Encephalitis Cases

Gary        
  On Febuary 16th 2001 @11:30pm while sleeping in the next room, my son started banging against the wall. Running into the room I discovered him having a very violent seizure. I screamed for my husband to call 911. After reaching the hospital the Dr. started a rush of antibiotics for both viral and bacterial infections. Also they started an IV with dilantin. After a very trying night he still continued the next day having seizures. The Dr. did a LP and Cat Scan with negative results. Blood cultures that were taken the previous night were sent out for lab work since we live in a rural area it would take time to get the results. Also, some of the test's would take 7 days to get back. We requested that he should be send to Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital. They transferred him the next day. After arriving there and talking with the Neurologist (spelling?) we thought our night mare would be over shortly.

Not!!! Gary continued having seizures and more test's were completed. Everything came back negative to our despair. Then on the 3rd Lumbar Puncture his white cell count was up and it was determined to be some kind of Viral Encephalitis. After 12 days of ups and downs we were sent home with prescriptions and thought that was the end of our nightmare but it continues. After weekly medicine blood level checks his dosage went up then down then up again. Then the doctor wanted to try to wean him from the medicine only to have to put him back on the Depakote. After several weeks he returned to school and seemed to be doing good. Some memory loss and sleepiness we could deal with, if only that was the end of it.

On April the 13th (Friday), Gary had another seizure and we rushed him to the ER. He was sent home on a higher dose of Depakote. Then another on May 12th back to the emergency room and they gave him an even higher dose. The blood level that day was 39. The clinical level of this medicine should be between 50 - 100. So they gave him more. May 19th, 2001 he had yet another seizure. Blood level of 101 on Depakote which is almost toxic. They left him on the Depakote and added another drug called Tegratol. I can only pray that this will help control the seizures. I wish they could diagnose him and treat it but as I am learning about this weird and frightening diease, I am starting to understand the prognosis. Time and prayers and understanding seems to be the only thing to do at this time. Hopefully one day I can write back with the story of how he overcame this.

My prayers to everyone who has this or has had this as I can relate to your feelings of frustration.

Caring Mom
Nashville, TN, U.S.A.
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Posted: May 25, 2001 		  adults cases

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