away for a month or so and then came back. Its now Christmas 2017 and everyday my life is dictated by my symptoms. I am living in Hong Kong and have spent thousands of British Pounds on blood tests, brain scans, endoscopy etc and every test comes back normal. I thought that because of the diarrhoea it was stomach related but with all the tests coming back normal and from what I have read online I am starting to think this could all be post sepsis recovery.
I am at a critical point in my life with money, career and a long term relationship where I need to be normal before key aspects of my life are destroyed. I am losing hope and am feeling extremely depressed. I know I am lucky compared to others, especially some people on this forum. But its hard to feel good when your head is always in a heavy tired cloud that drains any energy and positivity. If anybody has had a situation like mine or has any ideas then please comment
Votes: +0
DA
Dawnkyle
26 Dec 2017
Hi
Sorry to hear you ve been having a hard time. I can relate to the feeling like your head is in a heavy cloud most of the time. I had sepsis during & after my daughters birth in jan 17. I ve had post sepsis syndrome. I didnt get the bowel problems but i got the lethargy. Though things have improved i still get days & weeks were it is extremely diffucult because of the head feeling. I am like you dictated by how my day will be & it has been an extremely crucial what with having a new born to look after. I cabt commit to weekly activities with her as i may not feel up to going plus it is exhausting taking her places! I found exercise helped & didnt make me feel any worse & also i started taking roseguard tablets by herbalife. They are expensive but after just 4 days i felt alot better. At the moment i ve had 4 to 5 good days. Hope this may help you in some way.
I ve heard it can take upto 18 months to recover & the fitter you were before the longer it takes! I was in very good health beforehand never had an infection & was quite fit! Dawn.
GO
Gothickiss
23 Jan 2018
I understand your issues. All of them. I only had sepsis one month ago, from EColi and I spent 5 nights in the hospital over Christmas. It’s so annoying to not be able to “function”. I can barely stay awake and everything hurts. I have a nerve condition called CRPS and this is complicating it. I am sorry you are still dealing with this for a year - but I can tell you my doctor said the effects like short term memory, headaches, etc can last for a few years. With me, the exhaustion is awful and once I use up the time my work allows I will not have any more income coming in. So I’m hoping this is over in 6 months. Just know that you are not alone and we all understand how awful it is. I hope your relationship stays strong and you are over symptoms soon so that you can lead a good life again. Take care.
PA
Patty Roland OFS
26 Oct 2017
Hello! It's been one year since my surgery, Oct 12, & then sepsis one month later! I have had all symptoms that every one mentions!! The aching legs & body, the head ache that won't quit, the nausia, inability to sleep longer than 2 hours at atime!! The worse has been the weakness, unable to live a normal life! -- what I call normal!! Especially intestinal cramps, & diarrhea!! & Reoccurring bladder tinfection!! It all really puts a crimp on my life!! I continue to loose weight & have to be so careful what I eat!! Nothing fried!! It has been a time to put my faith out there, knowing I am not in charge, & remembering who is!! God!! My faith keeps me going!!
So I can say I think I will make it!! It's a very slow process!! It has taken the Grace of Patience!! Do not push it!! Let it take it's time! Do not think it will be over soon!! & Don't let anyone btell you -- you should be fine now!! You will be fine when your body is fine!!! One day you will say -- im getting better!! But don't try to do too much at a time!! We are reo blessed to be alive!! Think GRATEFUL!!! God bless! Patty
Votes: +1
BU
BuckarooBanzai
26 Oct 2017
I am two months post-sepsis. This was my second bout in five years, each time secondary to diverticulitis.
I've suffered six (primarily viral) infections since coming home. I just seem to pick up whatever is going around!
I am totally exhausted. I was working towards an MA in math prior to this last episode but now I cannot concentrate well enough to continue my studies. They say this is a temporary problem.
