My mom just passed away less than 2 weeks ago from sepsis shock she was 56 years old I feel like it could have been treated if her Doctors would have paid more attention to all of the warning signs.She had a Heart Attack 2days before Thanksgiving and had Triple bypass surgery went home a week later and for the next 2 months didn't barely eat and only drink water and would throw up multiple times a day eventually she couldn't walk on her on had to use a beside toilet.Lost over 50lbs and her heart surgeon and primary care Dr. Said this was all normal.So on Jan.28 I took her to the ER she was admitted and diagnosed with malnutrition low sodium low potassium and dehydrated.she went to The ICU got fluids and antibiotics potassium..she started eating and drinking. ..surgeon said she should have gallbladder removed..had surgery had a urinary catheter from Jan 28 to February 11 after her gallbladder surgery she stopped eating again. She would drink water..on 2/11/15 she was transferred to a rehabilitation facility she wasn't eating still and after being there for a week she started becoming delusional and stopped urinating I was there over the weekend with her and she hadnt urinated for more than 48 hours I ask the staff about it they really didn't have any answers and told me a nurse practitioner would be in Monday morning. ..they got a urine sample early Monday morning diagnosed her with a UTI..Started a IV like 8 hours later with fluids called me Monday at 7:30pm said my mom's blood pressure dropped and was sending her to the ER she passed away 28 hours later diagnosed with sepsis shock and her Latic Acid levEl was 38.
My husband agonized for weeks about what could have been done to prolong her life. Eventually he came to closure. You will too. It's not easy but you will.
The care he got once out of ICU was patchy and although someone sicker needed the ICU bed, that didn't mean my dad needed it any less (if you know what I mean?). His organs were recovering, his kidneys were functioning like a champ but his respiratory function was of concern as he'd suffered respiratory difficulties for much of his life. His temp spiked and he was on IV antibiotics, and after a few days his temperature settled. On the Monday he was the best I'd seen him - sitting up talking, laughing, reading the newspaper etc and really looking 'well'. Around 25 hours later he died in my arms. The doctor wasn't entirely sure what he died of, most likely some kind of infection, and I got the usual meaningless platitudes that he'd had a great life, was no longer suffering etc etc. from the medical team in the aftermath. I feel there was more they could have done had they been monitoring him more carefully in his last couple of days, but I also realise there's only so much they can do with the resources available.
I'm not sure how to actually reconcile that in my own head but I know it's something I need to do. If he'd had closer one-on-one care he may well have continued to improve, but I also know that this may have been the outcome no matter what level of care he had. There's none of us who could ever say for sure, as is the same I would imagine in your mom's case. The conspiracy theorist in me says maybe the hospitals rely on that, but my more rational side takes over in the end. Certainly sepsis kills perfectly healthy people every day, which was one thing that shocked me during my research since my dad's diagnosis.
Be kind to yourself and give yourself some time to comprehend what has happened, and then decide where to go from there.