Jay Latham
My sepsis story started around 2011 when I lived in Fort Myers FL. I started having a severe pain in the left side of my abdomen. I was hospitalized and diagnosed with Diverticulitis. I changed my diet and did all the other things the doctors said. I had a few flare-ups occasionally but, they went away within a couple days of antibiotics. Fast forward to 2024.
I hadn’t been feeling very well for a few weeks with nausea and a fever. A couple of the guys I worked with had been sick, so I just thought it was the flu/stomach bug. The morning of April 13th, Saturday of The Masters Tournament which is the busiest week of my golf club’s year, I woke up to go in for my closing shift. I couldn’t stop shivering. My wife had 3 blankets on me and was hugging me and running my arms to try and get me to warm up. I eventually put on about 3 layers of clothes and went to work even though it was 70 outside. Once arriving, the other staff members said I didn’t look very well. I was pale and still shaking. Around 11:30 am that morning I was with some of the guys and I said, “I think I’m gonna get sick.” I remember trying to get to the bushes before I got sick. The next thing I knew I was on the ground with 6-7 co-workers around me. I had passed out.
Thankfully, I was around people. I’m a stubborn person and told everyone - “Just get me some water, I’ll be fine”. I told them I didn’t need an ambulance. They said I stood up, took another step and down I went again. This time my General Manager told me,“Either by ambulance or the bed of my pick up but you’re going to the hospital.”
Once in the ER, the doctors ran many tests. They said my blood pressure had dropped which is why I passed out. They ended up doing a CT scan of my abdomen and discovered a diverticulitis “pouch” had burst, creating avmassive infection in my abdominal cavity. I had no pain or anything that I would’ve been concerned about. That’s when they told me I was septic and had I not been brought in, I’d have died within 12-24 hours. They said I needed surgery, but the surgeon wouldn’t do it until some of the infection had subsided with antibiotics. Finally, the following Wednesday they decided to do surgery.
I was told it would be laparoscopic with a small incision on my side and another small incision above my belly button. The surgery was expected to take around 2 hours. The surgeon said there was still so much infection that she had to open my abdomen wide open (see pic) and the surgery ultimately took just over 6 hours. I was intubated over night and was given blood as I lost quite a bit during surgery. She ended up taking 14 inches of my colon out (thankfully no colostomy bag). I was in the ICU for about 14 days til they transferred me to a regular room. I was discharged from hospital 18 days from the day I went down. I’m currently recovering (8 weeks post surgery) back to work on very light duty. Very thankful for the medical staff at Aiken Regional Medical Center for their care.
I never knew sepsis could progress as fast as it can or be as deadly. I tell people I’m lucky and most say I’m not lucky but blessed as it was Gods work I’m still here.