Charlotte McGarry's story

I was recently taken to A&E with severe head pain and having dislike to bright light, and stiff neck. Not to mention feeling nauseous. A ct scan was performed on my head to check to see what was going on. The wait for the result felt like forever.

It eventually come back OK. A&E medical team already had a plan in place for me to have a lumber puncture of the spine to take sample of fluid to check that I have not had a start to a bleed on the spinal cord and brain, frightend to hear those words was awful to hear and possibly take in.

I was admitted to a ward to be kept an eye on. Lumber puncture was taken on the Saturday morning and results come back later on that afternoon, they had come back there was no bleed to the brain or spinal cord which was a massive relief. When asked the docter to what the cause of this head pain is, he looked round and said there's a chance you have viral Meningitis, my face and jaw dropped at the word Meningitis as I associated that with having the dreaded rash, which he replied you don't necessarily have to have all the symptoms such as the rash. I was in complete shock.

Even though viral meningitis is mild I still couldn't take in the fact that I have Meningitis. But very lucky to not have the bacterial or fungal etc one. I just wanted to spread awareness and know the signs and to know your own body when something don't feel right.

Even though I had viral Meningitis it's the awful awful feeling and illness to have. So scary too as the head pain, the whole lumber puncture and after effects to that is something else and really knocks you sideways.