ENCEPHALITIS CASES

Encephalitis Cases

Gena

My story began the beginning of December 1999. I was 47 years living in Washington State. I was just finishing up fall quarter of my second year in the masters of social work program, at the university of Washington. I was home schooling my six-year-old son. I also managed to keep up the books for my husband's business, as well as doing all that it takes to run a household.

In mid-December I came down with I thought was the flu. I had a headache, backache and intestinal problems. These symptoms increased and I grew weaker and weaker. My husband came home one day and found me searching through the bedroom and bathroom drawers looking for vegetables. He new something was wrong. He put me into the car and tried to take me to a hospital, which was about 45 minutes away, but I became frightened because I no longer knew who he was or where I was and tried to jump out of the car. So he returned and took me to a small local hospital. They had no idea what to do. They were unable to restrain me. My husband called my mother and told her that he needed help. She called a doctor that was a friend of the family, who just so happened to be an infectious disease doctor. He managed to have me moved to a bigger hospital and lucky for me began anti-viral medication. I believe this was what saved my life.

I was totally irrational by the time I arrived at the other hospital and fell into unconsciousness. They did a spinal tap, mri, ct & eeg. The doctor found abnormal white blood cells. My brain had swollen and he believed that I had encephalitis and meningitis but at this point they were still unsure of what it was. When the tests came bake form the CDC it was conferment that it was viral herpes encephalitis. The doctor had all my family come in because he was not sure I would survive the night. but I did.

It wasn't over yet I remained in a coma state for five more days. On the night of the fifth day I woke for a few seconds and saw my 21 year hold son beside me and in the distance I could see my fathers face surrounded with a fuzzy circle and there were tears running down his face. The only word I spoke was "dad."

This began the recovery. I was weak and needed help to walk but they allowed me to go home because I had such a good support system. When I left the hospital they asked me to sign release papers and I was unable to write my name. This was when I first new that things were not quite right with my brain. I continue to have terrible headaches, loss of memory, seizures and extreme fatigue. I am not allowed to drive because of the seizures. I have a handful of good days, a handful of really bad days and the rest I just try to deal with the losses in my life. This dreaded illness has taken a part of who I am.

Gena
Washington, U.S.A.

Posted: Oct. 28, 2000

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