I am 50 years old, was in general a healthy person if a bit overweight, and was not normally sick. I contracted viral meningitis on May 31 of 2012. Unfortunately, because I am stubborn, I decided it was the flu and refused to go to they hospital. I spent 5 days at home with a headache, shakes, and the worst neck and shoulder pain that I have ever had. I was in tears. I also started halucinating and The pain was so bad that i insisted my husband remove the lamp from our room as i was sure that was what was causing the pain. I also had him remove our clock radio as the music was coming on too loud - although i was the only one who could hear it. This was the worst night but when I woke the next day I felt better and was able to sit up and take a cup of tea : finally this ordeal was over! On the Tuesday after this, despite feeling weak and had developed vertgo, I returned to work. However i clearly was not 100% as I basically sat at my desk gobbling Tylenol and watching the clock as working on the computer hurt my eyes and gave me a headache.
This went on for three days. On the Wednesday I came home from work and, angry that I was so tired and dizzy (if that makes ANY sense at all) I decided to mow the lawn before my husband got home...ok, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed some days! We have a riding mower because we have a little farm and our lawn is about an acre and I thought that since I was just riding it wouldn't be so bad. By the time I was half done the lawn I was freezing cold and had yet another headache. My husband came home just as I was finishing up and he was quite annoyed that I was pushing myself instead of resting. I told him I was 'fine' and we went in the house. Within 30 minutes I was back in bed with all of the symptoms again : headache, light sensitivity, shaking, fever climbing back up to 103 degrees hands and feet like blocks of ice and that ever present vertigo...clearly this was not a flu. We called Alberta health link and after describing my symptoms, the nurse asked me to go to the hospital as she felt it could be meningitis. I was shocked! I also decided she must be crazy because I thought that only children got meningitis. I honestly did not know that adults could get it too. I certainly didn't think I would get it! So true to form I decided to wait till morning to go to emergency. My husband was beside himself but, as I said before, I was quite stubborn. Honestly, at this point I was afraid and in a bit of denial.
The next day we went to ER and the dr checked me out, did a head X-ray and said that yes, it was VM. He advised me to stay off work for 2 days and then work two half days and then I could return full time. I was shocked that this could be what I was dealing with but for once followed his advice and went home to rest.
Despite feeling disoriented and tired, I returned to work on schedule - still plagued by these awful headaches - and tried to do my job. For about 3weeks I managed to cope - mostly because things were quiet at work - but I started to realise that my memory was not very good; I forgot things easily. And I was having difficulty making decisions, even relatively simple ones. I would return home each day so tired i could barely cope and with an absolutely splitting headache. I also got lost driving to my daughters one day even though she had lived in the same place for years : the map was simply gone from my head! I was also becoming very depressed as It seemed that i should be getting better but somehow i was not. The thing that drove me back to the dr though was one day when a coworker was showing me a new software program, and I simply could not follow the instructions...after several frustrating minutes I broke down in tears and finally went to see my dr.
Luckily for me, the dr that I normally see was away and I had to see a different dr. She asked me lots of questions about when I was sick and what my symptoms were and then she explained about the long term after effects of meningitis. It was so comforting (somehow that seems the wrong word) to hear her say that I wasn't crazy or lazy or stupid, but that I had lingering after effects from a serious illness. She sent me home for 6 weeks and told me to rest, take some good vitamins and forget about work. She also suggested I speak to a counsellor to help with the depression.
The six weeks are almost up. I go back to the dr on Thursday and I think the plan is to do a Gradual return to work. The worry I have is that I'm still getting headaches and on sunny days can barely stand the bright sun shine even with sunglasses on. I tire easily still and I'm afraid if I go back to work I just will make things bad again. I don't know what to do. I am so tired of being tired...
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Ydnas
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Sunny days will be a factor for months, so do not worry that is normal.
Fear will be a factor for sometime and yes need to take vits, Zinc, B complex, and Vitc, as your poor body has been threw a lot.
if you had been in a car crash, you would not be asking these questions, as the scars would show you have been ill, in fact your brain was boiled, and may have swollen, hence headaches.
it took me 6 months to feel semi normal, and yes you will feel depressed etc, all of this is normal, so infact you are normal lol but with horrible side affects, as my mother would say baby steps, and that is how you must do this, just because they say 6 weeks, means nothing, it is down to each person, you will feel like a bat for a long time, light and sounds will be higher than normal etc.
loss of memory is also normal,. you brain is like a computer and it has re booted, so some files are there just lost, the trick is not to focus on that, in time it will come back, make notes., do a plan for the day, write how you feel etc this way your brain will re map things back, LOL went to work 1st time (10 years same place) and bugger me I could not remember how to get there, so sat back lite a ciggy chilled and then it all came back, ok not telling to start smoking, nasty habit ,lol the only one I have left.
so do not rush
make notes
use vic and peppermint oil to help with headaches, as to many pain killer will make it worst. have time to your self, take open to people.
if you need extra help try have had a look on Google for you, but you can call the meningitis hot line which is 24 hour
Freephone UK number:
0808 80 10 388*
Freephone Republic of Ireland:
1800 523 196
nurse-led helpline is available 24 hours per day, 365 days of the year
good luck, and take your time, you have been very ill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so take time to get better, and no matter what anyones says, your body will let you know when you are well, not some doc giving you a time scale
Like Tiga I am a VM survivor and the advice is spot on. The reason most doctors think you can go back to work quickly is they don't understand that whilst VM is seldom fatal or near fatal it takes a lot longer to get over it. Back to work after three days is lunacy quite frankly, I was off work for six months although my attack was very close to being fatal.
As Tiga says your brain has been rebooted and you have to adjust to what normal now means but believe me if you fight the tiredness and carry on regardless it'll bite you. The best thing in my experience is to learn to work around it. If you feel tired rest, don't push yourself especially in these early days following an attack. Although VM is usually thought of as the minor version of other varieties it is still serious and you need to adjust. It took me months if not years to do this I just didn't want to accept that my life had changed but I just spent more time being ill and depressed but once I did things started to improve.
If you have had the less serious of the cancers you wouldn't be surprised if you were tired and had after effects so please do heed the advice from Tiga and me and slow down, make allowances and recover at the pace your body wants you to.
I think you're in Canada so this site might be useful: meningitis.ca/en/ they have a ask Dr. Gold feature so that might also help.
You might also find the 'I had Viral Meningitis Facebook Group' here: facebook.com/pages/I-had-Vi... of use at it is a forum for people who have had this awful disease.
If you wanted to read about my experiences of VM (I'm a 10 years + survivor) including how I completed a half ironman triathlon this year please click on this link meningitis.healthunlocked.c... in case it helps.
Finally best of luck and please be patient, things do improve. Jonathan
I had bacterial meningitis.Like a lot of you I didnt know a lot about the virus. A lot of things you are talking about I had such as memory loss. I became ill last October and spent 45 days in the hospital 4 in a coma. I dont remember anything the day I became ill. I went to work that morning spent 3 hours and was sent home sick. I drove home about 15 miles and dont remember any of that. First thing I remembered was over a week later waking up in the hospital and my brother in-law sitting there. I spent 4 days in a coma. I live in the states-Kentucky and we do have programs for children where they get vacines at a young age which I am hoping prevents a lot of cases. But adults I dont think there is awareness of it. Mine hit quick so the only thing I can recall is a ear ache. I did lose my hearing but due to a operation where you get a ear implant its like a bionic ear I can hear on my left side. I am in a learning stage learning words again. I can have a one on one conversation but this thing is so senestive that in a restaurant I pick up everything around me. So I feel lucky that I can hear again and my balancing is getting better where that I dont need a walker unless I am going very far. A cane is sufficient. Prayers and attitude are what gets you thru this. Keep pushing yourself. If you look around you there are plenty of people who have to struggle to do what we took for granted every day. Wheel chair bound,cancer patients the list goes on. Just remember the Olympics the runner who didnt have feet. Its tuff. One day at a time.
Hi there, I agree with all the above, Tiga andJonad are stars there email to me this time last year really helped me ! I got VM in July 2011 and just wouldnt except the fact I was very ill and it was going to take some time, in the end I had 6 months off work and then gradually went back to work.
Just over a year later and I am feeling almost better....I still get tired and have headaches but its less and less and just learning how to manage it. Look after yourself, I truly believe everything happens for a reason, for me I was working too hard and trying to 'do it all' with young kids. Have VM has made be take a step back and look at my life and I can honestly say im happier for it !
Take one day at a time, use the time off as an opportunity to do the relaxing things you may never get time to do again.
All of you have been so helpful! Thank you! I just comPleted my first 1/2 day of work in 2 months. It went ok...we'll see how the next couple of weeks go. I was very tired just after 4hours!
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