In June 2023, Samuel Preston was stage managing a local theatre production of The Addams Family when he started feeling unwell. What began as a headache quickly escalated into something far more serious…
“I actually googled the symptoms of sepsis but I didn’t feel as though they applied to me, so I thought there was no need to panic,” said Samuel, whose only prior knowledge of sepsis stemmed from a Coronation Street storyline.
Samuel decided to rest at home on 5th June, the day after a full day of rehearsals, but his condition got worse. His mum noticed a cut on his leg had become red and inflamed, so they decided to visit their local Urgent Treatment Centre.
Samuel’s temperature was 40.2°C, his oxygen levels were low, and his heart rate was raised. He was told he needed to get to A&E within the hour. But when they arrived at A&E, Samuel says his suspected sepsis wasn’t taken seriously: “We arrived with a letter saying I had suspected sepsis and needed to be seen urgently, but the person behind the desk put me down as a low priority. I sat there for over two hours getting worse and worse until my mum spoke to another receptionist who changed it.”
Samuel was eventually admitted with cellulitis and sepsis, and started IV antibiotics, fluids, and paracetamol. But he remembers feeling frustrated by the lack of information he was given about what was happening: “I’m autistic, and I need to know what’s going on. But I wasn’t told anything. One of the doctors came to see me with a sepsis information sheet, but he got called away and never came back. I only realised I had sepsis when I overheard a nurse saying it outside my room.”
Samuel unwell in hospital with sepsis
Samuel spent nearly a week in hospital, before having a PICC line fitted so he could continue IV antibiotics at home with the support of a home nurse.
“Despite having an IV hanging out of my arm, I was determined to manage the show I had been working on for months. Even though my role was reduced, I’m proud I still managed to do it. I wasn’t going to let sepsis beat me,” said Samuel.
Samuel now lives with Post Sepsis Syndrome (PSS), which affects him daily: “I now have to use a wheelchair when I’m out and about, and I have periods of insomnia and PTSD. But I try to live my life to the fullest within my new normal. I don’t let sepsis stop me from doing anything I want to do.”
He has a message for others: “Know the signs of sepsis – and not just the common ones. If you think, even slightly, that you might have sepsis, get yourself checked. Every second is vital.”
And for healthcare professionals, Samuel has a clear message about the need to keep patients informed with what’s going on. Samuel said: “People have a right to know what’s going on with their bodies. Not telling them simply isn’t acceptable.”
Samuel also wants to raise awareness of the impact of Post Sepsis Syndrome: “It’s a taxing condition that affects people’s everyday lives and needs to be recognised properly.”
