Encephalopathy

[Jacobscedars]

I’ve now been told by my consultant I caught encephalopathy which is a little different to encephalitis. The way I caught it was metabolic - I had taken some benzodiazepines. This was a year ago. The first two months I can’t remember a thing - I was in Cambodia, and spent 2 weeks in hospital. Then 4 months in the QE, then 6 months in a brain injury rehab. My life is different now, as is the world we live in. But there’s a nagging guilt as I could potentially have prevented this. I’ve been to SE Asia many times for scuba diving, mainly, and never bothered having any shots. There’s a lot of guilt as like said earlier I took some benzos in Phnom Penn, which was a contributing factor in me getting so ill. It was a hugely irresponsible and selfish thing to do, as my son, my partner, sisters and mum are left picking up the pieces. Much of the time I’m unaware of this, as my memory is so affected by my illness. I do wonder if I should be in this forum as I didn’t get encephalitis but encephalopathy.

Thanks for reading this. 👍

[EncephInternational Partner]

Hi Jacobscedars, thank you for your post updating us on your new diagnosis. Please don't feel this community isn't for you because of your change in diagnosis - encephalitis and encephalopathy are not mutually exclusive concepts, rather encephalopathy is an umbrella term for disease affecting the function of the brain. Illnesses resulting in a potential acquired brain injury (ABI), like encephalitis or encephalopathy will affect each person in their own way - this is a place to share your experiences and support others going through similar. This community is always here for you to tell your story, share tips and ask questions