I woke up Friday morning feeling flu-ish and spent most of the day in bed. By Saturday afternoon, I decided to go to urgent care. While they couldn’t find anything obviously wrong, my vitals told a different story: a 103-degree fever, a pulse of 125, and high blood pressure. They suggested I go to the ER for blood work, though they weren’t overly adamant.

Something in my gut told me this was serious, I knew the signs of sepsis and I said to the urgent care doctor, “I don’t want to go home and die of sepsis” so I went to the ER. There, I was admitted and treated with IV antibiotics for sepsis. The underlying cause wasn’t determined.

I stayed in the hospital for four days, and by the third night, I finally started to feel a little better. I was discharged the day before Thanksgiving, relieved to be well enough to go home.

As a doula, I understand the importance of self-advocacy. It felt strange to be on the other side of care, but I was grateful to know how to ask for what I needed. Trusting my instincts and pushing for answers made all the difference.