My journey began after surgery to remove my ovaries. During the procedure at the hospital, the doctor unknowingly nicked my small bowel—and sepsis began to set in. I didn’t feel right after the operation and refused to leave the hospital.

Five days later, the staff finally decided to open me up to see what was going on. That’s when they found the issue and repaired the nick. But by then, the damage had already been done.

Sepsis had taken hold.

Click to watch Susan tell her Sepsis Story

I went into cardiac arrest three times, needed eight blood transfusions, and experienced kidney and respiratory failure. I spent 43 days in the hospital, followed by five weeks in long-term rehab where I had to learn to walk and talk again. After that came several months of outpatient therapy.

When I reached out to the hospital to ask for help with the out-of-pocket costs I’d incurred, they responded with an apology—for not recognizing the signs of sepsis.