Copyright dailymail
I could feel my organs shutting down... I was in so much pain I begged nurses to let me die READ MORE: My organs are failing and I could die at any moment By EMILY JOSHU STERNE, US SENIOR HEALTH REPORTER Published: 15:21 GMT, 3 November 2025 | Updated: 15:36 GMT, 3 November 2025 As Ivy Asmus lay in her bed at home, she was left paralyzed by pain so fierce that even the weight of her husband's hands helping her sit up made her scream. Every attempt to simply turn or shift 'felt like being sliced in two,' she remembers. For two relentless weeks in April 2014, blinding pain became her constant companion, and she wondered if she would ever be able to walk again. Her torment began over three decades ago when she was only 15 years old, mystifying doctors. 'I chalked it up to growing pains and pushed through like most teenagers do,' the now 46-year-old from Atlanta said. At 17, she spent an entire year being treated for recurrent kidney infections due to elevated counts of disease-fighting white blood cells, which spike during infections. In reality, damage to her spine had already begun, 'even if no one recognized it yet.' After having her symptoms repeatedly dismissed as everything from appendicitis to osteoarthritis, an MRI revealed ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a rare form of arthritis that attacks the joints in the spine, leading to crippling pain in the lower back, spine and hips. As the disease progresses, the body can produce excess bone that slowly fuses the spine into rigid and debilitating positions that render a patient immobile. Ivy Asmus (pictured here), 46, suffered recurrent infections and severe pain for decades before learning she had a rare form of arthritis. One operation for the condition left her in organ failure, 'begging' nurses to let her die Asmus said: 'I saw four different rheumatologists before I found one who truly saw me, not just a checklist of symptoms. The others dismissed me because I didn’t fit their textbook definition of the disease. 'It was exhausting and dehumanizing to be told, over and over, that my pain didn’t count because it didn’t look the way they expected.' While AS typically starts between 20 and 40 years old, most forms of arthritis begin much later in life, such as over age 50. The condition affects about 3 million Americans, less than one percent of the population, and is often misdiagnosed because initial symptoms like lower back pain mimic more common types of arthritis and conditions like fibromyalgia. How I cured my painful fibromyalgia with an ancient medicine and finally got my life back Asmus was working as a special education teacher when her symptoms took a terrifying turn in 2014. She said: 'As teachers, we’re trained to go to the floor with our special needs students when needed to keep them safe. 'I did just that with one of my students, and about three days later, I started feeling warning signs: a twinge here, a sharp pain there. Nothing unbearable, just enough to notice. 'But three more days passed, and everything changed. The pain became so intense that when I tried to get out of bed, my husband had to physically lift me while I screamed in agony.' 'The only way I can describe it is like the worst toothache imaginable, one that never stops throbbing, and then, just to remind you it’s still there, it sends sharp, stabbing jolts through your body. It’s relentless. 'And beyond the physical toll, it chips away at your mental health in ways that are hard to explain unless you’ve lived it.' Since 2015, Asmus has undergone seven surgeries to fuse her spine into the correct position and prevent permanent deformities and mobility issues. However, recovery was 'grueling,' including spending 12 weeks on strict bed rest after one operation while lying at a 30-degree angle. After spending so much time on her back, she had to relearn how to walk, her body trembling uncontrollably after just two steps at a time. 'I promised myself that I could never again take the ability to walk for granted,' she said. Asmus is pictured here during a race. After her brush with a bacterial infection and sepsis, she committed to regular exercise In 2023, after her sixth operation, Asmus was rushed to the hospital after her mother found her 'completely incoherent' with a high fever and in the 'worst pain' of her life. Despite a white blood cell count of 24,000, more than twice the normal level, doctors dismissed it as a inflammatory response from the surgery and sent her home. By the time she returned to the hospital for another operation six days later, she had gone into septic shock, the body's extreme overreaction to an infection that causes the immune system to attack healthy organs and tissues. Asmus was suffering from an infection with the rare bacteria Serratia marcescens, which is usually caught in hospitals from contaminated hands, surfaces or medical equipment. Doctors were forced to redo Asmus' previous spinal fusions and remove infected tissue and fluid from the area. Her mother told her she had 'begged the nurses to let me die.' She said: 'When you’re that sick, you know. I knew I was dying. I could feel my organs beginning to shut down. But strangely, I also felt an overwhelming sense of peace. Part of that came from my faith in God, but another part came from the years of chronic, agonizing pain I had endured. 'If I died, I knew the pain would finally stop. And if I lived, I trusted that my surgeon would help me reclaim my life.' 'I never feared not walking again because I never told myself I wouldn’t walk again. I always told myself that when I walk again, I will never stop moving again.' After several spinal surgeries, Asmus (pictured here) had to relearn how to walk and slowly work up her way to running marathons Asmus, seen here during a race, is now planning on taking her biggest challenge yet: running the Publix Atlanta Marathon on March 1, 2026 As Asmus regained her strength, she committed to exercising every day and improving her mobility. It started with short walks, then evolved into jogs. Now, she runs at least six miles every day. The exercise has helped her shed 107 pounds in two years, and the running helps alleviate pain and stiffness from her AS. Her type 2 diabetes has also improved. 'I feel better than I have in years,' she said. 'I've truly come to believe that movement is medicine, and it's been transformative for both my body and my spirit.' Now, she is preparing for her next challenge: running the Publix Atlanta Marathon on March 1, 2026. Asmus said: 'Though my life looks different than I once envisioned, it’s beautiful and fulfilling in ways I could never have imagined. 'Yes, this disease has taken things from me, but I would even dare to say it’s given me more. It’s taught me to cherish life deeply, to leave a legacy of helping others, and to truly fight for what matters.' Share or comment on this article: I could feel my organs shutting down... I was in so much pain I begged nurses to let me die Add comment
