|
|
| Kelly |
|
I was diagnosed with viral encephalitis on 2/2/08. Here's my story. I'm a 37 year old single mom of 2 girls. I work at a hospital and
I've been a Physical Therapist Assistant for 15 years. I'm healthy. I take no medications and hardly ever missed a day of work. (Only
if my girls are sick).
On 1/25/08 I had gotten off work very tired. Came home went to sleep. Thru the weekend I started having the flu-like symptoms, chills,
fever, headache, slight cough. I felt pretty bad. I kept taking tylenol and theraflu. My headache got worse by Monday, and there was a
lot of pressure right at the front of my scalp, it even felt soft to me. I got up enough energy to go to the Emergency Room. They only
did a chest x-ray and told me I had the influenza, and it just had to take its course. So, I went back home and laid down for several
days with the same symptoms. I ran out of sick days so I had to go back to work on Wednesday.
I worked until Saturday afternoon, my head felt like it was going to explode. I started vomiting and just didn't feel right. I went back
to the ER, they said you're still not felling better? I thought to myself do I look it? The ER doctor thought I was having a migraine
and ordered a CT scan. In the mean time he gave me 2 shots of dulatin and phenegran to stop from vomiting. The CT showed I had a midline
shift from right to left with possible arachnoid cyst and an asymmetric enlargement of the right ventricle. They admitted me to the hospital
After being in the hospital for 3 days they let me go home. I still did not really know what was wrong. I went home on an antibiotic and
a steroid pack. A week later I went to my GP and he said I had Encephalitis. But how do they know? They did not do a spinal tap but I
do seem to have the symptoms. But I don't know what kind??? I did have the flu prior to my other symptoms. There is not information on
the internet regarding influenza Encephalitis.
My symptoms now are headache, sensitivity to light and sound, short term memory problems, fatigue and irritability. I am to return to
work half days on 2/25/08. The only person following me and my case is my GP. Any thoughts or help from anyone????? I think my mom thinks
I'm making these things up and she's tired of hearing my problems. I'm doing the best I can do but feel like I'm putting on an act to
make everyone think I'm doing better because I"m young and "look" healthy.
I will update you as my case progresses. Right now, I am still in the initial stages of encephalitis.
|
Kelly
U.S.A.
Posted: March 11, 2008 |
|
|
