ENCEPHALITIS CASES

Encephalitis Cases

Kristal

My daughter was a perfectly normal child growing up she barely ever got sick basically she was my healthiest child. One day in May of 2001 she was sent home from school because she was suffering a bad headache. That night I gave her Tylenol for the pain and laid her to rest. The next day I took her to the doctor. The doctor saw her and prescribed antibiotics, Motrin, and Dimetapp figuring Kristal was suffering from sinus infection and that was causing her the headache. That day I started her medication then later that night her headache got worse and she started to vomit so I decided to give her a bath. While getting her bath ready I noticed she was standing stiff in a corner in my room not speaking or moving just staring at me. So I called her name and she wouldn't respond, I figured she was just feeling really sick so I carried her and put her in the bath, there I noticed something was wrong because she was extremely stiff. I couldn't get her to sit down in the bathtub. Finally struggling not understanding what was happening I got her to sit and she still wasn't responding I got very worried, I gave her, her bath and took her out. Finally she snapped out of her trance and spoke, stating she didn't feel well. I laid her down with me and went to sleep watching over her all night.

Next day I decided I wouldn't send her to school and left her home with the baby-sitter because she was feeling much better. That afternoon around 2 o'clock my brother called me at work worried that she had started doing the staring again and was drooling from both sides of her mouth and not responding. I immediately rushed home, my brother stated he called the ambulance because she was seizing. I ran to the room and my little girl was having a seizure. I stood beside her crying she was barely breathing that seizure lasted for at least 7 minutes and stopped. She started another one which had her whole right side seizing. The paramedics arrived they put an IV in her and gave her medication, that seizure lasted for 10 minutes and they called it focal movement and the staring were staring spells, the beginning of a seizure. They immediately rushed her to the hospital; in the hospital she had another seizure while in the emergency room and was again given stronger medication and rushed to have a CAT SCAN, MRI and spinal tap. Everything came out negative. When she woke up she was fine and didn't remember a thing. From this day on our nightmare began.

Before Kristal was diagnosed she had been to 4 different hospitals and none of them were able to figure out what was wrong after running all types of tests. The first 2 hospitals claimed she was suffering from Fibril Seizures. The final hospital diagnosed her with mycroplasma encephalitis because only one test came out positive which was for mycroplasma and encephalitis cause of her symptoms and changes in behavior. She didn't recognize me and was having multiple seizures. She attacked me and everyone near her. She was screaming out all types of stuff and than she just stopped speaking.

My little girl went from a bright and smart 5 year old to becoming a baby again not talking, wearing diapers, and having no feeling. The doctors told me that they didn't know if she would recover, all they knew was that she could return to normal, be extremely slow, or just come close to the way she was once before, which wasn't very comforting. But, I'm here to tell you all that there is hope, because since June I didn't hear Kristal speak a word or play or be herself and believe me it hurt to see my little princess like that, but one thing I can tell you is that now I do believe in miracles because at the end of Nov. 2001, after her turning 6 my baby came back. She is speaking, toilet trained, and acting like the old Kristal and doesn't even recall being sick. She hasn't caught a seizure since July 4, 2001. Its like if she lost her memory for a while and just woke up and is picking up from where she left off. She is a year behind because of what's happened, but that's okay as long as I have my little girl back, I am grateful to God. I thank you all for giving me so much support when I needed it the most. I leave you all saying don't give up and keep having faith and hope. I know I've been there and even though she's back I'm still there cause I still have to focus on helping her continue her recuperation and keep up with her medical visits. There is hope for all of our kids and they will make it out of this!!

I'M WISHING ALL YOU MOMS OUT THERE GOING THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE STRENGTH, PATIENCE AND LOVE!

Update Dec 2006: First of all "hello" to all. Im Kristals mom Jesenia. Well since last year Kristal has been off her seizure medication which I was extremely happy about because Kristal has not gotten a seizure in about 5 years. Thank God!! My daughter right now is in the 4th grade and progressing very well. I'am very proud of her progress. Shes still in special ed classes, but they are team teaching classes. She is still about 1 1/2 year behind still but I would much rather have her 1 1/2 year behind then have her in the conditions she was in a few years ago. If you have read her story you will see how regressed my baby girl was. But once again I thank god for making my baby better. She is so big and beautiful that you would never imagine she was ever sick. I would like to give my thanks to all who have supported me through my tough times and still do. I would like to do the same for others who look for support or ever need to talk, I'am here for you all. I will continue giving updates on Kristal.

Thank You

Jesenia, Kristal's Mom
New York, U.S.A.

Posted: February 9, 2002

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