Two years after TB meningitis

[aujjaju]

Hello friends,

I keep posted about my fiancee who got TBM in june 2013. She went into coma and now after two years she can remember new things. can talk to people. but she is unable to recall past 3-4 years of her life which she spent with me. She still has hemiparesis so she can't walk yet as her right arm and left leg is effected with spasm. What to expect further. Will she ever be able to recall our relationship and walk again??

Hope to hear from you all.

[StrawberryCream]

Hi Anuj

It is good to have your updates about your fiancée and she has made great progress in the 2 yrs since her TBM.

I am not qualified to give medical advice/knowledge but I am thinking that if her hemiparesis was going to resolve it would have done by now. To maintain mobility however limited in her arm and leg she would need to continue to do the daily physio exercises and if she can't do them herself then someone needs to move and stretch her limbs and fingers for her. Improvement can only be achieved or maintained by a commitment to do the prescribed exercises.

As for the memory loss that sounds similar to what has happened to me as a consequence of my BM&S. It is called retrograde amnesia. For me the period of lost memory has not returned and I am certain that it will not now. Going back to places I went to in that period of list memory or seeing photos of things I did during that time has not triggered the slightest recollection sadly. However, I was expect not to survive, but I did and I am still here for my son even though I now have additional difficulties to contend with day to day that make life very difficult at times. But I am! You still have your fiancé the TBM did not take her life and you now should move forward loving her as she is now and finding ways to build your future together despite any ongoing disability.

Very best wishes to you both

[aujjaju in reply to StrawberryCream]

Thanks Strawberrycream,

You have been a great supporter and adviser through this tough journey for her. Yes she actually don't wanna try out. She don't wanna walk on her own when someone insists her for walk she walks 10-20 steps in a good way then she starts to cry. Please let me know how can I encourage her to walk on her own I have tried out every psychological approach to make her affirm to her recovery goal but she still don't want to walk. As far as the memory is concern her current remembering power seems to be great. As I don't get much chance to meet her in person. I met her last time around 6 months back when I showed her one picture of both of us so if i ask to recall her about that image she can tell me what we were doing in the picture and what i was wearing and what she was wearing in the pic. But she's missing 3-4 years of her life.

Regards,

Anuj

[StrawberryCream in reply to aujjaju]

Hi Anuj

Unfortunately as you are not with her each day it seems there is little you can do as your fiancée clearly needs lots of encouragement, persuasion and motivating to walk. I guess her family who are caring for her find this difficult to do especially as she gets distressed and cries. As most physio will say - ' recovery can only be as good as the amount of commitment to doing the exercising'. I am currently seeing a physio but the appointment is to prescribe me exercises that I then have to go home and do every day and 4 times a day. If I don't do them then my problem is not going to improve.

That is sad but not uncommon to have retrograde amnesia that doesn't come back and can vary in the months or years of life memories that are lost. As I said in my previous response I don't think it will come back but the important thing is that she is now retaining current memories so you are both building more memories for the future.

Best wishes to you both

[ShannanLouise]

I can't give you any idea about her memory loss, but just wanted to say how pleased I am to hear that your fiancee is so much better. That is just wonderful. She will surely appreciate the love and care that you've given her in her illness and recovery.

I too got meningitis in 2013 (March) and am still struggling to recover. I had Bacterial Meningitis, pneumonia and pleurisy all at once. I realise how fortunate those of us who survive are as so many others do not or end up with long-term disabilities. I don't know what would've happened to me without the incredible love, care and attention my husband Max has given me and all of my family and friends.

I'm thinking of you and your fiancee and wishing you all the very best for a full recovery.

Shannan x

[aujjaju in reply to ShannanLouise]

Thanks Shannan for your kind reply.

Any advise to help her and encourage her to walk again.

Regards,

Anuj

[ShannanLouise]

Hello Anuj. Helping her to walk again may well take a long time and a lot of determination. I'm a neuroscientist and firmly believe in neuroplasticity's ability to regenerate damaged neural pathways. However, as another person indicated in their reply to you, it will require commitment and perseverance from your fiancee and with your help and support. Do talk with the physio and get specific advice for re-training her brain to use those pathways again. It may be that she does not ever fully recover, but you must both do your best and try your hardest. You seem such a loving person, I feel sure that you will investigate the best methods and find a way to help her. There are books on helping to retrain the brain in patients who have been in comas or minimally conscious states - those books are likely to be helpful for you too. Maybe you could find some by Dr Ted Freeman (an Australian) who is an expert in that field. I wish you all the very best.

Shannan