Prepare for sepsis recovery
Survival is the beginning, not the end.
You do not have to remember everything. That is what this list is for.
Your preparation progress
0 of 37 steps · saved on this device
Adds the event plus preparation reminders at two weeks, one week, two days, and the day before.
Overview
Sepsis survivors are often sent home with little explanation of what comes next. Fatigue, weakness, brain fog, and anxiety are extremely common — and they are not a personal failing.
What to expect
- Fatigue and weakness lasting weeks to months
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering — often called brain fog
- Sleep problems, low mood, and anxiety
- Higher risk of another infection in the following months
- Slow, uneven improvement
Questions to ask
What organ effects should be monitored after my sepsis?
What increases my risk of another infection, and how do I lower it?
Is rehabilitation or therapy appropriate for me?
What support exists for post-sepsis anxiety and brain fog?
In plain language, what is happening and why is it recommended now?
Plain language is your right. Ask again if the answer is technical.
What are my options, including waiting or doing nothing?
How will this change what I can do day to day, and for how long?
What should I do to prepare?
Who do I call with questions, and what number do I use after hours?
What would make you want to see me sooner?
This turns vague worry into a clear trigger for calling.
Interactive checklists
Check items off as you go. Progress is saved on this device so you can continue later.
Private to this device. Included when you print, export, or save to your Health Binder.
For caregivers and family
What caregivers can expect
- More care needed at home than anyone expected
- Sleep, appetite, and mood taking time to return
- Multiple follow-up appointments
How caregivers can help
- Run the medicine schedule for the first week
- Watch for warning signs and act early
- Take one shift off — ask someone else to cover
Questions caregivers should ask
- What does normal recovery look like this week?
- What symptoms mean we should call rather than wait?
- What help are we eligible for at home?
Recovery and what happens next
Today
Safety and supplies first.
- · Set up the rest area
- · Fill prescriptions
- · Confirm who is helping and when
Week 1
The highest-risk week.
- · Follow medicine schedule
- · Attend or confirm follow-up
- · Track temperature, pain, appetite, and sleep
Watch for: Fever, chills, or a wound that becomes red, warm, swollen, or leaks fluid; Pain that keeps getting worse instead of slowly better; New confusion, dizziness, or fainting; Nausea or vomiting that stops you from keeping fluids down
Week 2
Small increases in activity.
- · Walk a little more each day
- · Review what still hurts
- · Restock supplies
Month 1
Rebuilding routine.
- · Discuss driving, work, and lifting
- · Start or continue therapy
- · Review medicines you can stop
Long-term
Strength, stamina, and mood.
- · Set a realistic activity goal
- · Schedule preventive care
- · Ask for help with anxiety or low mood — it is common
Risks and warning signs
Possible risks to ask about
- Every procedure and medicine carries some risk — ask for yours in numbers, not adjectives
- Reactions to medicines, contrast, or anesthesia
- Infection
- Delays or the need for a repeat visit
Warning signs — call your clinician
- · Any new fever, chills, or infection — sepsis survivors are at higher risk
- · Confusion or a feeling that something is very wrong
- · Rapid heart rate or breathing
- · Worsening weakness or inability to care for yourself
Red flags — seek emergency care
- · Fever with confusion, clammy skin, fast heart rate, or severe breathlessness — seek emergency care and say the word “sepsis”
In an emergency, call 911. Do not wait for a call back.
Follow-up care
- Confirm every follow-up appointment is on the calendar
- Ask who coordinates care between clinicians
- Review what medicines can stop
Frequently asked questions
Helpful resources
People preparing for this also read
Prepare Me is educational preparation support from Phoenix Health Compass. It does not diagnose, recommend treatment, or replace the guidance of your clinician. Checklists and notes stay on this device unless you save or share them yourself.