I'm new to the forum and just wanted to say hi. I keep seeing posts I'd like to answer (I relate to almost everything here!), but my symptoms prevent me from spending much time on screens and creating a thoughtful response. Regardless, I do appreciate everyone sharing their encephalitis experiences. Know that for every response you receive, there are many more people (like me) who would like to say something but don't or can't for some reason or another.
Also, Thanksgiving is this week in the United States. Although it is often difficult--when the pain overwhelms, when test results are pending, when progress seems slow--it is imperative to be grateful in spite of the suffering. I am going to try to find some things for which to be grateful this week... for the way light shines through a window, a particularly lovely sunset, a good book, a pleasant conversation with someone, a delicious meal... The little things help me get through the day.
I hope the same for you.
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kitnkaboodle
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Thank you, Remos! And that is metaphorically and literally true for me... I often have trouble walking. It is difficult, but I keep going. One foot in front of the other. Every day. Maybe one day it won't be so hard anymore.
Looks like it's already the day after Thanksgiving, here in the U.S.! Hoping you did what you could to celebrate as you saw fit.
I also had meningitis/encephalitis, and it was also determined to be caused by a virus. Also like you, I have enduring fatigue, so bad that I was determined to be totally disabled. Life has indeed changed dramatically and quite suddenly for most, if not all of us.
I agree that it's important to find things to be thankful for; most of the time little things. Without a doubt, my faith has been a source of strength, as well. The book of Job is an interesting one. I don't know if having encephalitis was worse than what he went through, or not!
As far as your losing things like school, work, relationships, etc, I have experienced similar things. However, these losses may only be a temporary setback. In the long highway of life, we have had to pull into the rest stop!
You have some good things in your favor, though. You are very young, and you are also very early in your healing time. Healing from encephalitis generally happens very slowly and patience is the key to getting through all of it. 10 years from now, you might have improved dramatically from today, and you will STILL be a "spring chicken" of youth at 35!! Myself, I will be 67 and ready for official full-age retirement!!
Hoping you find something fun to do this weekend, no matter how trivial it might seem to be!!
Thank you for sharing, OldGnome! I appreciate you taking the time to write a thoughtful reply. I am thankful for the kind and true reminders: Life is different now; this is a rest stop; it might not always be like this. I'm sorry to hear meningoencephalitis stopped you from ever returning to work. I fear the same for my PhD program, but maybe that's not such a bad thing. E has changed all of us in profound ways--and not just physically.
Haha good point, but I think people like Job and Jesus definitely had it worse than me. I just try to count my blessings, not my grievances. This also reminds me of when Paul said the following in Philippians 4:
"...I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through [Christ] who gives me strength."
Honestly, I have never been more content than I am now...
I must admit, after reading your posts, I subconsciously detected something that indicated that you are a person of high intelligence! When you mentioned being in a PhD program, I said aloud, "Ah HA! I knew it!" 😀
Myself, I had been in the electronics manufacturing industry since 1985. I was a senior electronics engineering tech/test engineer, so education is something I am familiar with. I wouldn't count yourself out just yet, though. Education, to some degree, truly never stops. In life there are countless new things to learn, just not all of them qualify towards degree earning credits! Who knows, some years from now, you might be the holder of multiple PhDs!!
My old job was gracious enough to allow me to go back to work for VERY limited hours, just 2 days per week. It gets me out of the house, and has helped tremendously as I continue to recover and even improve! It also gives me a glimmer of hope that one day I might be able to return to work full time. This is highly unlikely, though, and I know it. Still, like you say, we must try to count our blessings.
Have a wonderful day and stay warm; here in the Appalachian Mountains we have already gotten significant snow!!
Hahahaha what gave it away?? Regardless, thank you very much for the compliment. I try my best with cognitive rehabilitation, among my other issues. Neuropsychology testing revealed "absolute and relative deficits in every area," but I won't accept that!
That's great to hear you've had a successful, fulfilling career and the continued engagement is helping with your recovery. I am not in school or work currently, but I have hobbies like reading, writing, and puzzles. Just talking to my siblings (who are super smart) throughout the day has helped me tremendously!
How much snow have you had?! I'm on the Front Range in Colorado, and we haven't had ANY. Setting new records--in the wrong direction.
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