I haven't written anything for a while or even had time to visit this site much since October. I am almost 9 months post bacterial meningitis and I would say I am 85% recovered. When I was taken to the ER the Dr told my husband that had I come in any later I would have died. Thanks to a very savvy ER staff that tested me right away for meningitis and started the right antibiotics before airlifting me to a hospital in a big city that was better prepared to care for me. I was in a coma for 3 days, ICU for 10 days, then a regular room for 2days where they retaught me the basic things like walking and preparing toast or getting a drink by myself. Then I was sent home, with very little knowledge of what I had just been through and no warning of what was in store for me. I could barely make it to my dad's house 25 miles away where I stayed for the next 10 days trying to get well enough to make the 200 mile drive back to our house. Once home I began walking first with a walker then with a staff, at first I could barely walk around our house but after a month I could walk a mile. It wasn't easy and as my muscles rebuilt themselves I had quite a bit of pain which I treated with medical marijuana. The pharmaceuticals I was given either made me sick or didn't work. It truly was 2 steps forward 1 step back as I would feel really good for a couple weeks then really bad for a week or so. I would regularly throw myself a pity party and get depressed thinking about how I was before I got sick, I think this prolonged my recovery. On October 17 my husband (my sole caretaker, as I still had not returned to work at our business) was helping a friend with a construction project when he fell 10 ft on to a concrete floor and broke his neck and both wrists. That day was my first time driving in the city since I got sick, and you know what? I did it! AND it became that way about a lot of things. I just did it. And that became my turning point. I was now the sole caregiver. For a month while his wrists healed I had to do everything. Everything I did for me I had to do for him as well. I had no time to think about me or what I was going through and a miracle happened. I stopped going through those things. I went back to our restaurant and ran it until the end of December when we close it and go work at our local ski area as lift operators. 3 months ago I didn't think I could do that job that I so loved the previous 2 winters, so I told my boss I wouldn't be returning this year. At the end of December I decided to go up and ski. I realized how much I missed it and took the offer to come back and work. I just finished my 2nd week back and am feeling really good, getting stronger every day.
In my case I feel that I had to change my mind set and quit thinking about my side effects, they haven't gone away completely but most of them are getting better. I can listen to some music now as I think my brain is getting better at processing sounds, but I still can't hear properly especially if I'm tired. I still have balance and dizziness issues but I've learned to live with it. At about 4 months post men b I lost about 1/2 of my hair which sent me into a huge depression until I started to notice that it was no longer falling out. And it IS growing back (and making my hairdo very unruly). But aside from that I'm doing very well. I thank God for being with me through all of this and His faithfulness in my healing.
My Dad in a Coma in ICU.
Bacterial meningitis sufferer 
A Tale of Two Kidneys: Yet more continued monthly ramblings.........
Counselling
