My name is Annette and just over two years ago at the age of 58, I contracted bacterial meningitis. I have two grown-up children and a three-year-old granddaughter. My husband Neil is a clinical nurse specialist which proved to be very helpful!
I work part-time as a health visitor with young children and their families. The day before I was admitted to hospital I began to feel unwell with a mild headache and earache and was very tired after carrying out home visits to young babies. The following day I woke with a crashing headache and unbearable earache. After trying to eat breakfast I began to vomit repeatedly with diarrhoea.
Neil was working away in London at the time so I rang him to tell him I was unwell and going back to bed. He said I sounded dreadful and decided to cut short his training and come home. By the time Neil arrived home, I had begun drifting in and out of consciousness and my temperature was climbing. I can't really remember much but I was rousable initially when he arrived and then soon I wasn't, together with a very high temperature which prompted him to ring for an ambulance.
Apparently, the paramedics were brilliant and I was blue-lighted to casualty where they carried out a lumbar puncture and blood tests (thankfully I wasn't aware). I was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis secondary to mastoiditis in my left ear. I was then treated overnight with IV antibiotics and steroids in casualty and thankfully I responded and regained consciousness 24 hours later.
Neil and my brother were by my trolley when I came around and I can remember hearing their voices and wondering what I was doing there and what was happening. It was all very surreal.
My hearing was initially impaired and my speech was incoherent but gradually over the next two weeks I spent my time in various medical side rooms receiving more IV antibiotics and fluids and began a slow recovery before being discharged home. Unfortunately, five days later I suffered a massive epileptic seizure and was again admitted to casualty overnight. Then six weeks later I had a second seizure in my sleep. I was then diagnosed with epilepsy and prescribed medication to prevent further possible seizures. This was so disappointing as it meant I could no longer drive and sent my driving licence to the DVLA.
Fortunately, I have a very supportive manager at work and I managed to arrange to continue working part-time in the child health clinics, with the support from my work colleagues, husband and son who drove me there and I also accessed public transport. This meant I had to walk a lot more which I feel has been a real positive in my ongoing recovery.
As I continued with my epilepsy medication I began to struggle with the side effects, so I gradually reduced the dose I was prescribed over time until I was no longer taking a therapeutic dose. I liaised with my epilepsy nurse and knowing that my previous brain scans and tests had shown no brain tissue abnormalities and I stopped my medication in November 2023. I continued to remain well and seizure free and finally in July 2024 I was allowed to start driving again. I treated myself to an old Fiat 500 soft top which has been such fun to drive!
I am so grateful to my husband, brother, son, daughter and all the healthcare professionals who cared for me when I was unwell. I'm so fortunate to have made such a good recovery. I probably do need a hearing aid as my hearing is still slightly down but otherwise, I am so lucky to be enjoying life and spending time with my gorgeous granddaughter!
I love being able to live my life to the full, I've returned to my aerobics dance class, I walk far more than I ever used to, we're back on our tandem, and I appreciate how fortunate I've been to have made such a good recovery.