ENCEPHALITIS CASES

Encephalitis Cases

Danielle

My name is Danielle and I fell ill in December 2004 I was 23. I became ill on the Friday, I remember going to see my son in his Christmas carol concert, I had a sore throat and two very tender spots behind each ear, by Sunday morning I could not move for the pain, my husband was worried my temperature was soaring and I was getting confused. My whole body felt like I had been beaten with a very heavy blunt object. Of course we put it down to Flu however, Sunday evening I lost all feeling in my legs I could not move them and I started getting short of breath. That was when my husband called the ambulance, the paramedics decided I was having a panic attack, I knew I was seriously ill but in typical English style I nodded politely and let them take me to A&E where I spent the next 16 hours. During this time I was given a couple of paracetamol and some fluids. I do not remember much about that night, My husband informed me they thought I had suffered a stroke. I was given a CT scan then left on a ward, by this time I was vomiting and I only remember blinding pain in my head, I remember begging my husband and my parents to help me, I realise now it is pretty rare to have still been conscious as at this stage my encephalitis was severe. My mum seeing me in this condition practically dragged the consultant to my bedside, he examined me again, I could not stand light, I could not bend my neck, both my legs were paralysed, and I was barely able to respond because of the pain, all these symptoms I had presented with when first admitted to A&E, I was then given an LP which went wrong and ended up being administered six times before they finally obtained any spinal fluid. I was started on anti viral drugs and a neurologist came to see me the following evening. I was in hospital for a week, during this time I was not told what was wrong with me, or how dangerous it was. I was discharged on the 23rd December still not aware of what I had or if there would be any long term effects. Christmas day was not good, I could not stand up because where I had received six separate holes in my spine the fluid was leaking and there was not enough fluid around my brain, I started to vomit and by the time the family was seated in front of the obligatory Only Fools and Horses re run and I was rushed back into hospital. The second time round I felt even worse than the first, my blood pressure was so low there was concerns over my heart and no amount of painkillers and anti-sickness were helping. My husband and sister were very scared by this point. This is when I lose my memory of what happened, I only remember the pain in my head. My husband has told me that eventually they managed to find a doctor, not an easy job in a London Hospital on Christmas evening, and he administered a nice big shot of morphine, apparently the effect was almost instantaneous, I smiled and fell asleep. I remember waking up the next day in isolation, I was still unable to get up and I spent the next week on complete bed rest and a lovely concoction of painkillers which kept me blissfully unaware. I was finally discharged two days after my birthday, this was turning out to be a very bad Christmas. I did not find out what was wrong with me until the following April when I saw the Neurologist for a follow up appointment. He explained I had Encephalitis and sent me for a days worth of tests at the closest neurological centre. I was offered no information except that from the sounds of my symptoms I caught encephalitis from Mumps, a virus I was unfortunately never vaccinated against. I am sorry if I sounds bitter, I am very angry at what has happened I have been left with a terrible short term memory, weakness and loss of sensation in my legs causing me to fall and fracture my elbow, I get confused, I have dizzy spells, back outs and I am unable to work. It has been eleven months since I was ill, and though I hold my hands up to still feeling anger at what happened I am trying to live up to my Englishness and get on with life with a stiff upper lip. My dry sense of humour has kept me sane and though I know this sense of comedy is not understood by many it helps me through it. I will not lie, Encephalitis has changed me as a person, I am no longer the same and I do not know if I ever will be, I am still in the grieving stage for the loss of my old self, my husband and children have been so patient with me and handled having their wife/mum change over night with so much understanding and love that I am so proud of them. Now we laugh at my funny habits of putting things in strange places or forgetting what I was saying halfway through a sentence. My son remembers his school dates and rings from school to remind me of things, my husband just shrugged when I lost his mobile phone though I have no memory of taking it out with me, all of these are just tiny things but they show so much understanding I feel very lucky to have such a wonderful family. So though this has been the hardest thing that has ever happened to me, it could have been so much worse, and I know with hard work I will improve and I know that it does not matter what I have been left with I still have what was most important to me before I got ill, and my family are even more important to me now.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story though just getting some of the feelings out and written down is very therapeutic. If I can offer help or advise to anyone else in my situation I would be only to happy to. PS I do not know if everyone would have had these tests maybe it is a trial of humiliation preferred only by English doctors but not being able to point to our noses with our eyes closed or falling over every time we stand up straight and close our eyes is just one of our more endearing qualities and gives us a great party trick as by the time every one else has had a few too many they could not find heir noses with their eyes closed either, at least we have a good excuse!

Danielle
U.K.

Posted: Nov. 1 2005

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