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My six month hospital stay cost 11.2 million. I think it was worth it. I had multiple PEs and blood clots in 2019 leaving me with poor circulation and frequent leg pain. One night in June 2020 my left leg became excruciatingly painful so I went to the ER suspecting another DVT or blood clot. I had no idea that I wouldn’t leave the hospital for nearly six months. Within 12 hours of going to the ER I was in a coma and on a ventilator. As the days progressed the ICU doctor who was caring for me discussed my case with her husband who was an orthopedic surgeon, he asked if he could could come in and take a look because has saw many bad infections after joint replacements and while in the service. I had blisters and infection on my left thigh and had quickly become severely septic. This doctor’s visit was my lucky break because he was the first person to suspect necrotizing fasciitis. I was transferred to a larger hospital; blisters, wounds and infection spread along my entire left leg, lower half of my right leg and the lower half of both arms. I could not have any visitors at all due to Covid except when they offered my family one visit prior to putting me on the vent but I was already unconscious with a BP of 60/20. Medications used to treat the low BP left me with poor blood flow to my hands and feet but kept me alive. My husband and son found a hospital employee parking ramp that they could walk up to the eight floor and see the window to my room. I was bedridden and could wave a sheet of paper in the air for them to see. We would FaceTime while I was waving the paper and it felt like they were in the room. My mother and brother would drive two hours to bring me a clean blanket and treats from home. I was on a vent the several weeks, underwent 25 hyperbaric treatments, and had over a hundred debridements. Five wound vacs running at one time and over 100 cm of skin grafts later I am happy to say I am one of the lucky ones. I was released from the hospital after six months. I went to a rehab hospital for three weeks. I continue PT weekly and I am now walking. I am so very blessed to be alive.
