Septis and Meningitis

[Princess123456]

I am 69 and was in the hospital for 10 days, then sent to a Skilled Nursing Facility for 20 days due to Septis and Meningitis. I have been home a week and I am slowly recovering. I am up walking without cane in house but outside I use a cane. Everyday I feel a little improvement but I seem to need to take a rest often. I do walk around the block daily. Can someone tell me how long does it take to get back to normal self?

[Princess123456]

I’m sorry. I forgot to say I had Bacterial Meningitis with Septis

[Chip32 in reply to Princess123456]

I to had sepsis and bacterial meningitis in April this year. I am 62 I learned to walk again up to 4 to 5 miles a day I wouldn’t give up I was 24/7 before this happened I suffer with vilant headaches but that’s what it has left me with, as my wife says I am lucky to still be alive, I now have gone back to work on 4 days a week my choice to help me cope with it, yes I get tied too I have a positive look on it . You will lean to live with it, if you are like me we have a lot of things to in our life yet .hope I have give some help with your situation good luck 🤞

[Princess123456 in reply to Chip32]

Thank you for sharing. I am learning to take each day—one at a time. I also praise God more and more. I went to the doctor yesterday and to here her tell me how sick I was, she said to think of it as my brain taking a beating. To think of it being slapped around back and forth. Wow our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made. Just to think, being at deaths door and God, bringing all of us on this thread back—-Wow what an awesome God. I see life differently now. Even though I can’t remember words I am ok. Even though my gait is off I am ok. I am learning how to be content in whatever state I am in. I look forward to walking miles per day. Take care

[Chip32 in reply to Princess123456]

Glad to hear you are doing well take care 🤞

[ignoreit]

I'm a female who was only 33 and went back to work after 9 months...and never looked back. After those 9 months, the only after-effect from BM & sepsis that I suffered was extremely painful, burning toes. I NEVER mentioned that my nerve-damaged toes (from sepsis) were so painful that I was wearing men's wide sandals with socks. (I always wore long dress pants). It took 10 years before I could tolerate a shoe with a closed toe. During those years with a Fortune 500 co, I was the first woman to be promoted to an executive position. Again, I never mentioned my damaged feet...and no one seemed to notice.

Now, 42 years later, I can't tolerate 3+ inch high heels but everything else is fine. During these 42 years since leaving the hospital, I NEVER had a day that was worse than the previous day. Each day, for 42 years, the next day's foot pain was either the same...or had less pain.

[Vmzoster in reply to ignoreit]

Thank you for sharing this too. This gives me a lot of hope as well. I am 39 and had always been a high-energy, long hour working, ladder leaping exec who probably had those opportunities because of women like you. I left that kind of work a few years ago to take a try at more creative work and help my husband with his projects. Then in January I got vm and I can't even possibly imagine having gone through that with the kind of job I had before. I went through breast cancer and intensive chemo and many surgeries. That was extremely difficult but I was back to work (yes recovery time was slow and I was a quarter of the ability I was before it for about a year) but I swear that this is worse. I can't even go back to work that way if I tried to right now. The kind of brain fog I have with this is absurd and I would seem like a hideous worker. However, because this lasts so long, I have been really worried that this is never going to go away. Your story helps me hope that I can get back to it possibly even better and smarter than before one day. Thank you!

[Princess123456 in reply to ignoreit]

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate you taking out time to respond. I was seeing an improvement at first but now I am so tired it seems as though I can’t hardly pick my feet up off the floor to walk. Of course I push on but it’s hard.

[lmaclean]

I am 53 and diagnosed in March. I am still dealing with the aftermath from VM. I teach high school and getting ready to go back to work. Frankly I am terrified. I have vision loss and struggle with the fluorescent lights. I also have a lack of concentration and processing large amounts of information is a challenge. Its been five months and I am still not feeling myself. Each day it does seem better but still not 100%

[Princess123456 in reply to lmaclean]

I hear it is a slow process. I’m one that has never been seriously it for 40 or 50 years. Usually whatever I have I bounce back full force. But it’s not happening now and I think I’m a little depressed. I have been taking care of twins. They were 8 months when I got them and now they are 4. So to have me gone for almost a month has been hard on them although they have Aunties that have stepped in to care for them. So I pray I will get better soon. I know you will be ok.

[Runnerma]

From my experience surviving bacterial meningitis, it takes time but everyone recovers in their own time & way. I was back to work in 2 months but that was too quickly & I struggled. Exercise is good but not to fast, I think most people find if they try too fast recovery will be slow. As far as normal, I am at my new normal at 3 1/2 yrs later. All the best with your recovery!

[Princess123456 in reply to Runnerma]

Thank you

[Quiltergirl]

I am now 8 months into recovery from bacterial meningitis and sepsis. I am 58. I also had a PICC line with continuous IV antibiotics for 8 weeks. I still get light sensativity , noise sensitivity- both which usually cause a headache. I fatigue easier. I noticed improvement more the first few months. I am an RN, and I'm still not working , I just don't have the stamina. I was told to give myself 6 months to 2 years for recovery. This online group has been great . Remember to rest and don't be hard on yourself .

[Princess123456 in reply to Quiltergirl]

I know you will be okay❤️

[Vmzoster]

I am wishing you the best! It does get better but I am also still in recovery phase. I got vm in January of this year. I know a lot of bacterial can be much worse, so I can't speak to that, other than to say that I am still not at all normal after 6.5 months. I went through a phase where headaches went away but now they are back. I have days with good energy and then a day where taking a shower or going to the grocery store is the most I can muster and I am 39, former athlete. For some, the recovery road looks pretty straight. For others, it's a bit windy and bumpy. One thing that helped me when someone said it is that, instead of other things I had gone through like several surgeries where each DAY is a little better than the one before it, meningitis is more like each WEEK should be just slightly better than the one before and at the end of a month you should be able to look at the previous month and see some progress. That means that you could have a couple terrible days but on average the week is a bit better than the previous week. That has mostly held true for me but I had some steps backward the past month and a half or so. So, I'm not sure if it is as much a rule as a general and hopeful concept.

[July23]

Hello I am a 56 year old school nurse (ex emergency nurse practitioner /midwife ).

It is now one month since my Viral Meningitis and Mumps.

I managed to drive 2 miles yesterday and felt as if "the fog ' was lifting, I will see what today brings.

I am normally fit and well and very physically active, but medicated to control numerous auto immune conditions includingd immunisuppressants to control fot inflammatory arthtits and inflamatory bowel .

After admission to hospitsl, via my GP and Emergency Access, I had a week in hospital. I was mostly flat on my back with curtains drawn and only able to get up to toilet. I.was treated with intravenous fluids and analgesia. I had antivirals and antibiotics until viral meningitis was diagnosed on lumbar puncture. Then antibiotics stopped but my parotid glands swelled. I was diagnosed with Mumps so assumed to have Mumps Meningitis and the anti virals discontinued. My pain escalated and temperature rose to the point of a rigor. I needed morphine to control the pain. I was discharged after 8 days.

For 3 weeks I have existed from bed to sofa with curtains closed.

In week 2 I put on Sun hat and glasses and tried to walk outside each day. I managed a 30 minute amble one day ! I still had neck stiffness photophobia, constant dull headache, had difficulty finding some words, short term memory problems, malaise, exhaustion and poor appetite. Have lost in excess of 6kg. My greatest pleasure was audio books on my phone.

In week 3 the headache got worse again, my glands swelled and I developed sore mouth ulcers. There is often background tinitus.

If I try to concentrate I become very hot with painful eyes and worsening headache. The illness felt relentless. One step forward and 3 back.

However, yesterday I was taken on a trip to the bank. It felt weird to be in the real world but I was coped with help and a peak cap and sunnies . I felt able to stay upright in chair for most of the day and drove about 10 minutes on country roads. It was enough to make me feel that I will get through this.

My hope is to walk a mile or two for Meningitis Now at the end of Sept.

I might even be on a phased return to work by then but that could be unrealistic.

It really is very slow progress with many ups and downs which can make you feel very low.

Be kind and gentle on yourself.

Bat away the negative thoughts with positive ones if you can.

Stay focused on progress you have made without thinking too much about your current limitations.

Meninitis Now website and helpline have been a great help.

If all else fails hide away in a dark room again and escape mentally with an audio book.

[Princess123456 in reply to July23]

Hello

I’m so sorry you’ve had such a hard time. I’m happy that you are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I pray you don’t have any more set backs. I remember when I went out the first time, to the bank, I felt like I was not in the real world. I had to sit down because my strength was not up to par. But through it all I think I’m on the road to getting back to where I was or getting close to it. Yesterday made me think I was going to be alright. I felt good, but had brain fog, i still can’t remember words or information that I should know which is very frustrating but I see a little improvement. Two to three days ago I thought I was going to have to go to hospital to get checked out. I had been feeling very poorly. The OT and PT would ask me what was wrong but I couldn’t really come up with a definitive answer. I just felt lousy.

I know one thing my blood pressure is like 88/66 a few times or somewhere like that. I have pills to take for high blood pressure but I’m not to take them if my blood pressure is under 110. So I haven’t taken the pills too much since I’ve been home. I have been home since the 3rd of August and yesterday I had a pretty good day and today I’m having a pretty good day. I’ve been working around the house but I know to stop and rest. One problem I’m having is my Primary doctor can’t seem to be found. I was assigned to her in the SNF but after trying many times to reach her at a couple of numbers, there is no returned calls. She is 77 so she just might be out ill. I know I was told to make an appointment two weeks out of SNF. I know I need blood test even though I’m still on oral antibiotics until the end of month. I had an episode of hands and fingers peeling, inside and out, but it’s clearing up. I was really concerned but it has improved. I will continue to try to think positive thoughts and pray for complete healing for everybody on this site❤️