What started as a simple elective shoulder surgery cascaded into 8 that nearly cost me my life.
I'll not only share my story, I'm giving my readers tips and advice on what they can do to ensure that their next surgery doesn't trigger their own Healthcare Hell!
"I was a very sick man."
Upon arrival at the emergency room I was admitted and started on fluids and antibiotics until my doctor could arrive early on Saturday morning. You see, I was septic and the doctor said, “if you had waited until Monday, you might not have made it; and we have scheduled emergency surgery for you." This surgery was to open my shoulder up, clean it out, and see how the infection looked. My doctor did not know that he was going to remove my newly installed shoulder until he was in surgery and saw how bad it was.Sepsis is caused by an infection but is triggered by the body’s immune system response when the infection reaches the bloodstream. Chemicals are released into the bloodstream resulting in inflammation. This can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and ultimately even death. I was a very sick man at this time. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences estimates that over one million Americans develop sepsis in hospitals every year. Of those, 15 to 30 percent DIE. Furthermore, these rates have continued to rise in recent years. In hospitals, sepsis is often caused by an underlying infection or bacteria that has been introduced into the body during the course of medical care.
The Author
I am Greg Atkinson, and there I was, a relatively healthy but very active 59-year-old man; as I have a cannabis farm growing acres of hemp that is converted and turned into 40+ products. I averaged 10,000 steps per day, playing tennis 3-5 days every week, fishing, hunting, golfing occasionally, all while still performing as a magician as I have been doing professionally since age 12.
My love for tennis, outdoor sports, farming, and constant activity were what led me to have an “elective surgery” that went horribly wrong.My hope is that my story prevents the same thing from happening to you or to someone you love.