Arturo Rodriguez

Arturo Rodriguez has always considered himself to be in good health. That was until, one unexpected day, when he started feeling severely restless and fatigued, struggling to get out of bed. “When I finally decided to get up, that’s when I started falling onto the wall and then the floor,” said Arturo. He felt as if he had been ballroom dancing, spinning around in endless circles. Everything was out of focus. He leveraged the minimal strength he had to drag himself to his next-door neighbor’s house, who called 9-1-1.

“The last thing I remember was I was in the ambulance looking at the lights thinking I was going to die,” Arturo vividly recalled. The paramedics brought him to the Methodist Hospital | Northeast emergency room, where he was given immediate treatment for what was determined to be sepsis. Unknowingly, Arturo was suffering from appendicitis and pneumonia that evolved into sepsis. “It happened out of nowhere,” said Arturo.

What is Sepsis?

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection. It occurs when the body responds to an infection by releasing organ-damaging toxins into the bloodstream. Not everyone who has an infection will develop sepsis, but everyone with sepsis already has an infection.

Sepsis does not discriminate, which is why it is essential for people to be aware of the signs and symptoms, as well as take appropriate action when necessary.

“Sepsis develops quickly and the sooner you can be diagnosed, the sooner you can be treated,” said Patrice Stark, BSN, RN, CPHRM, Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety at Methodist Hospital | Northeast. “The most common areas of infection are the lungs, urinary tract, abdomen (appendicitis of your intestines) and for females, pelvic inflammation. You can get an infection anywhere in your body, but these are the most common.”

Symptoms include:

• Shivering, as with a fever or feeling very cold
• Extreme pain or even general discomfort
• Pale or discolored skin
• Sleepy, difficult to rouse, confused
• “I feel like I might die,” or other feelings of extreme pain and distress
• Shortness of breath

To be presenting at least two of these symptoms may be a sign of sepsis.

“When you notice these symptoms, the first thing you do is take your temperature and seek medical attention if you have a temperature over 100.4 degrees,” said Patrice. While this can be a life-threatening infection, recognizing sepsis early and treating it aggressively are essential for survival.

A Second Chance

“I didn’t know it was going to be my turn. I didn’t know what sepsis was,” said Arturo. “I was okay, and next thing I know, I was on the ground hoping to breathe.”

Arturo spent nearly six days in the hospital before he was cleared for discharge. According to Patrice, Arturo got medical attention quickly, which helped save his life.

“I owe my life to these people who addressed my issues,” said Arturo. “They were there for me 110 percent. I was fortunate to go to Methodist Hospital | Northeast and have people to take care of me. You all saved my life — everyone that was there by my side to encourage and support me. They gave me a second chance.”

He shares his deepest gratitude for all involved in his care from his neighbor to the paramedics to the hospital staff. He hopes his story will help others.

“People need to wake up to the truth that there is something out there that can take your life out of nowhere,” said Arturo. “I was ignorant because I didn’t know about it. I want people to know it could happen to you.”