(Fundraising is at the heart of our fight against sepsis. It raises awareness, and sparks the question: “What is sepsis? In this way, fundraising can help prevent thousands of deaths & unnecessary suffering through knowledge & awareness of the symptoms.It also funds our vital support work, Public Awareness, Educating Health Professionals & helping people adjust to life after sepsis through accessing our Support Group network. We also lobby government to support our cause and makes vital changes in areas such as the NHS.)

From a very young age my daughter - Brenna has always raised money for charities close to her heart. So this year Sepsis is the obvious choice. She had a year out last year and her brother - Finn stepped in and we done the cycle for sepsis. 

Here is my story. 

The marathon will be a challenge for us both but we are determined to complete this. Here is my short story on why the charity is important to us. 

January 2019 was supposed to be the end of my suffering. After 3 years of constant pain, testing, scans, medications and treatments I was to go in for a routine op as a day patient. I’d be pain free after this. Bring it on!

Op day arrives and after 4 hours in surgery I’m moved up to the short stay ward. Fast forward a few days and I’m still in hospital. I’m an unpleasant grey colour to look at, I’m sweating profusely, I haven’t passed urine in 2 days. My pain is of extreme levels and I am talking absolute nonsense. My sats are within normal levels though. 
Op day was Wednesday so come early morning Sunday I have what I can only describe as an impending feeling of doom. Something very BAD is happening. I text my husband and one of my sisters to tell them I’m frightened and I think I’m dying. I have visits from nurses, nurse practitioners and registrars throughout the early hours to try and reassure me everything is ok. 
Consultations with doctors, surgeons, tests and scans show 
I AM SEPTIC
My consultant explains to a very delirious and oblivious me that there’s a window of opportunity to fix this and off I go. I’m wheeled off on the stretcher back to theatre for life saving and life changing surgery. Leaving my poor hubby, who at that point was like a deer in the headlights by my bedside. 
8 hours or so later I wake to find him watching over me in HDU. Attached to machines and tubes in practically every orifice, feeling very small in the hospital bed and not able to move much. This is surreal and even when explained to me what has actually happened I’m still not absorbing the information. I remember just looking at my hubby wondering why he looked so worried and relieved at the same time. 
Three weeks later, acceptance, adapting and lots of hard work I was allowed to go home. I still have issues with my memory caused by the sepsis but I’m here. 
My outlook on life has changed. It’s had to as part of my recovery and acceptance of the person I now am. 
I am a survivor! A sepsis survivor! 
I am thankful for my life and the people in it. 
#SepsisLDN21

Raising awareness for sepsis will always be important to me 💞