WHEN fitness fanatic Lauren Carson began experiencing back pain, she shrugged it off as a pulled muscle from running.
Just weeks later, she found herself “24 hours from death” – and is now warning others not to ignore key symptoms.
Lauren Carson began experiencing back pain and shrugged it off as a strained muscle[/caption]
Not long after, when her symptoms got worse, she ended up in hospital battling sepsis[/caption]
Lauren, 31, got a urinary tract infection (UTI) at the beginning of August this year, and while she started a week-long course of antibiotics, she said her symptoms didn’t improve.
She then started experiencing back pain and feeling hot while on holiday in Majorca, which she put down to being active and being abroad.
But when the pain left her unable to walk after she returned home, the financial crime specialist called a doctor on August 22nd who ordered her a taxi to take her to hospital.
Within six hours Lauren had scans that revealed she had kidney stones, believed to have been caused by a UTI, and went into septic shock – a life-threatening condition that happens when your blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level after an infection.
Doctors reportedly told a horrified Lauren she had just 24 hours to live if she didn’t have surgery.
Lauren had the kidney stones removed and stayed in Royal Victoria Hospital, in Belfast, Northern Ireland for five days following her operation.
Now, Lauren is sharing her ordeal to raise awareness of how serious UTI complications can be.
Lauren, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, said: “I never expected it to be something so serious. UTIs are so common with women, you never expect it to be fatal.”
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is typically confined to the bladder or lower urinary tract, but if left untreated, the bacteria can travel up to the kidneys, causing a kidney infection.
From the kidneys, the infection can spread to the bloodstream.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition where the body’s response to an infection causes organ dysfunction, while septic shock is the most severe form of sepsis.
Lauren said: “I would get UTIs quite a lot, I think most women do.
“As a woman you just assume it’s a UTI and that you need to drink more water and cranberry juice.”
Now recovering from surgery, Lauren said she still deals with UTI symptoms and can’t do activities that require lots of walking and strength.
Lauren said: “I had the operation immediately. When I came out, I was told I wouldn’t be able to walk for a couple of weeks.
Lauren has always been active with yoga, pilates and running[/caption]
She developed kidney stones which were thought to have been caused by a UTI[/caption]
Lauren is now urging other women to take UTIs more seriously[/caption]
“I was quite active, I do yoga, pilates, go running, it was a shock, I haven’t been able to do anything like that. It’s changed my entire life from just having a UTI.
“They had to take the kidney stones, they were completely lodged, which is what caused the blood infection.
“I can [now] drive, can’t walk too far and still have UTI symptoms.”
Urging other women to take UTIs more seriously, Lauren said: “If antibiotics don’t work after three days you should go to the doctors and explain they haven’t gotten rid of the infection.
“Take UTIs more seriously because we are so prone to getting them and don’t ignore symptoms like tiredness and confusion.”
What are the symptoms of sepsis?
SEPSIS is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that happens when your immune system overreacts and starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs.
Symptoms of sepsis in an adult include:
- Acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
- Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
Symptoms in a child include:
- Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- Difficulty breathing (you may notice grunting noises or their stomach sucking under their ribcage), breathlessness or breathing very fast
- A weak, high-pitched cry that’s not like their normal cry
- Not responding like they normally do, or not interested in feeding or normal activities
- Being sleepier than normal or having difficulty waking
They may not have all these symptoms.
If you think you or someone else has symptoms of sepsis, call 999 or go to A&E.
Source: NHS
