Working, meningitis recovery and chronic migraines

[Claudeminh]

Hello everyone, fellow viral meningitis patients. How do you all go to work? Im trying to pay off my house in as few years as possible and thought I must work full time. Had chronic migraines for three years since viral meningitis. Been at a full time job for first time in two years after overseas flight and had seven weeks of full time migraines only relieved by steroid nerve blocker. Dear god, how on earth am I going to survive four years of this? I think thats all I have in me. By then I will be 51 years old and I just cant see myself working past that time. What do the rest of you do? Im so sick most of the time I know I should be on disability but I keep trying. I have had some good periods after the botox injections started in March 2015. But I have tipped the balance back to the bad times and I m not sure if I can keep it in check. I just dont know if I can do this for three or four years. Thats how long it will take me to pay off my house and thats not too long. But it could be if im sick as a dog all the time. Any ideas? Please share with me, Im so desperate. I went to Ankor Wat in Cambodia and the flight home maybe started the whole process again.

[Bonkitty]

Oh I am so sorry to hear that Rowena. I am also still struggling 2 years on . I have a very demanding job and the same age as you. I am just doing 1 day a week as I cannot do anymore due to constant migraine and fatigue and because I am required to do a lot of hours after work so it is too much. I have decided to live for today and do what I can but keep well as my priority. I honestly didn't think I would manage a day but I am coping with that although I generally come home with migraine. I could not get any disability payments or income support as when I did the test I could lift a pencil and an empty drink carton so I was told to leave my current job and get some other kind of work. My illness and chronic migraines and dislocated neck and spine were not taken into account! So for now I am doing the 1 day . Hope things improve for you soon. X

[Claudeminh in reply to Bonkitty]

Dear Bonkitty. Yep that sounds hard too. I think its just resigning ourselves to not working full time. It means a significant drop in income and capacity but I prefer it to the pain of full time work. I am going to give this a red hot go for six months and then reassess. If its really that bad still in 6 months I will drop the days. Or before even. I have three more months of uni left from July to Oct so maybe I will drop it before then. I have a new job in occupational safety full time and its stressful because its new and i have never done it before. I think if I had something I knew how to do it would be easier. Im doing this new thing as it pays much more than my old professions, but not yet. So I need a year or two to get up the money scale. Thats why I am doing this. So in a shorter time I can pay the house off. Maybe. What job are you doing? I hope we both can get better and even if we cant work much we can focus on the other things in life that are not connected to money. They are the most important things anyway arnt they.

[Bonkitty in reply to Claudeminh]

Hi Claudeminh, I am a specialist teacher and so I work as many hours after work / in my own time as I do at work so I cannot manage the workload and concentration. I do feel quite liberated though since I have slowed down and as you say , I am enjoying other things . I am getting bored though as I am not able to do my hobbies such as sports. I am due to start Botox treatment soon and physio for my balance and left sided weakness which has been caused by the constant chronic migraine. I wish you lots of luck and hope you feel better soon. X

[Claudeminh in reply to Bonkitty]

Hi bonkitty how are you going now? Just checking in to see how you're travelling at the moment. I've been really good but the migraines have been back now for a bout 2 weeks so I'm really tired.

[Bonkitty in reply to Claudeminh]

Hi Claudeminh, I am doing quite well thank you . I am now able to doost everyday things and I feel much better. I am having physio to improve my balance and my spine so I have started running and swimming which for the first time ever feels hard to do! I still get tired but not as fatigued as before. The migraine had improved since changing my medication to Propanalol and also having Botox in my head and neck. So not where I was before I had VM but improving. I am leased to hear from you and hope you continue to improve . I too get very tired when I get migraine. Take care xxx

[menin]

Hello Claude, I had VM 4 years ago in the last 30 days I was taking neproxin 350mg, I didn't have any headache, in the 30 days, but a little bit constipated, I will let u know what is going to happen, with my headache, I just finished yesterday the neproxi .

Fredy. 

[sopie]

I know what you are going through! I worked from 1993 until last yr. often in the hospital-- total of 17 admits and 5 ICU admits. Worked in hospital Administration. Lost one job when my boss learned I had this dx, and feared I would be ill often and miss work. Another job I was even called while a patient in the hospital on Morphine and asked technical questions - which as u know exacerbates the stress which increases the pain-- my answer was "I don't know" mind u this call was 15 min after having a spinal tap-- when I went back to work,, I was set on an impossible dead line to accomplish a task, that a well person working 16hr couldn't do. This was when I was being scheduled for immuneegoblin infusions and working w a PICC line and infusing acyclovir 4 times daily at my office desk, after being discharged from the hospital. -- in the US employers pay our insurance and in order to have insurance for any chronic dx this was the only way to have coverage. So I was forced into a no win situation of forced to work in order to afford healthcare, being a single mom, and pay for my house. Last yr I was fired because in a meeting which was extremely stressful with board members, and where the CEO was giving wrong information-- that I was responsible for-- I had the mental blocks that stress causes me for words-- and found myself stuttering when questioned. Since loosing this last job, I have lived on savings and now I m applying for disablity. 24 yrs of hell, pain, and MM - now being forced to take one day at a time. The stress of no job,, however thankful for the new Obama healthcare I at least have that now-- I find the symptoms reoccurring daily-- it is so hard-- I know exactly what u are doing and did it until I was forced out if work.