How TB Meningitis changed my life...

[azlalilo]

I was 23 years old and married with no kids. I had fever frequently. I was also having a backache, the doctor told me to visit a physiotherapist. The physio did some treatments and acupuncture and later my backache was fine. I still had frequent fevers, I was admitted at the hospital. The doctor isolated me for a week , he said they need to test my sputum. The test results were negative and so they transferred me to the normal ward. After 3 days they discharged me saying I had pneumonia and prescribed me some drugs. It was Chinese New Year holidays. My ex-husband and I planned to go to Malaysia on a holiday. The doctors also told me it’s fine to travel. So, we flew to Malaysia. I was not myself there, I was always sleeping. So, my ex-husband informed my family. They said to take me to Sri Lanka which is where I come from. So, we flew to Sri Lanka and I was still having fever. They admitted me in a hospital in Sri Lanka. I was admitted for about 2 weeks. I was later discharged and they diagnosed me with TB Meningitis. I was in my home in Sri Lanka and again I was not feeling well. Then they took me to another hospital and admitted me. In that hospital, they did a lumbar puncture to check how much the TB has affected me. I lost the ability to walk after that, I couldn’t walk at all. I was discharged after about 2 weeks. I was at home, but like a cabbage. I had no feelings. Some physiotherapists came home to treat me but it didn’t work out. After some time, my family admitted me in a rehabilitation hospital to make me walk. I was there for about 2 months. I received a letter for divorce from my ex-husband and my family discharged me and took me home. We were divorced, my family took care of me. After a few months , my father passed away. It was a terrible period in my life. I forgot to mention that after I lost the ability to walk I used a catheter for some time because I could not go to the toilet quickly. Later, I changed to diapers at night. In December 2017, My mother and I moved to Malaysia to be with my sister and her family. I’m now going to a physiotherapist here about 3 - 4 times a week. They say that I will walk by June 2018. I am also using a walker from the time I couldn’t walk. I use a wheelchair occasionally when I go to a mall. I also go for hydro therapy. If anybody has any tips on how to walk quickly or if anyone could tell me when I would walk by myself, pls let me know.

[buddyart87]

Wow what a journey you have been on. Your story sounds so so similar to mine. I to had TB meningitis, I got it when I was 26. I was miss diagnosed by 2 hospitals, being cooped up in bed at home where I then lost the functions to my legs. It wasnt until the last hospital did a lumbar puncture until they diagnosed me. I was unable to walk, vision blurring up, and pretty much in a coma.

In terms of walking, it was a hard journey. I to had to learn how to walk again. I started with with wheelchair, then moved onto a 4 wheel walker, then onto a walking stick. I kept a routine every morning in that I gave myself a goal, which was to travel/walk to the closest fruit shop and buy a orange. I found this helpful, as it gives you a metric on your improvement... which builds your confidence.... this is vital.

Within about 6-9 months i was walking quite well.. Now I am functioning normally, can run, jump, and move as I was before I fell ill. So anything is possible. Don't underestimate the power of the human body to repair itself.

Best with your recovery as tomorrow you will be better than you are today... and so on and so forth.

[marlit]

hello, you're still so lucky for you were still able to understand what was happening around you. My father admitted to a hospital in our province here in the Philippines for he was having a high fever and head ache. Since the hospital couldn't provide all the facilities needed to examined my father and they always gave my father a pain reliever every time his head hurt. They discharged my father thinking that it was just a high fever and a high blood pressure. On Nov. 3, 2017 my father was rushed to the Hospital but this time in a Private Hospital in the nearby City where It took 2 hrs. before we reached the said hospital w/o traffic . He went on series of test, he lost his consciousness, couldn't remembered us for 2 days, every time they put my father in CT Scan my father get wild. After 3 days staying in the hospitals, they got the result in CT SCAN as that day my fathers consciousness back to normal and could remember us again. The doctor read the result of his CT Scan and explained to us that my father was having an ischemic stroke attack that was why he lost his consciousness for 2 days. On the fourth day he was discharged and we thought he's totally fine. As we went home he totally lost his appetite, headache still , vomiting, dizziness, and has difficulty in walking. After 1 week being discharged he was rushed again in the same hospital complaining that he has difficulty in urinating and seems he couldn't talk normally, words were being rumbled. Upon examining the test still it was an after side effects on what had happened to him as what his dr. says. I am working in a nearby Island of Cebu, Philippines so I was kept on calling my mom time to time about the progress of my father's condition. Seems his condition was gotten into worst and my nightmares were came into reality. I went home, got my father and eventually we took a ship bound to the Island were big hospitals, complete facilities located. On December 10, 2017 my father was confined in an ICU for he was in coma , for 1 day later did an examination, lumbar puncture, CT SCAN, ULTRASOUND, MRI was the last. He was in ICU for 6 days and it was driven us in hell for we don't know how to get the funds to pay the hospital bills and worst part was that the Dr. suggested to do an operation " VP SHUNT SURGERY "so we should prepare the money in order for them to do the operation . I almost forgot God, having depression, and couldn't think normally. The Dr. asked us what's our decision, at first we decided not to do the OPERATION since we were lacking out of Funds for we're not rich, second was that were afraid my father couldn't survived his operation. Dr. kept on explaining to us that we should do the operation for us to save my fathers live. We decided to undergo the operation, so they transferred us to a Government Hospital last December 16 (since the hospital couldn't perform the operation for lack of facilities.) and there my father scheduled to have a VP SHUNT OPERATION on the following day. After the operation, my father has this speedy recovery but we spent Christmas in the hospital. January 2018, he could remember us, voice came back to normal tone, he can dress his self, can ate by his own, but he couldn't walk. Just this January 23, 2018 were wondering why he almost fell asleep for 2 days didn't minding to wake up. We were afraid that it might his VP SHUNTING has this complications. We rushed him on the midnight of Jan. 23, since it was a government hospital as expected we couldn't find our own bed so my father was sitting in the wheelchair for almost 6 hrs waiting if there's an available bed. He underwent a CT SCAN but his test was normal maybe he was tired for he was forcing his self to walked. Until now he's already in our province, all he do was to eat and sleep. No recognition in our face or even to those people who pay visit to him. We're just hoping and praying that everything will come back in God's time that by the help of our almighty God he will heal my father and able to be back his consciousness for my sisters wedding is fast approaching this May. It still hurt by me for I am a father's girl ( by the way I'm just 24 yrs. old) looking him so petite, and how I wish if I could save his life I will offer my life into him. I just keep on praying everyday, in every saint that there will be miracle and grant all our prayers. PATIENCE IS ALL WE CAN DO, AND GODBLESS TO YOUR SPEEDY RECOVERY.