Alex's Journey: Surviving Sepsis and Beyond

For those of you that don’t know me, I am Alex Helmes and I live in Brooklyn, NY. I have struggled with serious ongoing medical issues these past two years. It absolutely ruins me to admit that my entire bank account has been drained as a result. My pride consistently gets in the way of me asking for help, but it is only hurting me now. I never imagined being in this situation or asking for financial help. Making that information public feels humiliating, but I realize this is my life we are talking about and I need to swallow my pride.

For those of you who already know or have been witness to, please bear with me while I try to summarize for those who are unaware.

Here is my story: Early February of 2023, I went to see my ENT doctor for inner ear pain. Upon evaluation, an “emergency procedure” was deemed mandatory. After the doctor told me he “forgot to use Novocain to numb the area,” he confirmed an infection and believed it was a reaction secondary to the original issue. Unable to tell me anything further, he took cultures to send to the lab. I proactively reached out the following day to inquire about results and treatment. I continued to do this daily, despite being assured that my concerns were relayed to the doctor, and he would return my call. A few days later, I received his call. “Hey Alex, I hope things are improving. Funny story - the lab lost your cultures…” Not amused, I clarified that the only chance of knowing the original issue and its corresponding (antibiotic) treatment was lost due to negligence. He confirmed and only then sent a script to the pharmacy for an antibiotic that, unsurprisingly, did not treat/target whatever I had. This relatively innocuous event would prove to be the catalyst to the medical nightmare that has changed my life. Fast forward three weeks… I woke up in a hospital. It took a couple days for me to come to and comprehend what was happening. I still do not know how I got to the hospital. I was released after a week of treatment. As a result of being prescribed an incorrect, ineffective medication, the original infection progressed rapidly and manifested itself into systemic staph aureus (blood poisoning) and then sepsis. Survival is unlikely if not treated within the first 12 hours of going septic. A few weeks later, the same exact thing happened, and I had to be hospitalized again. I cannot properly explain the hell that it was. Surviving sepsis twice is extremely rare, but my body somehow fought through (at least temporarily) with treatment. When I was discharged that time, my body still felt wrecked and I had lost a lot of weight, but I was hopeful I would start to get my quality of life back. The doctor claimed the infection was gone. A month or so later, I was feeling sick and weak. Shortly after onset, I was bed bound. I was unable to walk due to excruciating pain, my skin was so sensitive and painful that I could not tolerate touch or clothing. My skin was peeling, tearing and bleeding, my extremities were swollen and burning, and I couldn't keep food or liquids down. I had started fainting prior to this and got a concussion from a fall on a 5-second walk to the bathroom. My entire body hurt, sleep was a huge challenge, and I was losing weight rapidly. I entered the hospital not long after symptoms developed because it was all so severe and unusual. The doctors told me my body had gone into toxic shock. During that time, I lost function of my left arm due to the infection eating away at my muscle and nerves, which was terrifying. I was disoriented and confused. I lost so much time. I was treated with a different course of IV antibiotic treatment and received several injections and medications per day. I was at very high risk of developing endocarditis and going into organ failure/death. Thankfully, the right treatments were finally delivered and administered for the appropriate duration. The group of doctors coming in and out of my hospital room grew, but they were mostly astonished onlookers. It is unheard of to survive sepsis twice and then toxic shock... not to mention over a four-month time period. I have no idea how or why I am still here, but I continue to fight. As a result of everything, I now live with chronic health issues and symptoms that flare-up without warning. I was diagnosed with a precancerous condition called “intestinal metaplasia” that is untreatable until it progresses to cancer. I have my third procedure this week to check for progression. I was also diagnosed with Hill Grade II gastroesophageal junction. I have autoimmune attacks that often put me on bed rest anywhere from one to four days. I experience widespread symptoms of various types and severity that affect about 75% of my body- inside and out. The level of fatigue I feel and the beating my body has taken makes it really hard to get out and socialize when I am feeling “well.” I miss my friends. I miss my life. I have been back and forth between here (Brooklyn) and Connecticut to stay with my family. I have been in hospitals in both states multiple times. I regularly see three different specialists in hopes of finding better ways to manage/treat my symptoms. I am hopefully entering a program for autoimmune diseases soon. I desperately hope this will all be a thing of the past someday. It infuriates me knowing that I had no hand in any of these things happening and getting proper help and coverage is a massive chore. I have been unable to work, so I ended up having to part ways with my job that I was so passionate about last year. It broke my heart, but there was no way of sustaining it anymore. Healthcare in America is absolutely awful and it continues to fail us. Whether you are a direct victim or a witness to the complete lack of care or financial aid, it has an effect on us all. The amount of money I have poured into required treatments, procedures and hospitalizations is disgusting. Each month I have to refill medications and often have new ones added on top. Each prescription requires a co-pay, so that doesn’t help soften the blow. If you are able to help in any way, please know that I am forever grateful to you. Funds will go toward my upcoming procedure, unpaid medical bills that I can no longer keep up with, ongoing medical costs and future hospital programs. Thank you to each and every one of you. All my love and thanks, Alex