Sepsis Awareness #GetAheadOfSepsisSepsis Awareness: Take Time to Educate Yourself about the Signs and Symptoms This is a post prepared under a contract funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and written on behalf of the Mom It Forward Influencer Network for use in CDC’s Get Ahead of Sepsis educational effort. Opinions on this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CDC. Infections put you and your family at risk for a life-threatening condition called sepsis. Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis. Sepsis is a topic that is close to my family because we lost my Father-In-Law to sepsis a few years ago.
Source: AdobePhotoStock A few years ago, my Father-In-Law, at the age of 72, was hospitalized with some medical issues. He was in the hospital for a few weeks, in a city about 8 hours from our home. We spoke on the phone with him daily and had family members who lived in the same city checking in on him regularly. Based on our phone conversations, we felt like he was improving. In fact, he was due to be released when—very suddenly—things took a turn for the worst. He developed all of the signs and symptoms of sepsis. He was quickly moved to the ICU and we were called to come immediately. We packed up all three kids in the car and were out of the house within 30 minutes, making the 8-hour drive in under 7 hours. As we were traveling along the highway, the Infectious Disease Specialist in the ICU was calling us on the phone. They were frantically trying to determine what specific type of infection was affecting him so they could best treat it. They needed to confirm specific drug allergies and interactions, medical history, etc. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at the hospital, he had passed. It was a very tragic situation but it taught us firsthand how important it is to know our loved one’s medical information and the signs and symptoms of sepsis so that early recognition and timely treatment can take place. I write this story not to scare you, but to encourage you to take the time to educate yourselves and your loved ones about sepsis. I hope none of you are ever in the situation where you need to use this information, but should you find yourselves there, I hope this story is valuable to you. In our immediate family, I have one son on the Autism Spectrum and he also has a variety of other health issues. Another son developed RSV as an infant and continues to struggle with health issues as a teenager (more on that in a moment). My third son has ADHD, but no other health issues. I have an autoimmune disorder, and some of the medications I take make me more susceptible to infections, so I keep a close eye on things and stay in communication with my physicians when I am sick. We are all fully vaccinated because we have chosen to take every possible action we can to help prevent serious illness and infections.
My middle son who had RSV tends to get very sick very quickly from illnesses. We’ve had to make several Emergency Room visits when fevers spike very high, or signs and symptoms seem to be progressing instead of improving. Just this past year, he was hospitalized with pneumonia when his first course of antibiotics did not show improvement after 72 hours. We were fortunate that the IV antibiotics he was given at the hospital helped him turn the corner quickly. Many other children on our floor had to be flown to larger hospitals in Boston for more advanced treatment. We’re very thankful he recovered, especially considering that he had one of the four types of infections that are often linked with sepsis:
When a family member is sick, it’s important to document signs and symptoms and treatments taken. The doctors were thankful that I brought a record of every temperature taken, medication given, and other signs and symptoms exhibited, because it helped them quickly identify what was working/not working, and not waste time repeating previous treatments. As caregivers, you also want to be proactive and not reactive, whenever possible. Do not worry about bothering a nurse with a question, asking a doctor to further explain anything you don’t understand, requesting a second opinion, or take any other action needed to help your loved one as they recover from illness. Wash hands frequently, ensure others are handwashing as well, make sure gloves are used when appropriate, and any gowning up that is necessary is done.
Photo Source: Adobe Photostock The CDC has launched a new initiative, Get Ahead of Sepsis, to help us know about the importance of early recognition and timely treatment of sepsis, as well as the importance of preventing infections that could lead to sepsis. Recently, I have had two friends, both in their early 40s, hospitalized with sepsis. My first friend had a simple ear infection, went to the doctor for an antibiotic, and after 48 hours...                   New Book Releases + $10 Amazon GC #Giveaway {Ends 6/30}
Welcome to the Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop, hosted by Bookhounds. This hop will run from June 15 – 30, the prize at this stop is a $10 Amazon GC. HOPEFULLY, by the end of this hop we’ll be moved (or in process of moving) into our new home. We don’t have a delivery date for our household goods from storage, we’re still in temporary housing, with only the clothes we packed and brought with us! I’ve been reading a lot on my kindle, because my internet time is seriously limited – thus the lack of new posts to share with you:) However, my WISH LIST (and my kids wish lists) at Amazon are growing with books we want to read. Some of these I buy in hardback, to complete collections, others I buy as ebooks or borrow from the library (physical copies and ecopies), depending on availability. One book on the list below, I am #158 of 2 copies, so I’ll probably end up buying it, lol. These are upcoming releases over the next several months, that I thought some of you might be interested in. Happy Reading!!! The Reckoning: A Novel
 Unique Father’s Day Gift Ideas + $15 Paypal #Giveaway {Ends 6/25}
Welcome to the Be The Change Giveaway Hop brought to you by The Hopping Bloggers! Hosted By: Mama’s Geeky & Women and Their Pretties Each giveaway has a value of a minimum of $15, however some are worth much more. Be sure to enter to win all of them because there is no limit to how many you can win. GOOD LUCK! Unique Father’s Day Gift Ideas – I hope you enjoy these fun and unique ideas I came across, in my opinion, the most important thing to keep in mind when shopping for the Dad in your life, is to make sure you find something that they’ll enjoy and USE. I don’t buy gifts for someone to put them in a closet *Note, our move is almost complete! We’re still in temporary housing, but expect to close the week this event wraps up. We’ll have our things delivered from storage to the new house, and then I should be back to normal around here. I hope you are all having a safe and amazing Summer!!!! Dad No Matter What/Ugly Children Funny Coffee Mug – Best Birthday Gifts For Dads, Men – Unique Fathers Day Gift Idea For Him From Son, Daughter, Wife – Cool Present For a Father – Fun Novelty Cup
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If you will be doing any holiday shopping online this year, be sure to shop through Ebates! You can check for additional discounts, coupon codes, free shipping codes, etc. AND get cash back on many purchases! First time users also get a FREE $10 Gift Card with their first purchase over $25! ***SUBSCRIBER ONLY SECRET CODE FOR GIVEAWAY'S*** Enter code: MiniVanTure | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Beach Sensory Bin
Pour enough play sand into the bin to fill up half of the space.
Fill a pitcher with water and add a few drops of food coloring. Stir to blend the color into the water. Pour the blue water into the empty side of the bin.
Add beach toys, shovels and shells into the bin. Kids can enjoy digging in the sand for shells, scooping up the sand, and splashing in the water with their hands.
Notes:
