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| Jo |
 I wanted to tell my story, so that it may give hope to
someone with a similar situation. As I was recovering, I read many of the stories posted and got very depressed. At one point, my friends
& family threatened to take my computer away.
I’m one of the lucky ones and there is hope!!
My experience started with a headache on Monday. I’m not prone to headaches, but this headache just wouldn’t go away. I tried extra strength
Tylenol with no results. On Thursday morning, December 7, 2006, and day four of the headache, I got up to go to work and started vomiting.
Every time I stood up I got sick. One of my best friends called to ask why I hadn’t signed on to the instant messenger. She knew I hadn’t
called in sick to work for over 15 years. In our conversation, I told her of a co-worker that told me not to mess around with the headache
because a couple of months before he had a bad headache and he ended up with meningitis.
My friend took off work to take me to urgent care since driving was difficult; I couldn’t sit up without vomiting. She told the people
at urgent care I had been exposed to meningitis. I tried to explain my co-worker was released and back at work, but no one listened to
me. The symptoms are relatively the same. I didn’t realize I had a fever along with the headache and vomiting. My fever was getting close
to 104ºF. Based upon my friend’s story, they decided to send me on to the emergency room for a spinal tap. Thank God the events played
out the way they did. Otherwise I most likely would have been sent home with flu like symptoms and my fate would have been very different.
With the spinal tap they were able to diagnose the encephalitis. They were able to tell it was the herpes simplex virus 1 encephalitis
(HSE). I’ve never had a cold sore. When asked how I got it, the doctor told me I was very unlucky! I feel very fortunate that my luck
changed and I was diagnosed quickly and put on a very aggressive dose of an antiviral (Acyclovir). I was so out of it, I can barely remember
getting the spinal tap.
I had a nine day stay in the hospital and on Acyclovir for 21-days intravenously. I had a pick line put in my arm before I was released
from the hospital for the Acyclovir. I missed 3 months of work. I was very tired and slept most of the time. I don’t remember much of
the hospital stay. It has been a very long recovery, but it is a recovery. I had to work on my physical strength. I also lost 35-40 pounds.
I have gone for an evaluation with a neuro psychologist, mostly for my own peace of mind. It’s been almost a year and a half; I have no
sense of smell or taste. The doctors do not know if it will come back in time or not. Physically, I’m as strong and fit as before the
encephalitis. My emotions run a little amuck at times and I get strange feelings that I can’t understand; all in all I’m very lucky to
be alive. My short-term memory doesn’t seem to be quite as sharp as I remember it being. I have more of a problem remembering faces than
before. This was also confirmed in my evaluation.
I have not missed a day of work since I returned last year (March 5, 2007). I haven’t had a headache since the encephalitis. I continue
to live by myself and go to work daily. I’m an avid bowler, bowling 3-4 times a week. I think the encephalitis has made me more determined
than ever to prove I can do everything as well as I did before. My boss says there has been no change in my work abilities.
Although, things are back to normal, it has changed my life. At times I don’t feel quite like myself. I think my personality has changed
in some ways, too. It’s hard to identify the changes, but I know there are some.
I would welcome to exchange experiences. It’s hard to explain to someone that hasn’t experienced it. I would also me interested to know
if anyone else has a similar experience with their sense of taste or smell.
I hope your story has a happy ending, too!
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Jo
Santa Cruz, California U.S.A.
Posted: June 25, 2008 |
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