| Story: | I am a 38 yr old mother and wife who is a thankful SJS survivor. I contracted a stomach virus from a pt the week of Halloween 2008. I woke up on the Sunday morning with fecal matter everywhere and in a delerious state, I spent the rest of the day vomiting and loose stools. On Monday the 27th Oct, I was so delirious, my husband had to dress me and take me to the doctor. He immediatley put me on phenegren for nausea, and a diarhea med, I was off work until Nov. 2. Then the "nightmare" began. On Monday, Nov 3rd, at the next doctor appt., he informed me I had a UTI , and since I'm allergic to Penicillin, he prescribed septra. By the way, the UTI(urinary trach infection) came from the stomach virus. I took my antibiotic (septra) all week. I felt tired and weak, but figured it was from recovering from the virus. Then, on Wed, Nov12, I started having heavy heat flashes and sweating. I went on to the hospital to work, had an early staff meeting. As the flashes got work, my boss noticed I was breaking out in a rash and heavy sweating and confusion, she immediately began taking my temp. I went from 99.8 to 101.9 within 15 minutes. The next thing I know, I have a 102.8 temp with chicken pox like rash everywhere. She sent me home, at about 4pm. By the morning, I was at the dr's office at 7:30 am, covered head to toe with rash, temp of 106.7, couldn't swallow, hard to breathe, delirious. He took my blood pressure and it was 280/190, I had SJS.
My husband nearly collapsed. I am an avid mover, I go from day to dark doing housework, taking care of our boys, working at hospital, being sick is just not me. We immediately went into "I've got to survive this" mode. I was off work for 3 weeks (my work, by the way, put it as "fmla," since it was life or death), lost the skin off my lips, was on prednisone for six weeks, lost sight and hearing for several weeks on the right side, and had a small stroke. The stroke was suspected for a while, but recently confirmed. My life will never completely be the same, but thank God, I regained 85%of my sight and hearing that I lost and that I am here to be with my family. My doctor and the doctor I work for are overwhelmingly supportive and help me to keep a check on my health, I am so lucky to have them in my life. Being an SJS survivor is something I will have to come to terms with, but I have faith that I will surely regain some resemblance of my former self.
Thanks,
Tammie Howell |
