Meningitis Is Serious!

I'll never forget one Friday evening I felt like I was getting the flu. I was achy and had a fever. Saturday I called the parents of a little baby girl I watched and told the father I was sick. He said they had no options so he brought Ashley to my house. My sons helped me that day playing with the baby until almost noon. I had called her mother and told her to come get her child NOW!

I remember it felt hot and everything started looking weird. Almost as if you were looking into a mirror at a fun house. I could hardly walk, I couldn't stand noise. My son came in that evening with the phone, it was my mother, but I couldn't talk. I made him go away. My mom called my husband at work and told him to go home now!

Danny came in with Joe, my nephew, and told me we had to go to the hospital. I had sweated so much that day I wasn't going anywhere without a shower. To this day I don't remember how I got out of it. I do remember trying to get into the minivan, but I couldn't even lift my body into the passenger seat. Joe opened the slider and I fell into the van.

The next moment I can remember was my husband asking me not to move because they were draining fluid from my spine. I went back to sleep and woke up in a private room. I was hooked up to an IV and surrounded by machines. Anyone who came to see my had to wear a mask. I was admitted on Saturday and released the following Friday.

I was no longer contagious. The doctors said recovery was going to take a while. They weren't kidding! The first month I felt like I was still suffering with bad flu symptoms. I ached, moving hurt, light hurt and noise was my enemy! After that first month I still had some ache but was feeling better for the most part. Light and noise were still killers, but getting controllable.

Now that it is many years later I can only say I still wouldn't wish meningitis on anyone. After watching those commercials about someone losing limbs or worse.. Their daughter to this.. Really made me think about sharing my experience. If you ever have symptoms come on fast and get worse within 12-24 hours get to the hospital!!