I had viral meningitis april 2015 when i was 24

[Tanilou10]

In april 2015 i was diagnosed with viral meningitis! I was in hospital for while then sent home to rest up. I was off work for a month and slowly went back to full time work. I was then told i had chronic fatigue syndrome which really knocked me back. I struggled like hell to get where i am today waking up with pain in the back of my head every morning. Im under a consultant still and have had 2 lumba punctures since the VM to reduce the pressure/fluid on my brain. I am still finding everyday life a struggle. The biggest struggle is the pain in the back of my head almost every morning and my memory is shot to pieces. My family now call me Dory from finding Nemo this does help keep a smile on my face.

I find it hard talking to people as a few have said "ooh its only viral meningitis, its not that bad" but any type of meningitis is bad in my opinion.

[becca823]

ugh....the "its only viral men" ...its horrible. The most comfort I found at first was the fb support group. I was going nuts a few weeks after getting out of the hospital when I wasnt getting better and getting what I would soon find out to be after effects. Ive met some great people all with the same stories...it was great to find I wasnt crazy, just that the doctors were stupid. Lol and the memory thing ? almost 4 months post VM that is one of my few lingering after effects but getting better..only short term memory is affected with me but I told my boyfriend the other day maybe I shouldnt be cooking when Im home alone...many times I will put dinner on or something and yep forget about it and come back to dried up burnt pans or food.My poor animals have gone hungry lol no more than half a day because I will prepare their food on counter...and well forget it on the counter and leave. After 2 months of VM and almost going off the deep end with effects and becoming depressed...I stopped taking pain meds and starting taking blackseed oil twice a day and now I make fresh fruit and Veg smoothies every day and since then I feel better than ever..the lingering effects still present but nothing bothers me and I have tons of energy If I can be of any help or just want to vent ..feel free and feel better Rebecca

[Tanilou10 in reply to becca823]

Awww thank you so much for replying It is nice when people understand you. Your a star. Its just so frustrating

[Jonad724]

I had near fatal VM in 2002, off work for 6 months and there's a huge hole in my memory in the period after the Illness. I didn't recognise which one of my daughters was which and I have been left with a permanent headache and a whole load of after effects. I kept being told by my doctor that two weeks after having meningitis I should be fine and was told I was malingering and had to fight to be signed off work. Chronic tiredness is very common after VM and saying VM isn't serious is a bit like saying having your arm amputated isn't as bad as your leg. It doesn't help that doctors are told that VM is always never more serious than flu and on that basis I was discharged a day after almost dying although I was rushed back in 3 days later 'checking out of hotel life' as my neurologist described it.

All that said there is light at the end of the tunnel. I had to have 5 years away from intense sport but in 2007 I came back to triathlon ( I'm told it was my aerobic fitness which stopped the VM from killing me) and in 2012, 10 years after the attack, I completed my first half ironman triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride,13.1 mile run) and I have completed another 2 since then.

I have written some blog posts on this site about my experiences of VM so please feel free to have a look and I hope they help.

The one piece of advice I would give you is to rest when your body says rest otherwise it will come back and bite you. It doesn't matter that other people don't think it's serious the fact is that you know how you feel and they don't. VM can be serious and I am testimony of that, it's only VM? Change VM for cancer, and that's a good comparison, and people understand just daft they sound, well it's only leg cancer nothing serious like brain cancer, derrrr!

Finally you could try co-enzyme Q10 capsules and also Lysine tablets which helps my headache but you'll find it should ease over time.

Good luck! Jonathan

[Tanilou10 in reply to Jonad724]

Wow Thank you for replying! You have done brill. I guess like people say everything gets better with time but its so frustratingwhen you cant do the same as what your friends do and have to sit and watch. But i will get there one day

[Bonkitty]

Hi Tanilou, I also had VM in 2014 and I have struggled as you are saying for 2 years. But now I am feeling well and less fatigued. I still have migraine and take Propanalol for these lus Botox injections into my head and neck. I am now starting to get back to everyday life so be patient and rest it out as it does take a long time to get over. X