The bout of Viral Encephalitis probably started on Thursday, because as I got out of the shower late at night, I noticed a slight rash above both of my knees, and around my ankles and lower legs. I felt fine and I did not have a high temperature.

On Friday I made an appointment with my Doctor for Saturday morning, but by Saturday the rash appeared to have diminished quite a bit, so I phoned the receptionist at the doctor's surgery and cancelled the appointment.

On Sunday morning I attended Church while having a very bad headache. Following church I read the Sunday Mail (a Sunday paper) and after lunch I had a rest as usual, and apart from a bad headache I was all right. At 4.00 p.m. I attended the Choral Society just down the road to hear one of our grandchildren singing. I enjoyed the singing, however, I was extremely sensitive to the loud clapping in support of those singing. Following the singing I had a cup of tea and talked to others standing around. I then drove the two km home, as I had no trouble driving during the day. I was still feeling well apart from the bad headache

Following the evening meal, I watched T. V. for a while, but instead of continuing to watch TV further into the night as was my usual practice, I went and lay down on my bed at about 8.00 p.m. because of my crook head. Betty (my wife) noticed that I had disappeared and found me asleep and that I had taken the T. V. remote control with me. While I don't remember anything after 8.00pm. Betty says that I started acting and doing some unusual things for the rest of the night, which caused her to sit up all night and watch me as I continued to get worse as the night wore on.

Betty said that I would go to sleep but not for long and that I would go to the toilet about every 20 minutes. She found me at the bathroom cupboard among the tablets, and asked me what I was doing, to which I replied that I was getting tablets for my bad head. Betty wondered if I had taken too many tablets. Betty sat on the side of my bed, knowing something was wrong, but she did not know what it could be. She wondered if my problem might have been high blood pressure. At one stage Betty found me in the kitchen about to make a drink using liquid from the soft soap container.

I must have walked around a lot throughout the night, and Betty afraid to go to sleep, in case I might do something that I shouldn't, took all the keys out of the dead locks of the doors and hid the keys to ensure that I could not get out of the house. Betty told me later that I had gone out into the garage attached to the front of the house. Betty said that while I was walking around, she asked me if I knew who she was, and said that I just laughed at her. So while I don't remember anything, I was responding to Betty. Sometime after 3.30am. While Betty was phoning the Ambulance, I walked out and asked her what she had said, as I could not hear what she was saying. The Ambulance arrived within 15 minutes of receiving the phone call, and by the time the Ambulance people came inside Betty said that I was lying on the bed in the spare room and I could no longer walk, and that they could not understand what I was saying, As I could not walk, the Ambulance bearers after checking me out for about 15 minutes, took me strapped to their trolley to their vehicle as I would not stay still.

By the time the Ambulance arrived at the Emergency section of the Base Hospital I had worsened. When I was placed in the Intensive Care Unit I was very agitated and had to be restrained and put under sedation to enable the Doctors and nursing staff to do a brain scan, as it was thought that I might have had a stroke. After two Lumber punctures in the spine the Ambulance then took me to the Mater Hospital for a M.R.I. but when they started to bring me out of the sedation I would struggle too much and as I had to be very still for the M.R.I. they had to leave me under sedation to take me for the M.R.I. After the M.R.I. I was very agitated and could not be brought out from under the sedation for days. Apparently I had pulled out the tube down my nose and had also pulled out the drip from in my hand. If they took the oxygen off me I would stop breathing. On the Tuesday when they again tried to bring me out of the sedation, I was not with it and struggled too much so it was sedation again to keep me quiet. At one stage while trying to bring me out from under the sedation I was so uncooperative that all of my family were trying to keep me in bed.

By Wednesday I must have improved a little, but I don't remember anything until the Thursday, when I was moved further along in the I. C.Unit. On Thursday I remember that the catheter draining urine away was a real worry to me and I could not voice my concerns. What a relief it was to have the catheter removed. I think it was the Friday that the nurses got me up to see if I could walk, and I had to walk on the spot. After a while they took me and showered me and gave me a shave. I was not allowed to drink water because I might choke on it and so they had me drinking small amounts of thick water. I knew that I was in hospital but that was about it as far as memory goes. I was later taken up to the medical ward in the hospital, where I recovered quickly. After several days in the medical ward, when told I could walk around and that I could phone Betty, to my astonishment, I could not recall our phone number, or any other phone number. I had been home from hospital for 6 months when I was asked on the phone for my home address for an Air C. serviceman to call, and I could not remember it. I now have a problem, as I can see something and know what it is, but I can’t find the word for it. After getting out of hospital, Betty told me that the consulting Doctors and the nursing staff at the hospital were just so wonderful. They spent a lot of time asking questions and communicating with Betty and other family members, explaining what was happening at all times and of their diagnosis of Viral Encephalitis. Although many tests were done, the identity of the actual virus was never conclusive.

The Doctors have told me that the following problems are from brain damage from the swelling caused by the Encephalitis, but that I should not get any worse. Oh for a broken arm or leg that needs a plaster cast or crutches, not that I want sympathy, but at least, people would not be saying, "How are you Bill. My word you do look well." Regardless of how I feel I simple say, "Thank you I am well."

Problems:

• A loss of memory in some areas. I often can't find the word I need in conversation even though I may be able to see the thing I want to talk about. Strange though, my memory is so good in the area of my past work as a Pastor, such as remembering Bible verses, the flow of chapter after chapter of the Bible. Details of various doctrines learnt and taught.



• I can't plan as I used to do, perhaps more of a lack of incentive, or concentration.



• Many of my computer skills (which were many) have come back slowly, but I am or so slow now at typing and constructing what I want to type, and even when I have it together in my mind, I have trouble getting it onto the computer.



• I can get so tired that I just grind to a halt. I can tire easily and fully, and quite suddenly.



• My Arthritis and Fibromyalgia, which were getting worse, have really intensified since the Encephalitis- I don't know if there could be a connection.



• Loud noise like the clapping I mentioned earlier after singing, before the Encephalitis, affects me. Now sharp sudden noise worries me.



• Initially following the Encephalitis, after I was out of hospital I improved quickly, but now I seem to have come to a standstill.



• Apprehension (hopefully unfounded) is high when traveling in areas away from centers with Major hospitals, for fear that the virus causing the Encephalitis might reactivate. I think I would not have survived if I had had the Encephalitis in some of the isolated western towns that we travel through, because of the speed, the suddenness and the intensity with which the Encephalitis came upon me. The lack of medical expertise and facilities and the great distance between Major centers in Queensland give cause for apprehension.



• I am doing a lot of reading in the hope that all things caused by the Encephalitis will improve. However, reading is something I have to feel like doing or else it does not work. (Use it or lose it)

To the Doctors and Nursing Staff of the Intensive Care Unit of the Mackay Base Hospital.