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| Kate |
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My name is Kate , I contracted HSV Encephalitis in January 2000. I live and work in London and am a hospitality manager for a large corporation. The doctors have told me that stress is a factor which contributes to this illness so a bit of background follows. In December 1999 one of my aunts died and we were told that another aunt had only a few weeks to live. On January 1st my eldest son was hit by a car and suffered a compound fracture of his leg needing plastic surgery. The pressure at work was as usual relentless, the average working week being 60 - 70 hours.
I started to feel unwell on January 26th with flu like symptoms, aching muscles, shoulders etc , I was working late and arrived home hoping a hot bath would 'sort it out', by the time I got home I could barely walk up stairs and the headache that I had had all day was excruciating, I went to bed and spent a very uncomfortable night trying to sleep and realizing that I couldn't take any more painkillers.
The next morning I could barely lift my head and my husband insisted that I stay in bed - still believing it was the 'flu, I spoke to the receptionist at the surgery and had to beg for an appointment as I was now hunched over and could not bear any light , I had also started to vomit.
The doctor saw me early that evening and after a brief examination, rang the
local hospital and told them he was sending me straight there with suspected
meningitis, my husband Bob drove me there and I was taken through straight
away, after blood tests and a CAT scan they started to treat me with
Acyclovir, I have since learned that I was lucky to get the treatment started
so early. I was put into a side ward and told that they would do a lumber puncture
early the next morning, this showed that it was not meningitis but that
there was another problem - at that stage I was starting to get confused, my
speech was slurred and I was apologizing to anyone who came into the room as
I thought they would think I was drunk, I was still vomiting, the pain in
my head still severe, the Acyclovir treatment was continuing. I remained
conscious that day but very drowsy. Within the next 12 hours I was barely
conscious and my kidneys started to shut down, I lost consciousness and my
family were hounding the doctors to find out what was the problem, the
doctors thought that my kidneys may have had a reaction to the Acyclovir and
stopped the treatment , until the results of a kidney biopsy were done. The
doctors knew by then that the problem was encephalitis , but the renal
failure was an unusual development - one consultant was talking to my family
about kidney dialysis and possible transplant if I recovered from the
encephalitis, my two sisters and my brother all volunteered to be tested if
this became necessary - by this time I had spent time on 5 different wards
as the illness progressed. The Acyclovir treatment was restored after the
kidneys showed no trace of crystals.
The doctors took the decision to put me into intensive care after I had
seizures, one lasting for 5 - 6 minutes followed quickly by 2 more. My
family were all informed and the doctor said he was only cautiously
optimistic about my recovery, this was the worst 24 hours. Following the
seizures another brain scan was done luckily showing no damage.
I was in intensive care for 6 days on life support, the last two days being
bought out of sedation, then moved down to another ward
to continue IV treatment for a further 3 weeks. Initially I was extremely
frightened and confused so much so that the intensive care staff gave me a
furry dog to cuddle and to reassure me.
I had vivid hallucinations under sedation - which I still have daily but I
am learning to live with , I have no memory at all of being in the two renal
units, the doctors and nurses of St Helier hospital were all marvelous not
just to me but a great support to my family who were all terrified at the
speed that this illness had attacked me. They patiently answered all the
questions they asked them and comforted them when I was at my worst. There
would never be a suitable way to thank them all.
I have made an excellent recovery thanks to the superb nursing , and my
fantastic family who never left my side in the hospital, staying all night
at times and my husband Bob who I have aged at least 20 years and who still
loves me, and all my friends who wrote and sent so many flowers to the
hospital.
My memory is not as good as it was, I now have to write down everything and
I still get headaches, my kidneys have also fully recovered, I returned to
work after 4 months rest but am only working a 'normal' week, but reading
other stories I realize just how lucky I am.
I have decided that life should be for living and am trying to do the things
that I thought I would never have time for, learning new skills and spending
more time with my lovely husband and my family.
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Kate
England
Posted: Sept. 14, 2000 |
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