Emily Robinson will never forget July 4, 2023. It was a nightmare that ended with a new reason to celebrate – she was alive.

The Blessing Hospital Surgical Services Recovery nurse manager was enjoying Tom Sawyer Days events in Hannibal with her husband when she began to feel ill.

“I just wasn’t feeling very well. Just kind of feeling off. I really didn’t think a ton about it.”

On the way home, she began experiencing chills. Later in the day, the chills grew worse and her temperature climbed to 102.

Emily thought maybe she could ‘sleep it off.’ That didn’t work. By morning she felt worse.

“I knew I was sick, but I wasn’t sick - because I didn’t have a sore throat, I didn’t have a cold, I didn’t have the flu and I didn’t have a GI bug. It was just weird.”

The morning of July 5 Emily and her husband headed to the Blessing Walk-In Clinic for a diagnosis, when the nurse in her took over.

“Part of me was saying, ‘I could be septic,’” Emily said. “But maybe I was overreacting?”

Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection, triggering a chain reaction that can lead to tissue damage and organ failure. At least 1.7 million adults in America will develop sepsis every year, killing over 350,000. Sepsis requires specialized treatment delivered as quickly as possible. But it can be difficult to diagnose as sepsis may appear as a common infection or other medical condition. For that reason, by the time a person becomes very sick due to sepsis, it can be too late for effective treatment. Death can occur in as few as 12 hours. 

Emily wasn’t overreacting
Once the Walk-In Clinic staff heard her story, Emily was directed immediately to the Blessing Hospital Emergency Center where lab work showed signs of sepsis. She was admitted to the hospital.

“I had been here a few hours when the ‘Sepsis Train’ hit me.”
What Emily calls the Sepsis Train is her heart rate skyrocketing and her blood pressure plummeting.
A HART nurse was called to see Emily and she was moved from a medical-surgical floor to the Progressive Care Unit. HART stands for High Acuity Response Team. A HART nurse consults with nurses anywhere in the hospital who are caring for a patient whose condition is worsening. 
Emily was in Septic Shock, the most severe form of sepsis. Specialized treatment began. She was discharged after 5 days in the hospital.
“There were some very scary moments,” Emily said.

What Happened and Lessons Learned

Emily says her caregivers think a urinary tract infection might have sparked a radical response from her immune system, leading to sepsis. She hopes her experience helps others see sepsis can strike anyone at any time.

“You think of sepsis in someone who is an unhealthy individual, or something of that nature. To get that sick was a shock to me.”

It took time for Emily’s energy level to return to normal. But as of today, she is doing well and is grateful for Blessing’s focus on sepsis. Blessing Health’s Sepsis Surveillance program helps caregivers identify sepsis as early as possible. The program features human clinical expertise supported by the latest technology. 

“The Emergency Center physician did not send me home. I really wasn’t to the worst point yet when I came in, but he looked at my lab work and knew that I needed to stay in the hospital. Four hours later is when the sepsis train hit me and I was here. I wasn’t at home.”

Emily’s advice is if a person is not feeling right – no matter how minor the situation may seem – see a healthcare provider.

“I had symptoms of a urinary tract infection on and off for about three weeks. I would drink a lot of water and it would get better. I have had trouble with that for years and should have known better, but it did not set off warning bells in my head until I got sick.”

For more information on sepsis, including symptoms, go to blessinghealth.org/sepsis.