The Horror That Followed: Sammi Hassan's Post-Surgery Agony

Sammi Hassan's life had long been a battle against endometriosis, a condition that left her in monthly agony, forcing her to curl up on the floor of her bedroom in pain. But the real horror began after a surgery meant to ease her suffering. Hours after being discharged from the hospital, she was struck by a sharp, stabbing pain that left her "howling" in distress. "It felt like something terrible was happening inside me," she recalls. The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced—burning, radiating, and worsening with every passing second. It took her breath away, leaving her frozen in place. "I was crying, almost howling in pain," she says. "I didn't want the kids to see me like that. It was so distressing."

Her husband, Tarik, and two young daughters, Isabella and Celine, were left in the dark as Sammi struggled through the ordeal. When she called the hospital, staff initially dismissed her pain as "possible period pain," even though her period was due. But within hours, her condition deteriorated. Her hands and lips turned blue, her body grew ice-cold to the touch, and she began experiencing delirium. "My heart was racing. I felt like I was dying," she says. Her parents, desperate and frantic, called an ambulance but were met with a 40-minute delay. Fearing for her life, they drove her to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, where doctors quickly identified the true cause: sepsis, a life-threatening complication of infection that can shut down vital organs within hours.

Sepsis occurs when the body's immune response to an infection spirals out of control, causing widespread inflammation and organ damage. "Any infection—bacterial, viral, or fungal—can trigger it," explains Dr. Andrew Conway Morris, a consultant in intensive care and clinical academic at the University of Cambridge. "Instead of just fighting the bug, the immune system starts damaging the body's own tissues." In Sammi's case, the infection stemmed from her abdominal surgery, which had aimed to remove endometriosis tissue that had wrapped around her pelvic organs, bladder, and bowel. The sepsis she developed was a tragic irony: the very treatment intended to relieve her pain had instead led to the worst agony of her life.

Sepsis is one of the UK's most deadly health threats, responsible for an estimated 50,000 deaths annually—more than breast, bowel, and prostate cancer combined. Yet its unpredictability makes it particularly terrifying. "Some people will get an infection and be absolutely fine," Dr. Conway Morris says. "Another person, in similar health, can become critically ill." While infants and the elderly are at higher risk, sepsis can strike anyone, even those who are otherwise healthy. Sammi, who had no prior health issues, describes her experience as being "hit like a deer in headlights."

Her journey highlights a growing concern in healthcare: the need for faster recognition and treatment of sepsis. Early detection is crucial, yet delays in diagnosis can be fatal. Sammi's case also underscores the hidden toll of endometriosis, a condition that affects 1 in 10 women but is often misdiagnosed or dismissed. Her surgery to remove scar endometriosis—tissue that had formed on her abdominal wall after a caesarean birth—was meant to give her relief. Instead, it exposed her to a new and severe risk.

As she recovered, Sammi reflects on the fragility of life and the importance of awareness. "If I hadn't been taken to the hospital quickly, I could have died," she says. Her story serves as a stark reminder of the need for better education about sepsis, improved emergency response times, and more compassionate care for patients with chronic conditions like endometriosis. For now, she is focused on rebuilding her life—but the scars of that harrowing experience will remain.

What no one noticed at the time was that her bowel was perforated during the operation and her abdomen was flooded with waste, causing the infection that developed into sepsis. In fact, the surgery was judged to be a success and Sammi was discharged from hospital the following day. Within 48 hours the intense pain started spreading across her abdomen. Dr Conway Morris says pain can be a feature of sepsis, especially following surgery. 'If it doesn't respond to simple painkillers or seems to be disproportionate to the surgery that has been undertaken, it may be a sign of sepsis,' he explains. Critically ill, Sammi was placed in an induced coma... her loved ones were unsure whether she would make it.

Abdominal infections, such as those from bowel perforations after surgery, are a major cause of sepsis. 'Bowel surgery always carries a risk of leakage of bowel contents with lots of bacteria in it,' says Dr Conway Morris. That's why, he says, patients having bowel surgery 'should be made aware of the symptoms of potential complications', such as sepsis. Once sepsis takes hold, it can progress with terrifying speed. 'Your time for seeking medical advice is short – a matter of hours,' says Dr Conway Morris. 'Six to 12 hours can be the difference between life and death.'

The danger is that early symptoms look vague or flu-like, and there is no single test that can definitively diagnose sepsis. Doctors must rely on clinical judgment, piecing together symptoms and blood results. Signs they watch for include having a very high or very low temperature, confusion, extreme weakness, fast breathing or rapid heart rate, producing little or no urine, feeling cold, having mottled or blue hands and feet, and a rash that doesn't fade when pressed. 'Patients will sometimes say, "I feel like I'm going to die,"' says Dr Conway Morris. 'That sense of impending doom is real and points to sepsis.'

Sammi is grateful her parents decided to get her to hospital so quickly. 'If I'd waited for the ambulance we'd called I probably wouldn't be here now,' she says. At hospital Sammi underwent emergency surgery to repair her bowel and clear the infection. 'If there's pus, or a hole in the bowel, it will keep leaking,' explains Dr Conway Morris. 'If you don't control the source, you won't control the sepsis.'

It happened so quickly she says that 'by the time the ambulance – which nobody had remembered to cancel – arrived at my house, I was already being wheeled into surgery.' However, during the operation she went into septic shock – where blood pressure drops so low that not enough blood reaches major organs, which can result in multi-organ failure and death. Critically ill, Sammi was placed in an induced coma and transferred to intensive care. Over the next three weeks she required more surgery and she was put on the highest strength IV antibiotics available. Her loved ones were unsure whether she would make it. 'My husband couldn't always be with me because he was trying to take care of our girls, and all he could think about was, "How am I going to tell the girls in the morning that their mum's no longer here?,"' says Sammi. At one point the doctors were unsure she would make it 'and they got my husband and parents to come to the hospital immediately – I guess to say goodbye', she recalls. Sammi emerged from her coma the next day and spent ten days in intensive care, becoming panicked and confused as she regained awareness.

She was discharged after three weeks, but as is the case for half of those who survive sepsis, Sammi has been left with post-sepsis syndrome – new or worsening symptoms following the initial illness. Symptoms can include crushing fatigue, breathlessness, muscle and joint pain, poor sleep, memory problems, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Patients, like Sammi, who spent time in intensive care are particularly affected – yet follow-up care is often patchy. 'We spend enormous resources saving people in ICU,' says Dr Conway Morris. 'Then we let them out, and the support just isn't there.'

Six months on, Sammi says: 'I don't think I'll ever be the same person ever again. It's changed my life for ever.' She is still undergoing physiotherapy to make up for the muscle loss that occurred during her weeks spent immobile in a hospital bed. 'I've had therapy to help me breathe normally again and I also have weekly mental health therapy for my PTSD, panic attacks and anxiety.

The woman, who spoke exclusively to this publication under the condition of anonymity, described her battle with sepsis as a harrowing journey that has left lasting scars on her physical and emotional well-being. "I've made good progress but I'm still struggling, and I don't know when – or if – I'll be able to go back to work," she said, her voice tinged with both determination and uncertainty. The uncertainty, she explained, stems from the unpredictable nature of her recovery. While some days bring small victories, others are marked by frustration and a sense of helplessness. "It's like trying to navigate a maze without a map," she admitted. "You take one step forward, and then you're back where you started."

The most profound impact, however, has been on her relationship with her children. "My eldest daughter had started school just two weeks before my sepsis happened," she recalled, her eyes welling up as she recounted the moment. "At the time she really needed me. She remembers me crying out in pain and she overheard people saying I could die." The memory still haunts her, not just for the fear it instilled in her daughter but for the way it disrupted the fragile stability of their lives. "It's one thing to be sick, but it's another to watch your parent fight for their life while you're trying to adjust to school," she said. "She's a strong kid, but I know she's carrying a lot of weight."

The relationship with her youngest daughter, however, has been the most difficult to mend. "She turned two the week I came out of hospital, and I simply wasn't able to care for her," she said, her voice breaking. "I couldn't pick her up or even cuddle her." The inability to perform these basic acts of affection, she explained, created a chasm between them. "As a result, probably as a protection mechanism, she rejects me now. She doesn't want me to do anything for her and she has a meltdown when her daddy leaves." The emotional toll of this rejection is palpable. "That's been particularly painful and I hope it improves," she said, her hands trembling as she spoke. "But I don't know if it will."

Despite the challenges, she remains resolute in her desire to raise awareness about sepsis. "I want to warn others of the symptoms so other families don't suffer as ours has," she said. "Sepsis doesn't discriminate. Always ask the question – could it be sepsis? If it's caught early, the possibility of a good outcome is so much higher." Her words carry a weight of urgency, born from personal experience. "There's a misconception that sepsis only affects the elderly or the immunocompromised," she said. "But it can strike anyone, at any time. And the signs are often subtle – a fever, a rapid heartbeat, confusion. But if you ignore them, it can be fatal."

Her story is a stark reminder of the importance of early detection and the need for greater public understanding of sepsis. "I don't want anyone else to go through what we went through," she said. "If I can help even one person recognize the symptoms and seek treatment in time, then this experience will have been worth it." As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on the horizon, a quiet determination etched into her features. The road to recovery, she knows, is long and uncertain. But for now, she is focused on one thing: ensuring that no other family has to endure the pain she and hers have faced.