News / Brave Bain bounces back from septic shock to take on London marathon
“I REALLY did feel like I was dying.”
A young swimmer left fighting for her life after going into septic shock from appendicitis is set to take on the London Marathon in honour of a sepsis charity.
Katie Bain was sent home from Aberdeen A&E and told she just had a stomach bug after presenting with severe stomach pain in September 2024.
Less than 24 hours later, Bain was back in hospital almost unconscious after her appendix had ruptured.
The then-24 year old went into septic shock and had to be placed in an induced coma for three weeks as doctors fought to tackle the illness.
It took them three attempts to finally bring Bain, who was now weak and had to relearn how to walk, out of her coma.
Despite a bleak prognosis of a year’s recovery, the determined athlete defied all odds to return to the pool just weeks later – and battled back to swim for Shetland at the 2025 Island Games.
Now Bain is set to take on her biggest challenge yet, the London Marathon, in aid of the sepsis charity who provided her with hope in the aftermath of her illness.
And already she has smashed her initial fundraising target of £2,500 – raising more than £3,800 so far. You can donate to her fundraising appeal here.
‘It’s definitely not appendicitis’
The 25-year old can barely believe how far she has come in such a short space of time.
In September 2024 she began to suffer from severe stomach pain which “basically escalated from 0 to 100”.
After phoning NHS24 her and partner Ben were advised to go to A&E in Aberdeen, but she said her pain was “fobbed off as a stomach bug”.
“We asked three separate times, ‘is it appendicitis?’” She told Shetland News last week.
“They gave me a physical stomach exam and said, ‘no, it’s definitely not appendicitis’.
“They were quite patronising to me and my partner. My doctor said, ‘I’ve been in A&E for 12 years and I would know if it was appendicitis’.
“He actually checked my urine to see if I was pregnant instead.”
Bain said they were frustrated by her initial treatment at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. “You think you will be in the right place in A&E and you’ll get the help you need,” she added.
She was sent home, but less than 24 hours later Bain was rushed back through the doors – this time “almost unconscious”.
Her appendix had now ruptured, and she was in the final stage of the life-threatening condition sepsis – septic shock.
Such was the seriousness of her condition, Bain was rushed to the operating table for emergency surgery.
“I knew I was ill, but I was pretty much unaware of everything that happened from there onwards,” she said.
“My lungs were failing, so I was placed on a ventilator. I was placed into an induced coma for two and a half to three weeks.”
The last thing Bain remembers, she said, was a “sense of impending doom” as she was brought in.
“I really did feel like I was dying,” she said.
Brave Bain bounces back from septic shock to take on London marathon
She was kept on dialysis and at one point nurses suspected she had suffered a heart attack in the hospital.
Her family and boyfriend Ben were at her side throughout, and she described them as her “absolute rock” during the entire ordeal.
“I think it’s something you can never really imagine, having to watch someone you love going through that,” Bain said.
“I think it was extremely difficult for them. I was never alone at my bedside at all though, they made sure of that.”
After a few failed attempts to take her off the ventilator, Bain was finally brought out of the induced coma.
She did not sleep for three whole days after being brought back, and experienced “ICU delirium” – a common condition affecting patients who have to use a breathing machine – which brought with it “wild” hallucinations.
‘Lot of mental recovery’ after illness
Bain was also “really, really weak,” she explained.
“I had to learn how to sit up in the bed, relearn how to walk.
“That was a huge shock because I’ve always been a strong, fit person.”
The whole experience left Bain “really traumatised”, she said, with a “whole lot of mental recovery” to come after the sepsis was treated.
What Bain did not lack though, was determination. She was told by a consultant that she would take six months to a year to get back to full health and fitness.
That would have seen her miss out on the Orkney Island Games last summer, which she had earmarked as a prospective goal.
“It was pretty disheartening to hear that,” she said.
“So I maybe just took that on as a mental challenge.”
Just one month after being discharged, Bain was back in the pool – something her consultant called “insane” when she heard.
“I knew I was quite a strong person physically, but it was amazing the effect your mindset could have on it,” Bain said.
“I think I just wanted to prove them wrong.”
London Marathon determination
Having known little about sepsis before her diagnosis, she took it upon herself to learn more afterwards.
She reached out to the UK Sepsis Trust, the national charity which aims to raise awareness and end preventable deaths from the illness, to find out more.
“I thought it was a blood poisoning illness, so when I looked it up I thought, ‘this is not what I thought it was’,” Bain admitted.
“It was really useful to get read what other people’s stories were – that was really quite comforting, in a weird way.”
She said she knew that she wanted to do something for the charity, to raise education about the “misunderstood” condition.
That something was the London Marathon, which Bain will take on this Sunday in aid of the UK Sepsis Trust.
The 25-year old has completed the Glasgow half-marathon, but this will be her first time running the longer 26.2 mile distance.
Asked how training had been going, Bain admitted: “It’s been pretty difficult, to be honest.
“I enjoy running half-marathons, they’re enjoyable to train for – that doesn’t really take over your whole life.
“Training in this weather over the winter has been tough mentally and motivation has definitely been a tough aspect.
“I enjoy a warm pool instead! But it’s been a good challenge.”
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