Andy Hullon’s Story
How I took ill and ended up going to hospital; – On 06 of April 2018, in the early hours, I felt very bad pains in my right pelvic -groin area and my body temperature was fluctuating. I had been to the GP the day before and I had pains in my stomach and abdomen and I was prescribed painkillers. – Paula my wife to drive me to Navan as the ED where they kept me for 8 hours carrying out all the Scans and providing me with antibiotics and they consulted Beaumont Hospital teams suspecting Bladder rupture. I was sent there in an ambulance. What infection led to Sepsis; – There were no cuts or lacerations that could have caused an infection. So, we don’t know how I got Sepsis. Your experience in the hospital rehabs and amputations; – I spent nearly 9 months in Beaumont Hospital where I had 27 surgeries which included amputations to my left arm below elbow, all fingers of my right hand, half of the left foot, Three small toes from the right foot, the inside upper muscle of my right leg & half of the groin and a lot of the right abdominal pelvic floor.
2 strokes also left me deaf in my right ear. – I attended approx. 6 weeks of Rehab as a day outpatient in the National Rehab Hospital. – Basically, I had to learn how to speak, eat, walk really everything that a normal person can do including driving. I also returned to full time work from home. Level of understanding of what Sepsis was before your experience; – I had never heard of Sepsis before I got ill. I learnt from the Doctors that I had tec worst kind Sepsis Necrotising Fasciitis, a form of Fourniers Gangrene.
The infection travelled through my body eating up my flesh. Life after Hospital. dealing with Sepsis; – I need special shoes and lower leg braces, I have a Prosthesis for my left limb which can really manage without. I learnt how to drive using an adapted car. I can type with my three remaining right finger stubs. How lucky you are to have survived; – My wife was told the night of the 6th of April that I would not survive the night and that we should call all our loved ones and relations. I was in a coma on life support & all my limbs, my ears, nose were all black and the doctors advised Paula that only 2 out of 8 can survive such an attack. By some miracle of God, I started to respond to medication. I am truly grateful to be able to share my experience with you and I’m very thankful to Joe and his Karen for championing the LIL RED campaign for Sepsis Awareness. Let’s save a few lives!
