I remember the moment all too well, but the nine days spent in the hospital are a blur. I was eight months pregnant with my first child and thought the pain I was experiencing was Braxton Hicks contractions. When I called the doctor, they told me to keep monitoring it, but that it should subside.

The pain continued throughout the night, and by the next morning, I had spiked a fever and could barely walk. My mom, who works in the medical field, had an instinct that this was not normal and took me to the hospital, where I was admitted to Labor and Delivery instead of the Emergency Room since I was pregnant. The nurses worked quickly to get my fever under control and started running tests. At the time, it was the height of the COVID pandemic, but this was ruled out after my test came back negative.

They eventually determined I had a kidney infection, which was causing the excruciating pain, and started me on antibiotics. I was admitted to the Antenatal Unit within the L&D Department, where I was closely monitored. Unfortunately, after 24 hours of pain, fever, chills, and another round of tests, my body did not respond to the antibiotics, and the infection was spreading. It had now progressed to sepsis, and they informed me that it was life-threatening, where time was of the essence to stop it.

I remember being asked if I had a DNR, who could make medical decisions on my behalf, and if it came down to my life or my baby’s, who I wanted them to save.

Another 24 hours passed, along with another round of tests and antibiotics. I became very weak and eventually lost my ability to walk or even move while lying in the hospital bed. They could not get the fever to subside, but they were able to keep it from spiking, which was a good sign. Eventually, one of the antibiotics started to work its magic, and the numbers showed improvement. The hospital wouldn’t release me until I was fever-free for 48 hours with no signs of infection.

Once I returned home, my care plan included daily antibiotics and many appointments to check on the baby to ensure the stress my body endured did not cause any issues. It took me two weeks before I could finally walk on my own again, and all I wanted was to have enough strength to hold my baby girl once she was born.

I feel extremely lucky for the quick response from the medical staff who helped diagnose, treat, and care for me around the clock. However, the happy ending in my story is not like others, and it deeply saddens me when I hear about those who did not survive.

I strongly believe the Antenatal Care Unit saved my life and often wonder, what if?  What if my mom had not been there to be my medical advocate? What if I had not been pregnant and went to an emergency room instead of Labor & Delivery? Many of my symptoms closely resembled other illnesses, such as COVID, the flu, a stomach virus, or false contractions. Would I have had the same outcome?

I share this story because I want to spread awareness and encourage others to be their own advocate. Sepsis can happen to anyone, but it is treatable if caught in time and should not cause any more unhappy endings.