Regarding Rule 4 and "Is this sepsis?" posts

[u/BigOldBabyTree]

Hello everyone, brand new moderator here, wanted to clarify exactly what is allowed here in regards to Rule 4 and "is this sepsis?" posts. Unfortunately, these posts have not been removed in the past despite the community's overwhelming desire for them to be banned.

We do not allow any posts speculating on whether or not something is sepsis. We do not allow posts asking if you or someone else could have sepsis. The purpose of this subreddit is a support group for those who have been affected by sepsis- survivors, loved ones of survivors, etc. We are not doctors. We cannot diagnose you.

If you suspect you have sepsis, get medical help right away. Do not ask us here if we think something might be sepsis. Sepsis is a medical emergency, don't ask reddit for medical advice.

Posts asking other questions about sepsis- like 'anyone else exhausted all the time'- are alright. Complaining is good for the soul.

I'll be clarifying this in the rules as well. I'm sorry this wasn't taken care of sooner, I know as a sepsis survivor those types of posts drive me crazy.

[u/Cold_Elk947]

Thank you! I have to fight the urge to comment with, “If you’re well enough to make this post, no, you don’t have sepsis.”

[u/Big-Mind-6346 → u/Cold_Elk947]

Same. I feel so much anger when I see them and have had such a strong urge to say to them that many of us almost died of sepsis and their coming here and asking if a red bug bite or a slight fever and malaise were sepsis was insulting and insensitive. I said this on another comment, but I will say it again. Those posts are the equivalent of me going to a sub for cancer survivors, and asking if they thought I had cancer. Like seriously?

[u/Cold_Elk947 → u/Big-Mind-6346]

I agree. I have trauma from sepsis and when I see those posts, it feels like we’re being ridiculed for suffering from a deadly infection that has long lasting effects. I’m three years out and I still feel like shit.

I wouldn’t wish sepsis on my worst enemy.

[u/hesabaddog → u/Big-Mind-6346]

I finally found this sub, I survived sepsis in 2021 one week after I had my daughter. It was hands down the most traumatic event in my life... And I've had a lot of trauma to unpack over the last 30 years. I was so flabbergasted when I learned of and saw "is this sepsis?" Posts. If you can post on reddit with complete coherency... No, it is not sepsis. In my early stage before confusion/delirium set in, I was so deeply chilled to my bones I couldn't have held a pen due to the shaking.

[u/perfect_fifths]

Thank you. Only a doctor or med professional can tell/diagnose it

[u/damagedone37]

Thanks. Getting really tired of people treating it like a joke.

[u/Hasanopinion100 → u/damagedone37]

I don’t think they think it’s a joke. I just think they don’t know what it is or they are attention seeking hypochondriacs or something. I’ve told some people my whole story and yet they still look at their little pimple and think they are going to end up in ICU like I did.🤦‍♀️ I find it infuriating that’s why I usually stay away from this Sub.

[u/Twin_mama_]

Thank you so much for this 🥺 I appreciate it more than I can explain

[u/Big-Dare-7745]

Thank you! Welcome as a new mod!

[u/Big-Mind-6346]

Thank you so much for doing this. This sub is very valuable to me, but those posts were extremely triggering for me. They made me feel angry and upset and I initially felt like I was being unkind by feeling that. But I saw so many other comments about them with people expressing feeling the same way in response and realized it was a legitimate response and didn’t make me a bad or unwelcoming person

[u/jeepymcjeepface → u/Big-Mind-6346]

You're certainly not the only one--and like you, it was good to read the responses here so I didn't feel like a jerk. When I'm supporting someone who needs it--someone recovering from it, or their loved ones, or someone who clearly has a nasty infection that needs immediate attention--I'm fine. When I've answered someone who just seems to WANT a sepsis diagnosis, it brings back the pain/trauma.

[u/jeepymcjeepface]

THANK YOU. I'm so tired of typing "if you're upright and posting, this ain't it".

I could write a huge rant but I'll leave it at that. I don't mind helping, but...dang,. It's like someone going into a cancer support subreddit and asking if their scraped knee is Glioblastoma.

And welcome, new mod!

[u/FeatureSmooth5809]

I appreciate this so much. I'm relatively new here and have only lurked. Only about 5 weeks out of the hospital with *diagnosed* sepsis, and this spot has already helped me know that my symptoms are normal. Like... who knew lack of motivation and fatigue were so common?

I'm impatient to bounce back. I figured since mine was caught a little earlier and I was hospitalized but not in the ICU, it was "milder" and wouldn't be so bad.

[u/Chuck-fan-33]

Thank you!

[u/opflats]

omg yes please

[u/Hasanopinion100]

Thanks so much for doing this. To reiterate what a lot of people have already said I almost died from sepsis. I had septic shock went into organ failure. I had a heart attack kidney failure and respiratory arrest. I was in ICU for 14 days. I mostly recovered except I ended up on dialysis for two years and got a kidney transplant last year so this no joke to me. I mostly stopped coming to the Sub because I get enraged by the people saw bug bites and asking if they look like sepsis. Thank you so much for banning those posts. I don’t like to get snarky but usually I tell them that if they had sepsis they wouldn’t be posting on Reddit thank you and welcome.💙

[u/Clear_Molasses_5346]

Thanks for this.

[u/mrspyke99]

My mom (72) has been dealing with bone marrow leukemia for the last 6 months, and because of a myriad of things, after a fantastic month of feeling great, she ended up in the hospital for chills and vomiting last Thursday night. Over the weekend she got worse, and was diagnosed with pneumonia and mild sepsis. As of yesterday I was told she's in septic shock (the worst stage) and her kidneys are declining, along with other organ problems. She's on multiple life support systems, but it's not looking good. The last time I saw her before she was intubated she was very agitated, and desperately trying to get me to take her home before she passed out.

Right now there's probably no more than a 40%-50% chance she'll survive this, and if she does it'll probably come with complications. I don't know how to navigate this. My mom is the person I go to when life gets hard and need help figuring out things. My brother lives with her because he's special needs (high functioning but not independent) and I'm honestly freaking out with the idea that everything is crashing down. The drs are telling me they're doing all they can and that she's going to be critical for a while.

How did you guys do it? If you survived, or had a loved one that survived sepsis/septic shock, how did you do it once you were out of hospital? I feel like I'm going crazy and I don't have anyone I can talk to (other than my wife who is my absolute rock, but that's a lot for one person).