My patient story

---

My name is Mary Millard and I hold a Masters in Education & Training  as well as being a past LPN. The last five years has led me to take  courses in Microbiology, Epidemiology, and public health; along with  extensively researching  costs due to healthcare acquired infections as  well as national statistics.

I must begin with saying that what I  recall of my stay in the hospital is the first 3 days and the last 15  days of step-down prior to going home. Knowledge of the remaining time  in the ICU  is from medical records, physicians, P.As, nurses, and my  husband. There are fleeting glimpses of a brightly lit OR , ICU delirium  and many drug induced nightmares however, I was kept in a medically  induced coma due to multiple intubations…..

In fall of 2014 upon going to an emergency  room after a serious bout  of atrial fibrillation it was discovered that I had a 6.3cm ascending  aortic aneurysm, and a partially collapsed aortic valve. This was deemed  a genetic issue as there were no underlying diseases or health issues.

Two days prior to surgery the valve collapsed completely and I went into 

cardiac  arrest. After a 6 minute code and three attempts with the paddles that  failed, an extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) procedure was  implemented; where your heart and lungs are bypassed with a machine that  circulates  and oxygenates your blood, and an external pacemaker beats  your heart.

After three days my own heart started beating again so ECMO  instruments were removed and two weeks of recovery ensued. Doctors  feared the aneurysm would burst so the open heart surgery took place.

Four days after the surgery I was placed in step-down, with the  possibility of going home soon. On the fifth day my husband was visiting  and noticed me 

speaking in a confused manner , feverish, and  could not hold my head up. After an error in calling a stroke code it  was determined that acute septic shock had set in and I was rushed back  to the ICU.

Wound cultures showed that I had contracted Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, a  gram negative bacteria that creates a sticky biofilm on anything that  is not your DNA in the body. Pseudomonas is resistant to many  antibiotics and resides in this biofilm on my graft, valve replacement,  tricuspid valve ring and groin graft (from the ECMO cannula).

I then underwent another opening of my sternum so the surgeon could  clean out my chest cavity from infection residue, debride the aortic  graft to attempt a biofilm removal, as well as an Omental flap  procedure. This is removing the greater Omentum ( a web of blood vessels  and tissue covering the stomach and other abdominal organs) to place in  the chest cavity for blood enrichment.

By the time it was all over I had spent a total of 61 days in the hospital.

Upon release from the hospital, 

4 weeks of home IV infusions ensued  along with learning to walk again and performing simple tasks such as  cooking and feeding pets. Two months plus in a hospital bed with very  little physical therapy (due to the medically induced coma) along with  acute septic shock weakened my muscles drastically.

Life has never been the same as the infection requires high dose  Ciprofloxacin and a few other antibiotics to stay out of your  bloodstream. My days and months are filled with doctors visits, re  hospitalizations, and more procedures. Antibiotics kill all good  bacteria in your system leaving me open to other bad bacteria and this  has resulted in respiratory and intestinal infections.

In July of 2015 I went septic again and after a procedure to remove  some remaining sternal sutures it was discovered the Pseudomonas had  overridden the lower dose of initial Cipro. After one week in the  hospital I underwent another month of antibiotic infusions at home , and  then placed on the highest legal daily dose of Cipro at 1500MG.

Going thru acute septic shock has resulted in heart failure which  required a micro-pacemaker insertion, and leaves me with shortness of  breath, fatigue, and lower energy. Post sepsis syndrome also exits with  permanent neuropathy, a completely numb left foot, as well as post  traumatic stress syndrome, nightmares, and memory issues.

To date I have had:

115 x- rays

37 CT scans with contrast

Multiple extra procedures such as cardio-versions and surgeries  including a stomach repair, in addition a TVR to check on the micro  pacer.

9 re-hospitalizations, and 33 of emergency room visits.

No one knows what the future holds as my care is reactionary since  there is no protocol for my condition as I have been told by several  experts in the Infectious Diseases discipline that surgical site  Pseudomonas is very rare.

Having decided to share my story, with the encouragement of my  doctors and family, is so that I can speak for those who cannot and help  prevent healthcare acquired infections as well as inspire research on  antimicrobial resistance. I speak to crowds large and small to inspire  others so that this issue can be addressed and the problem of antibiotic  resistant microorganisms can end. They do effect anyone!

I have also become a board member  at the Healthcare Surfaces  Institute; as the majority of infections are caught from surfaces such  as medical devices, counter-tops, textiles and more…. The HSI is a  collaborative of exerts from all fields of infection prevention,  researchers, device manufacturers, and industry chemical disinfectant  developers.

• Twitter
• Facebook

  Search for: