My 24 yr old son had bacterial meningitis H... - Meningitis Now
My 24 yr old son had bacterial meningitis He has been out of hospital and is drinking after work until late Is this dangerous?
I don't imagine that it is doing him much good. Does he have any other social outlets that involve a healthier life style? He is 24 and has left the planet so all you can do is offer some advice if he wishes to have it. He will return to planet Earth in his 30s. Best Wishes, Jeffery
I can't imagine a worse post-meningitis coping mechanism than drinking alcohol. At only 24, he's got a whole career & social life ahead of him. Tempting as it must be, instead of nagging him about his stupidity in his current actions, I'd get him excited about his future! Where does he excell? Creatively? Artisticly? Is he a natural leader? Is he witty? Does he have a mature business sense? Athletically he's probably out for at least a few years...but I'm sure there are other areas he does well. I'd grab on to those areas and create an excitement about them! ANY activity's better than going out drinking every evening! Don't blame that behavior on his meningitis...it's loser behavior for ANYONE! If alcohol is becoming IMPORTANT in his life, he's heading for a lifetime of trouble! I realize he's no longer a child so you can't demand how he conducts his life. But you CAN create excitement around areas in which he's interested.
Good luck to you...this isn't going to be easy...but you really CAN help your son.
I seem to have created a misconception that my son is drinking as a salve for his BM
Jack contracted BM whilst on a surfing holiday in South Australia. He rang me (Sydney) and recognizing symptoms urged him to go to local hospital .It was New Year's Eve! An alert doctor gave him a lumber puncture and with diagnosis of meningitis confirmed had him airlifted to Royal Adelaide Hospital. On antiviral and antibiotic infusions the medical team began the process of eliminating which strain of meningitis it was not. Nothing contagious, not viral , and with the loaded arsenal of antibiotics in Jack''s bloodstream it soon became apparent that the exact bacterium causing the meningitIs might never be found. On the 11th January Jack and I flew home to Sydney. Doctors saying he had made a remarkable recovery but to stay off work for another week and not to expect to be fully active for about a month. Jack went surfing the very next day! Then back to work on the third day! That night and the following he stayed out late much to my consternation ! He wasn't drowning his sorrows but whooping it up with work colleagues from interstate as they were in a 4day training session. Yes he was drinking alcohol which terrified me thus my visiting this great MT site.
He was home straight after work yesterday justifying his actions assuring me that he is listening to his body and his body is giving him the green light for "business as usual" That he wasn't drinking to excess (4 beers and 1 shot) and that I worry too much. As I watched from his bedside and witnessed the terrible pain he experienced such a short time ago I can only shake my head in wonder at the indestructt
Meningitis and brain injury can cause damage to the part of brain involved in appropraite behaviour and can also cause changes in appetite,cravings etc.I never had a "sweet tooth" prior to Meningitis,bit now really crave anything sweet.
Your son certainly seems to have made a miraculous recovery.Not knowing your son and his personality,it is difficult to comment,but I do know someone who had Meningitis and made a good physical recovery but was left with personailty change which totally changed him .Hopefully ,it is nothing so drastic ,but as other forum posters say,you are right to be concerned about drinking,partying so very soon after being so seriously ill.All illnesses need a period of recuperation and on eas serious as Meningitis can take many months,years.
Everyone is looking down upon this but maybe he just has got on with it, I suffered a rare condition that meant I suffered it a number of times and my second time after my coma, once I left the hospital I went back to my normal life everyone worried about this saying I was in shock or I wasn't accepting what had happened but I was, I felt physically better, and wanted to go back to normal life, I have since suffered it again and its been an uphill battle to get over the experience, I wish it was more like when I had the 2nd time, I'm 24 and have now fully got over it, we all want to be able to get over it, well maybe he has, everyones different, don't judge him just because he's embrasing life, and birdsong1 you have been through a traumatic experience whilst your son may have got over it, or maybe in shock still you may be struggeling to deal with it.
The meningItis don't just offer support for the sufferer but also the family aswell and you may benefit from there trained councillors!
I believe surviving meningitis is a big thing and something to celebrate, I recently celebrated my 5 year annIversary since my last coma.
Not everyone deals with things the same and some people bounce back quicker than others maybe he's thinking positive and if so maybe we should all be positive about thIs
All survivers have something to celebrate
That's my opinion anyway, not saying I'm completely right just want people to look at it the opposIt side
Everyone is looking down upon this but maybe he just has got on with it, I suffered a rare condition that meant I suffered it a number of times and my second time after my coma, once I left the hospital I went back to my normal life everyone worried about this saying I was in shock or I wasn't accepting what had happened but I was, I felt physically better, and wanted to go back to normal life, I have since suffered it again and its been an uphill battle to get over the experience, I wish it was more like when I had the 2nd time, I'm 24 and have now fully got over it, we all want to be able to get over it, well maybe he has, everyones different, don't judge him just because he's embrasing life, and birdsong1 you have been through a traumatic experience whilst your son may have got over it, or maybe in shock still you may be struggeling to deal with it.
The meningItis don't just offer support for the sufferer but also the family aswell and you may benefit from there trained councillors!
I believe surviving meningitis is a big thing and something to celebrate, I recently celebrated my 5 year annIversary since my last coma.
Not everyone deals with things the same and some people bounce back quicker than others maybe he's thinking positive and if so maybe we should all be positive about thIs
All survivers have something to celebrate
That's my opinion anyway, not saying I'm completely right just want people to look at it the opposIt side
There's a women I know who had BM and went back to work a week after discharge from hospital, went back to been a full time single parent aswell a week after discgarge and has no after effects at all thank god. Unfortunatly some of Us aren't so lucky but its wonderful that there are some it brings hope
