Extended Greek Holiday, Shock!

[Gnugoo]

Oh, how lucky I’ve been. I was with my wife and teenage son on our 7 day Greek island holiday when I started feeling unwell on just the second day. Assuming the unpleasantness was just down to gastritis, it wasn’t until the 3rd day that someone twigged and had me rushed to hospital on the mainland. There they diagnosed bacterial meningitis with sepsis and had me plumbed in to everything on ICU. It’s a whole other “hospital culture” there, but professional and shit-hot at their job they most certainly were.

I was discharged two weeks ago and flew home to the UK the next day.

Eight kilos lighter, much weaker, with aching joints and migraine type headaches - I struggle to see how I am going to return to work as a landscape gardener anytime soon, given the hard labour that that involves. That said, having been pretty fit before the illness, I keep telling myself that I can regain suppleness, strength and stamina if I build a slow but steady momentum in that direction. I have my first Physio appointment next week, but am already doing everything I can to get my old Self back (in between naps and/or tearful collapsing-in-a-heap.)

Obviously I have been enormously fortunate in returning home with my life, and my bits still attached and, having read many posts here from people who have had a really hard time rehabilitating, I recognise that as crap as I feel I really have gotten off lightly.

Can anyone share their successes and positive stories to help motivate those of us starting out on our rehab?

With love and gratitude,

Gnu x

[Starry]

Wow, thats quite a story! You must be so glad to get home finally. It must have been scary being in a hospital where everyone speaks a foreign language. Its scary enough in UK ones.

My only advice is to take recovery slow and then twice as slow again, it takes time for the brain to heal. I am sure your underlying fitness will have stood you in good stead.

[Hidden]

Hello, hope you’re doing ok? I had Bacterial Meningitis & Sepsis.

Your story is spooky!! And similar to mine!! I was on holiday on the Greek Island of Zante when I became unwell on the last night. Me & my boyfriend got home the following day on our scheduled flight. I did tell Jet2 airport staff that I had a migraine to ensure I could travel as I looked drunk or on drugs. The next day (Sunday) I got up knowing something wasn’t right. My boyfriend & mam took me to A&E in which I declined rapidly; been told I look like I had a stroke. The next day I was moved to critical care where I stayed for 10 nights. I was then transferred to another hospital as I am an adult congenital heart patient in which they needed my heart to be checked & kept an eye on. After 2 nights I woke up with my positive attitude. 3 nights later I was moved to a ward. I spent 3 nights on the ward then went home. The only thing wrong with me is I have some blurred vision in my left eye in which I have to wear a patch when I drive. It’s only blurred on a morning & evening when the lamp & TV is on. It disappears through the day. I do get tired easy & some things I’m a bit slower but I won’t let it stop me. I’m totally independent. I’m on the sick as I’m unable to do my job; a teaching assistant for children who are autistic. But I will defo go back.

My moral is to live life to the full & appreciate everything

Michelle☺ (age 42)

[Gnugoo in reply to Hidden]

Hi Michelle,

It sounds like you too dodged the worst of this condition. How long since you had it? Good luck with your recovery and return to work.

[Hidden in reply to Gnugoo]

I've been home now 3 weeks past Friday. Think it'll be after Christmas when I go back to work on phased return. But they said I can visit anytime. And they've asked me to help with the Christmas fayre, which I'm over the moon with.

Michelle 😃

[Gnugoo in reply to Hidden]

I was discharged from the Kevala hospital 3 weeks ago last Wednesday and flew home the following day.

Sounds like you work with a great team who’ll be very supportive. Keep on keeping on!

[Hidden in reply to Gnugoo]

That's even more spooky we were basically poorly at the same time 🧡

[Shameless]

I got bacterial meningitis end of Jan I spent 4 weeks in hospital 1 week in iintensive care I had six months of work I am now back part time find it really hard some days I soon get tired I have just had another chest infection it's really frightens me when I get ill I really think I am going to get it again I try to take one day at a time some days are better than others I am lucky compared to a lot of people that have had meningitis I just wish the foggy feeling would go.

[Gnugoo in reply to Shameless]

Hi Shameless. I feel your fogginess, and understand completely. I think you have done really well to get back to working, even part-time, and your colleagues & employer may need reminding that you are still convalescing and that full recovery from such a brain injury takes a looooong time. Your fears about getting it again are understandable - only yesterday i found on sepsis.org information about how experience of intensive care can leave patients with PTSD to deal with. If not that then there is certainly a grieving process to go through for the loss of our former selves. sepsis.org/life-after-sepsi...

Although it’s only about a month since i was discharged from hospital i thought i was doing relatively well - but i have to admit that the recovery is really not moving as quickly as I’d hoped. Just a couple of hours out of the house, on my own, trying to be normal, meeting a friend for coffee; and now i fell asleep for two hours as soon as i got home. Waking up feeling like surfacing through pitch. I can’t imagine being off work a whole six months but, as I was a landscape gardener doing hard physical graft, i can’t see me getting fit enough. I’m exercising and trying to build stamina but, seriously, i think i will need to find different work. The foggy feeling is not helping me think this one through. Good luck Shameless. Sorry i can’t be more inspirational.

[Shameless]

Thankyou for your kind words we have different demons to face put hopefully we will all get through this and come back a lot stronger .