Two weeks ago I ended up in the hospital with full blown sepsis (per the medical personnel). On Weds I thought I was not going to survive and called a couple friends to help my wife as she will have difficulties when I am gone as she has had a stroke in the past. I was at 102.8 fever, 80/50 blood pressure and less than 85% O2. My hospital room quickly filled up trying to decide a course of treatment. Apparently I was suffering from hypoxia, even with an oxygen mask, and was not fully coherent. They checked my mental acuity 2 days later to ascertain I was back to whatever normal is for me. A scary time for sure. I now have a picc line to my heart and take an IV twice per day for a month.

On my last day at the hospital a minister came to my room. He asked if my form was correct in that I indicated none on the religion question. I told him I was not against religion, only against religions that hurt individuals or families. He then told me he once was a JW. My response was that was definitely a religion that destroys people. He agreed then began to tell me about his life. He was about 5 minutes into telling me his life story when he suddenly stopped mid sentence. He looked sheepish and apologized. I wished him well and thanked him. The world needs more kind people like him. I guess he did not know what to do with me.

I had my iPad and was looking at this site when a nurse came into the room after the minister left. She asked what I was reading and looked at the laptop. She commented she was just at a Mormon wedding. I asked if this was after a Mormon temple ceremony and all you got to see was a ring exchange. She said yes. This was a friend from med school. I mentioned she should just be a friend as Mormons tend to live a bubble and having friends outside the bubble will be good for her friend. We discussed Mormonism for a few moments and I thanked her for her care. The hospital was great. I probably would not of survived at a lesser facility.

What a trying time for you. Please do stay well. J. and I send our best good wishes.

Last October, I had two different serious medical problems hit me at the same time (heart and brain). The fact that both problems happened at the same time made it very dangerous for me. I knew I might die, so my first thought (like yours) was to try to make things as easy as possible for my wife. I made sure I had documented everything with my pension, 401(k), and other legal/financial/practical matters. One matter that never even crossed my mind was religion. Throughout most of my life, the first thing I would have done if I were seriously ill would be call for a priesthood blessing. In my case, I was never visited by any religious representative in either hospital (after the first hospital dealt with my heart, I was transferred to a different hospital for the brain procedure).

I know I am far from being out of the woods now, but I’m physically very active and I feel great—and I made that impressive recovery without the power of the priesthood.

I'm sorry to hear that you've been sick, Eric. That must have been scary. I hope that you continue to make a good recovery.

Eric! Thank goodness you are on the mend! When I contemplate what you have done for us in the exmo community I can't begin to think about how difficult it would have been without this board.

I nearly lost one of my best friends to sepsis last year and she is still fragile. It's nothing to take lightly. Please keep us posted and we will have you in our thoughts constantly! Hang in there!

Sorry to hear that. I was in hospital some years ago with a bacterial infection that lurched into sepsis. Nasty stuff. Had heart bypass surgery a year later which was no where near as stressful nor as draining physically.

Thanks for sharing this story. So glad to hear that you dodged the bullet and are recovering. Thanks for all you do...you are a minister of sorts yourself, helping us recover from the illness of mormonism.

It’s fairly rare in the overall scheme of things, emotionally it can be all over the place, and for some of us it never stops being a Thing:

“I used to be mormon...”


I’m glad you pulled through, Eric.

Wow. That's serious stuff. We could have lost you.
I wonder which bacteria (I'm assuming) caused the sepsis. Whatever it was, I'm glad you were able to fight it off and that it responded to treatment.

The amazing thing is how kind and thoughtful you seemed to be in your conversations with the minister and nurse. It's hard to be nice when you feel so bad.

Take care of yourself.

No Joke.
Welcome back to the land of the living!

Wow, I'm very glad to hear that you are on the mend. My Dad got stuck in the hospital with a PICC line for 6 weeks due to that. It's nasty.

It is a very critical thing and can happen very quickly.

Oh, Eric...I am so sorry this happened, and so glad you were able to connect with the right treatment(s) for you!

I also empathize completely with your concerns about your wife and her welfare.

All around, a very scary experience for you, and for everyone who cares about you and your welfare.

I am glad you are getting better, and glad that you have people around you who care.

Get well soon, and know that WE care very much.

Wow Eric...glad you're improving. I had a picc line for 5 weeks. Not fun.

Glad you made it. Wow.

I am wishing for a speedy recovery.

Get well soon.

Eek. Eric.

SO GLAD you're here to tell the tale. It would have been a tremendous shocker if it hadn't worked out well.

It's so true you never know what a day is going to bring.

It's amazing that after all that you were still able to have those conversations. I bet the minister and the nurse will remember them. Kind of amazing that you ran into an ex-JW. And now he's a minister in another faith. Very interesting.

Please take care, Eric. So good to hear you're on the mend. Take it easy. And all the best to you and your wife and family.

You are a great trial to your long suffering wife. She deserves a vacation to make up for this vacation. I am glad you are where you are. You are getting great care and have someone there that is a great advocate. He doesn't put up with bullshit.

What a scary experience!
I’m glad to hear that you are on the mend.

Warm wishes for your continued recovery :)

A really personal and deep post. It must have been a big uncertainty you were in? Always good to talk to someone at the time of crisis. This pandemic, for example, that has shaken the world has left many alone at their final moments in life. Good to read that it all went well.

If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. Stop eating road kill!

I worked with a young guy a few years ago who had been raised JW and was out of it. His story was so much like many of ours.

Eric, please take care. Sorry you've gone through this.

My father ultimately succumbed to sepsis, when his heart kept failing and no amount of epinephrine could keep him going. It was horrible, and he was already weak. I am glad that they were able to treat you.

Tyson

Glad you're on the mend!