Alison Ferguson wins the battle against sepsis
After being discharged from rehabilitation, Ferguson continued her recovery with additional physiotherapy.
After a 30-year career as an entrepreneur and corporate leadership trainer, Alison Ferguson called in sick on what was supposed to be her last day of work.
“I just couldn’t get off the couch,” she says of that day this past April. “That had never happened to me before.”
Instead of running a final workshop for her client, she stayed home and became steadily weaker, more tired, and much more confused.
“I don’t really remember too much from those early days of the illness,” she says, “but I’m told that at one point I tried to use a pen as a mouse for my computer. I also tried to send a text from my shoe. It was like that old Get Smart show!”
Ferguson does remember thinking that whatever was ailing her would pass, but her symptoms in fact worsened. She was finally persuaded to go to a nearby emergency room where she was diagnosed with pneumonia and sepsis. When it became clear that her kidneys were under attack, she was transferred to intensive care at Health Sciences Centre.
Sepsis can be a ruthless foe. It isn’t an infection itself, but rather the body’s extreme and overwhelming response to one (in this case, Ferguson’s pneumonia). In essence, the immune system’s response to fight infection spreads throughout the body instead of targeting the infection exclusively. If not treated quickly, sepsis can be fatal.
During a three-week stint in intensive care, Ferguson was on a ventilator and was in an induced coma while being treated with antibiotics and other drugs. She was also on dialysis as her kidneys suffered the wrath of sepsis.
Her condition improved enough to be moved to a regular room—but not for long.
“One of the nurses felt that something still wasn’t quite right, and she was correct,” Ferguson recalls. It seems that the sepsis wasn’t ready to concede, and surgical intervention was required.
After two surgeries to drain fluid from around her lungs, another to drain fluid from around her heart, and two more weeks in intensive care, Ferguson returned to a regular room until she was ready for discharge in mid-June to another facility for rehabilitation.
While the experience was frightening and long, Ferguson is deeply grateful for the care she received and for the presence of family and friends throughout her ordeal.
“My surgeon, Dr. Larry Tan, immediately understood my situation and provided options in a calm, confident, and thorough manner in order to move forward. It was clear he was skilled, knowledgeable, and focused as a surgeon,” says Ferguson. “And I’m grateful for the resident who drew diagrams for me to explain the procedures. The nurses and all of the professionals who took care of me were gracious and kind and helpful.”
Though retired, Ferguson did put on her leadership training hat (as an observer) while lying in her intensive care bed. And she was impressed. “I love their team approach,” she says. “When they did their rounds I could see a variety of people from different specialties collaborating and communicating effectively together. They let my husband and daughters listen in and took the time to answer their questions. My family and close friends still reflect on the quality of care and on the compassion we all experienced. The nurses, the physiotherapists, the speech pathologists, the dietitians, the doctors—everyone was skilled, patient, and understanding.”
By October, Ferguson was walking a complete lap around the Assiniboine Park, unassisted and without a break.
All told, Ferguson’s bout with sepsis and her hospital stays totalled two and a half months. After being discharged from rehabilitation, she needed additional physiotherapy and walked with a cane for a while. But by October she was hitting golf balls at the driving range and walking a complete lap around Assiniboine Park, unassisted and without a break.
“I was always in good hands, confident that I was getting excellent care,” she says of her HSC experience. “When people donate to the Foundation, they should know they are supporting positive patient experiences.”
Your generosity helps ensure patients like Alison receive the care they need when it matters most. You can make an impact by donating here, or by calling the HSC Foundation office at 204-515-5612 or toll-free at 1-800-679-8493.
