Hi my name is Dale, 36 years old and was diagnosed with Bacterial Meningitis last December 2016. I was in a coma for 5 days in the ICU and when I woke up I was not able to recall anything.
My memory came back bits and pieces as the days go by, I stayed at the hospital for 16 days, then doctors advised me to go home and continue medication. Last thing I remembered the day it happened was I had intense headache and pain in the nape area, fever of 39 degrees and vomiting.
My wife rushed me to the hospital and by the moment we arrived in the ER I passed out and woke up in the ICU afterwards. On the days that I was in the ICU doctors could not tell what happened to me, my sister took videos of me in the ICU (secretly). I could not even believe what I was watching, I was strapped down in bed, hands, arms, legs, shoulders (whole body) as I was moving constantly and trying to get out of bed, my eyes are a bit open and bulgy as if I was looking at something afar, breathing heavily, seizures and mouth was also foaming like I had rabies (never had an incident of animal bite or scratch my whole life) I had no memory of this happening to me until I saw the video.
When I woke up I was not able to talk nor open my mouth, I was also thinking why I was strapped down, there are a lot of IV's (5 of them) and instruments connected to me, I tried to take them off but the nurse strapped me down again. I remembered people's faces but not their names. When I was released from the ICU, I was given huge amounts of antibiotics (injected in the IV, 3 full doses in 1) 3 times a day, and 5 oral meds Keltican (once a day) and Piracetam (twice a day), and 2 tablets for the heart and BP but forgot the names and depends on the BP if less than 110/70, not to take it (twice a day), 1 other capsule before breakfast forgot the name but was for the stomach, oral meds continued till present except for the 3 meds which I forgot the names, sorry.
Difference that I noticed in my body after getting out of the ICU:
- Double Vision with both eyes opened but can see normally with one eye alternatively. Sensitivity to light and sometimes blurry.
- Hearing loss totally on right ear, minimal hearing on the left ear probably in a scale of 1-10, it's a 4.
- Headache, 6 out of 10.
- Difficulty in turning my head from left to right as if I had stiff neck, vision messes up doing this as well like I'm having a 2 second delay.
- Difficulty standing up, balancing and walking like I was a 1 year old child, learning to walk again. Hand and eye coordination was messed up.
- Was able to talk normally on the 2nd day being out of the ICU and could recall people's names and events that happened slightly.
Things I did when I was released from the hospital:
- Proper diet, fruits and vegetables, less on meat products. Water intake, 2 liters daily.
- Doctors prescribed home medication of Keltican (1) and Piracetam (2)
- Slight exercise combination of stretching and jogging 15-20 minutes a day every morning.
- Multivitamins and Fish oil capsule once a day.
- Chewing gum once a day (exercise jaw and tongue)
Things that improved 35 days after release to date:
- Vision improved a lot 8 out of 10 restored.
- Hearing restored on left ear 8 out of 10, left ear is 5 out of 10.
- Still experiencing balancing issues while walking but has improved a lot compared previously, unable to drive due to safety reasons.
- Headache is gone but have difficulty getting some sleep, if I ever get one can only last for 3-4 hours. Stiff neck and nape pain has diminished.
- Slight memory loss.
- Muscle cramps (left leg and lower back).
- Dizziness after hours of walking.