6.22.2007

Questions

A lot of people have asked what exactly was wrong with me - the overall ruling was Sepstic Shock and Acute Respiratory Disease / Acute Febrile Disease.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is an acute, severe injury to most or all of both lungs. Patients with ARDS experience severe shortness of breath and often require mechanical ventilation (life support) because of respiratory failure. ARDS is not a specific disease; instead, it is a type of severe, acute lung dysfunction that is associated with a variety of diseases, such as pneumonia, shock, sepsis (a severe infection in the body) and trauma. ARDS can be confused with congestive heart failure, which is another common condition that can also cause acute respiratory distress.

They state I was in septic shock. This is
considered a serious condition that occurs when an overwhelming infection leads to low blood pressure and low blood flow. The brain, heart, kidneys, and liver may not work properly or may fail. In my case my heart, liver, lungs and pancrease were affected - the kidneys and brain were just along for the ride.

To hear just how sick I was now freaks me out a bit... It could have ended up so differently. I shouldn't be alive according to the stats for Sepsis and ARDS. I had a 30-40% chance of living. How freaky is that?