DiGi
New Yorker
This past Friday morning I went to the E.R. and was admitted to the hospital on Friday afternoon. I finally was able to leave the hospital tonight (after 6 days) and will be at my parents house for a few days. I was in the hospital with Meningitis. If you would like to know you can read below. If not please read the last paragraph so you will become aware of the symptoms of meningitis. This is infection is no joke. Had I not known the symptoms, without question I would be dead because of the type I had.
Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges, the inner protective covering of the brain and spinal column. There are two main types of Meningitis, bacterial and viral. Viral will leave one with some terrible symptoms, but that is about all most of the time. Viral Meningitis has to run its course like other viruses. Bacterial Meningitis on the other hand can kill a person in 8-24 hours or leave one with issues such as brain damage. I ended up with bacterial Meningitis. I know someone whom this infection killed. So I was pretty scared on Friday morning. I am really lucky.
There are several main forms of Bacterial Meningitis, they are Neisseria meningitidis (also called Meningococcus), Streptococcus pneumoniae (also called Strep pneumonia), Haemophilus influenzae (also called H flu), and the other common form of bacterial meninigitis is, Listeria. My cultures never grew out so the type of bacteria I had was never determined for sure.
I went to bed on Thursday night feeling normal at 11:00 PM. 3 hours later at 2:00 AM on Friday morning I woke up with the most severe headache I am sure I will ever have. I also had a fever and a backache. I took 3 aleve's, those did nothing. By 4:00 my headache had increased, my fever was still high and my neck was becoming stiff. By 5:00 AM, I took 3 more aleve's, again no effect. I was convinced I had Meningitis. I was aware of the symptoms because a friend of my family's died from Neisseria Meningitidis in 98. I was kind of scared at this point. I waited till 8:00 AM and then had my roommate take me to the hospital. I knew if I did not go at this time I would probably die by afternoon on Friday if it happened to be bacterial.
When I got to the E.R. I told the nurse working the window at the front desk I need a doctor because I had meningitis. She looked at me like I was crazy. Upon being called back to the E.R. after the doctors initial eval, they quickly hooked up an IV, drew some blood from this location for some bacterial tests (they also did the same from another location on my hand). Next I was then given an pain killer via IV called Toradol and 2 perkaset's orally. The E.R. Doc treated me aggressively (Thank God) and went ahead and started the IV antibiotic, Rocephin. Next the doctor performed an LP (lumbar puncture aka spinal tap). The LP is what diagnoses Meningitis. If you have a viral case your white cell count may be in the 200-300 range. My WBC count was 2200 and 90% neutrophils (if I am correct about 65% of WBC is normal). I was moved to an isolated room in the E.R. to wait for the official word. When my headache returned I was given 2 more perkaset's, which did nada. I was then give an IV dose of morphine. I was finally moved to a room around 4:00 or 5:00 (I can't remember). There I received another dose of morphine and from 9:00 - 12:00 3 additional antibiotics, as well as, an IV does of Benadryl. I received the same 4 antibiotics on Saturday. I also spent Saturday not being able to tolerate light and being sick all morning. I did not eat anything either Friday or Saturday. Sunday, I felt better, but I could still not tolerate light. The antibiotics were cut to two different drugs, twice a day via IV. I was finally able to eat though. Monday night I was cut down to receiving just rocephin twice a day via IV and was feeling good, but very tired. Tuesday more of the same. Today, (Wednesday) a PICC Line (peripherally inserted central catheter) was inserted into me so that I could go home to receive the 9 remaining days of IV antibiotics I need. A PICC line is a silicon tube that is inserted into one of the larger veins of the upper arm (about mid way between the elbow and shoulder). It is then threaded up through the arm to the superior vena cava and stops just outside the right atrium. A PICC line can be used for various things including Chemo and IV drug treatments for longer terms. I will take a picture of this. Let me know if any of you want to see it.
Tomorrow, I receive a delivery of the rest of my medicine as well as the equipment to runs the IV's. I got very lucky in that I had bacterial meningitis and am walking away both alive and with no side effects. This is due only to the fact that I knew the symptoms and the doctor treated aggressively, saving my life.
Now, the part that matters most. The symptoms of both viral and bacterial meningitis:
The main smptoms
- headache (a bad one)
- neck pain (stiff neck)
- fever
- rash (if Neisseria meningitidis)
also
- nausea
- vomiting
- trouble looking into light
- seizures are possible at later stages.
http://www.meningitis.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/meningococcal_g.htm
http://bcs.uta.edu/StudentData/MeningitisInfo.jsp?webschedule
If you have bacterial meningits you can go into septic shock (internal organs not woking) if not caught soon enough. There are vacinations for some forms of meningits. Look into them if you feel like they would be a good idea for you. Especially you college kids. The college campus is where Neisseria meningitidis is found most often and where my friend who died from meningitis caught the bacteria. Just make yourself aware.
peace.
- DiGi
Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges, the inner protective covering of the brain and spinal column. There are two main types of Meningitis, bacterial and viral. Viral will leave one with some terrible symptoms, but that is about all most of the time. Viral Meningitis has to run its course like other viruses. Bacterial Meningitis on the other hand can kill a person in 8-24 hours or leave one with issues such as brain damage. I ended up with bacterial Meningitis. I know someone whom this infection killed. So I was pretty scared on Friday morning. I am really lucky.
There are several main forms of Bacterial Meningitis, they are Neisseria meningitidis (also called Meningococcus), Streptococcus pneumoniae (also called Strep pneumonia), Haemophilus influenzae (also called H flu), and the other common form of bacterial meninigitis is, Listeria. My cultures never grew out so the type of bacteria I had was never determined for sure.
I went to bed on Thursday night feeling normal at 11:00 PM. 3 hours later at 2:00 AM on Friday morning I woke up with the most severe headache I am sure I will ever have. I also had a fever and a backache. I took 3 aleve's, those did nothing. By 4:00 my headache had increased, my fever was still high and my neck was becoming stiff. By 5:00 AM, I took 3 more aleve's, again no effect. I was convinced I had Meningitis. I was aware of the symptoms because a friend of my family's died from Neisseria Meningitidis in 98. I was kind of scared at this point. I waited till 8:00 AM and then had my roommate take me to the hospital. I knew if I did not go at this time I would probably die by afternoon on Friday if it happened to be bacterial.
When I got to the E.R. I told the nurse working the window at the front desk I need a doctor because I had meningitis. She looked at me like I was crazy. Upon being called back to the E.R. after the doctors initial eval, they quickly hooked up an IV, drew some blood from this location for some bacterial tests (they also did the same from another location on my hand). Next I was then given an pain killer via IV called Toradol and 2 perkaset's orally. The E.R. Doc treated me aggressively (Thank God) and went ahead and started the IV antibiotic, Rocephin. Next the doctor performed an LP (lumbar puncture aka spinal tap). The LP is what diagnoses Meningitis. If you have a viral case your white cell count may be in the 200-300 range. My WBC count was 2200 and 90% neutrophils (if I am correct about 65% of WBC is normal). I was moved to an isolated room in the E.R. to wait for the official word. When my headache returned I was given 2 more perkaset's, which did nada. I was then give an IV dose of morphine. I was finally moved to a room around 4:00 or 5:00 (I can't remember). There I received another dose of morphine and from 9:00 - 12:00 3 additional antibiotics, as well as, an IV does of Benadryl. I received the same 4 antibiotics on Saturday. I also spent Saturday not being able to tolerate light and being sick all morning. I did not eat anything either Friday or Saturday. Sunday, I felt better, but I could still not tolerate light. The antibiotics were cut to two different drugs, twice a day via IV. I was finally able to eat though. Monday night I was cut down to receiving just rocephin twice a day via IV and was feeling good, but very tired. Tuesday more of the same. Today, (Wednesday) a PICC Line (peripherally inserted central catheter) was inserted into me so that I could go home to receive the 9 remaining days of IV antibiotics I need. A PICC line is a silicon tube that is inserted into one of the larger veins of the upper arm (about mid way between the elbow and shoulder). It is then threaded up through the arm to the superior vena cava and stops just outside the right atrium. A PICC line can be used for various things including Chemo and IV drug treatments for longer terms. I will take a picture of this. Let me know if any of you want to see it.
Tomorrow, I receive a delivery of the rest of my medicine as well as the equipment to runs the IV's. I got very lucky in that I had bacterial meningitis and am walking away both alive and with no side effects. This is due only to the fact that I knew the symptoms and the doctor treated aggressively, saving my life.
Now, the part that matters most. The symptoms of both viral and bacterial meningitis:
The main smptoms
- headache (a bad one)
- neck pain (stiff neck)
- fever
- rash (if Neisseria meningitidis)
also
- nausea
- vomiting
- trouble looking into light
- seizures are possible at later stages.
http://www.meningitis.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/meningococcal_g.htm
http://bcs.uta.edu/StudentData/MeningitisInfo.jsp?webschedule
If you have bacterial meningits you can go into septic shock (internal organs not woking) if not caught soon enough. There are vacinations for some forms of meningits. Look into them if you feel like they would be a good idea for you. Especially you college kids. The college campus is where Neisseria meningitidis is found most often and where my friend who died from meningitis caught the bacteria. Just make yourself aware.
peace.
- DiGi
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Digi that is scary.
she fought hard and survived. I hate to see you are dealing with this. I wish you the best with your recovery. I am truly happy to see you are ok. this is always the biggest fear of my mother when ever I or anyone of my siblings fall ill.
that's very scary and I'm very glad that you're alright.
