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| Lauren |
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Hi my name is Lauren (19) and I had encephalitis. I was diagnosed in the beginning of January, 2001.
I was in North Shore Hospital of Long Island, New York from January 7 to March 1. While in North Shore I
became very disoriented and was basically unconscious most of the time I was in the hospital. I can only
really remember the first week in the hospital and they weren't pleasant memories. My parents tell me
stories about how I acted in the hospital. How the hospital had to put restraints on me because I would
always try to get out of bed. I would try to bite people when they tried to take care of me and how I was
totally bed ridden. When I finally woke up it was March 2 and I was completely disoriented and confused. I
woke up to my parents telling me that I was going to be transferred to the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit at
Peninsula Hospital in Far Rockaway, New York.
The first week I was there I was basically the same as when I was at North Shore. I was still nonfunctional
and disorientated. Finally, however, I woke up and my mother was there and she told me where I was and
what had happened to me and for the first few days I didn't believe her when she said what happened to
me. And when she told me what the date was I just fell out and started crying because I couldn't believe
how much time I had missed being sick and asleep.
I spent about 5 weeks in Peninsula Hospital, receiving all kinds of therapies such as music, recreational,
speech, physical, and occupational. These therapies all served there basic functions and got my cognitive
and physical abilities back to normal.
After I left Peninsula Hospital I came home for a while and my social worker is making arrangements for
me to attend a new rehabilitation center for me to go to called "Transitions."
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Lauren
New York, U.S.A.
Posted: April 25, 2001 |
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