Episode 18: Laughter through Tears; Discussing sepsis caregiving with my daughters, Elise and Alexis

SPECIAL NOTE ** We want to remind our viewers that this podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have an infection or other medical issue, please contact your physician or go to your local emergency room.

Coming home after surviving septic shock is no walk in the park, for patients, nor their families. Caregivers are the unsung heros of healthcare and the task often falls upon family members when it comes to sepsis survivors. My family was as unprepared as I was for the torrents of tears and moody hell storms that commenced once I came home. I was dicharged, with not a peep uttered about Post Sepsis Syndrome. I thought I was going crazy, I thought I would be a burden on my family forever, and there were times I wanted to end it all.

Tune in as my girls and I have an honest discussion about what that first year was like, after I came home from the hospital and lenghty rehab. I hope our discussion will help more families to not feel alone, and encourage physicians and healthcare workers to support Post Sepsis Syndrome Awareness. Visit Sepsis Alliance @ www.sepsis.org if you would like to connect with other survivors, or if you're a caregiver or someone who has lost a family member to sepsis. Their online support groups brought my mind back down to earth, and I can never thank them enough.

At one time, I didn't want to be here. Today, I'm thankful for everyday I get to spend with these amazing daughters, and my equally amazing son and his wife and my husband. I'm such a lucky mom. They took outstanding care of me, even though they didn't understand what was happening. It was a very long road to get here. And I'm deeply grateful.

Please check out our GoFundMe if you would like to donate to help us overcome the post sepsis debt we are still trying to pay off https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jacki....

Articles I've written about my sepsis experience:

The Washington Post: Sepsis Nearly Killed Me, This is What it was Like: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellne...

Costco Connection: Could it be Sepsis? https://www.costcoconnection.com/sept...

The Healthy: “Here’s How I Knew I Had Sepsis”: A Patient’s Story of Surviving a Misunderstood Illness https://www.thehealthy.com/infectious...

The Lancet: On the front lines of the sepsis crisis: hurdles faced by sepsis researchers, survivors, and family advocates https://www.thelancet.com/journals/la...

Substack: Tip Toeing through the Echoes of my Medical Trauma https://open.substack.com/pub/jackied...

The Lancet: The walking wounded: sepsis survivors grapple with post-sepsis syndrome https://www.thelancet.com/journals/la...

Healthy Women: The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t, After I Survived Septic Shock https://www.healthywomen.org/real-wom...

Television Appearances:

WBAL: After a near-death experience, woman shares her story for Sepsis Awareness Month https://www.wbaltv.com/article/woman-...
bloodstream/45225130#septicshocktreatment

WJZ: Local News Local woman shares inspiring story of fight against sepsis https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/new...

Please sign the petition to bring Post Sepsis Syndrome to the attention of the World Health Organization WHO. We need 5,000 signatures, and we're almost three quarters of the way there!

https://www.change.org/p/please-world...

Support the SEPSIS ACT:
https://www.endsepsis.org/legislative...

Global Sepsis Alliance: www.globalsepsisalliance.org

Music by: Bensound
License code: 2SQJSDIWVZNTQEM5
Artist: : Benjamin Tissot