I was concerned to hear from a constituent recently about her experience with sepsis. She fell ill with sepsis in Spring last year and is, devastatingly, still suffering from the effects. She tells me that her life has altered dramatically.
She needs a CPAP machine to breathe at night and will need to use it for the rest of her life. She has post-sepsis syndrome, where she has extreme fatigue and is unable to return to her previous job. Apparently 40% of people who develop sepsis are estimated to suffer physical, cognitive and/or psychological after-effects, so she is one of many suffering in silence.
She tells me that people often think nothing is wrong with her as she ‘looks fine’, but post-sepsis syndrome includes extreme fatigue and a number of physiological and physical symptoms. Muscle pain, poor sleep, short-term memory loss and arrhythmia (when the heart beats in an irregular rhythm) are all symptoms that can last well beyond the acute phase of the illness. For my constituent, the lack of understanding about her condition from others leaves her feeling even more fatigued and misunderstood.
Sepsis is one of the least well-known medical conditions, and the number one cause of preventable death in the world. It’s tricky to diagnose and can manifest in different ways depending on a number of factors, part of the reason why it’s so hard to spot. But, having heard about the horrendous experience of my constituent, I’ve been making myself more aware of the condition and wanted to share what I’ve learned.