SunflowerGirl

HI Keep the Faith,

I had a MRI juts last year, 6 years after my second bacterial meningitis and 9 years after my first case. I also had a TBI, traumatic brain injury.

My MRI showed areas of gliosis. This is not a definitive sign of meningitis, but my radiologist mentioned them as a sign of meningitis. These areas could also be there because of the TBI.

Good luck!

Keep-The-Faith in reply to SunflowerGirl

Thank you for the reply. The doc told me that it looked ok except for small specks, forgot what she called them......

BUT she was not a specialist so I will be having a neurologist look at it. I personally think something is there for it being so bad for so long & I still have some symptoms headaches, spine pain, joint pain, ears feel like ice picks are in them. So time will tell. Hope you're doing well 💕

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VMroom in reply to Keep-The-Faith

I had an MRI & nothing showed up. I was told by a head injury charity this can be normal as a diffusion tensor MRI needed. Standard MRI just like a photo & doesnt show injury at cellular level.

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Rowi in reply to Keep-The-Faith

Another person on this site mentioned an MRI with meningeal enhancement, but it sounds like you might be getting some answers soon. Nevertheless, many people, myself included, on this site did not have much show up on their MRIs. (Mine was without contrast dye and it was done several months after I got sick.) My neurologist diagnosed me after the fact based on my very careful tracking of symptoms.

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ArtisticFeline

My daughter had an mri about 6 months after having Bacterial Men B. Her consultant said there were a few white specks, but nothing to worry about. He didn't really explain if these white specks were normal or if the meningitis had caused them (this was all in a letter so we couldn't question him). She still has some ongoing problems 2 1/2 years on but has made an amazing recovery. Hope you get the answers you want from your MRI.

Hidden

A belated hi and hugs from Nevada.

I had textbook cases of both bacterial and viral meningitis. Five months after last hospitalization for VME, had MRI with and without contrast prior to mastoidectomy. After separating out the stuff pertaining to other disease processes, only finding possibly relevant to meningitis reads:

"There is a pattern of supratentorial white matter disease with scattered foci of bright T2 and FLAIR signal in the sub cortical and deep white matter of both hemispheres consistent with gliosis vs. inactive encephalitic disease."

So, your "specks" are the "foci." Beyond that, who knows? Please don't count on the MRI to validate or invalidate your symptoms and concerns. The radiologist wrote the above after writing "chronic meningitis," et al, as reason for the MRI. (I've never heard the phrase "chronic meningitis" before, but whatever.) Yet it really doesn't say anything about the condition that nearly killed me, which was the reason for the mastoidectomy. And it sure doesn't say anything about the lingering after effects.

You're not going crazy. If folks say "it's all in your head," I've found the most effective response to be "yes, it is--and I need relief and resolution."

In the meantime: Rowi has shared some good exercise tips--neck rolls, not marathons, lol--and IRhonda has linked breathing tips. They help 💗.