September is Sepsis Awareness Month — a time meant to educate, remind, and honor those who have faced this silent killer. For one mother, it’s not just a date on the calendar. It’s a reminder that she is still here — a survivor who fought for her life and her unborn child when the system that was supposed to protect her nearly failed her.
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Two years ago, she was 30 weeks pregnant — glowing, expectant, and preparing to welcome a new life — when everything changed in an instant. What began as pain from kidney stones quickly spiraled into a nightmare she never could have imagined.
The stones, she was told, were too large to pass naturally. Her only option, doctors said, was to have a nephrostomy tube inserted — a procedure that would drain her kidney and relieve the pressure. It sounded straightforward, but what followed was anything but.
The procedure began before she was fully anesthetized. She was awake, in unbearable pain, before being placed under general anesthesia — and then woken again mid-procedure before finally being sedated once more. It was traumatic, both physically and emotionally. When she awoke, the tube was in, but there were no instructions, no after-care guidance, and no sense of compassion. She was given heavy narcotics and sent home, left to fend for herself with a foreign object protruding from her body.
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A week later, the tube dislodged. She was rushed back to the hospital, forced to undergo the same excruciating process all over again. This time, the emotional exhaustion nearly broke her. Shortly after, she passed the kidney stone naturally — but her urologist insisted that the tube remain in place until a month after delivery.
It didn’t feel right. Her instincts screamed that something was wrong. She cried to her midwife, the only person who seemed to truly listen. The midwife fought for her, pushing to have the unnecessary tube removed. Eventually, the doctor relented — but even that moment of relief turned into another ordeal.
When the tube was pulled out, it was done abruptly, without anesthesia or pain relief. No scans, no numbing, no compassion. Just a quick yank, a piece of gauze, and the words,
“You’re all set.”
That night, the unimaginable happened. Pain erupted through her body, fever spiked, and her breathing grew shallow. She was rushed back to the hospital — this time fighting for her life. The neglected tube had crystallized inside her body, creating a perfect storm for infection. She had developed
sepsis — a deadly, fast-moving condition where the body turns its own defenses against itself.
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For a week, she battled fever, pain, and fear that she might never go home again. “There were moments,” she recalls, “when I truly didn’t think I would make it back to my children.” Machines beeped around her, IVs dripped antibiotics into her veins, and doctors worked to keep her infection from spreading further.
When she finally began to recover, relief came with a difficult decision. Doctors recommended a central line — another tube — for continued antibiotics, but she hesitated. The irony wasn’t lost on her.
A tube had nearly killed her once. She questioned the plan, requested an alternative, and was met with skepticism and dismissal. But she stood firm. She trusted her instincts.
A month later, against all odds, she delivered her baby safely — full term, healthy, and free from complications.
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That terrifying chapter changed her forever. What began as a routine medical intervention turned into a battle for survival — and a powerful lesson in self-advocacy. “If something feels wrong,” she says, “speak up. Ask questions. Get all the information. And if no one listens — find someone who will. Your instincts are there for a reason.”
Her story is more than a medical warning — it’s a call to empowerment. Too often, patients, especially women, are told to quiet their intuition, to defer to authority, to trust blindly. But her survival proves that courage and self-trust can save lives when systems fail.
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Today, as she watches her healthy child grow, she feels profound gratitude — not only for surviving sepsis but for finding her voice. September will always be more than a month of awareness for her. It is a living reminder that life is fragile, that advocacy matters, and that no one should ever feel dismissed when it comes to their health.
“I’m one of the lucky ones,” she says softly. “I survived. But so many don’t.”
Her message to others is simple and urgent:
Trust your instincts. Speak up. Ask questions. Fight for your life if you have to — because sometimes, that’s exactly what it takes to stay alive.
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Her story stands as both a warning and a beacon — that amid fear, pain, and uncertainty, the quiet voice inside you is often the one that saves you.