“It has been confirmed that your son has Meningitis,” the Consultant said. “Just so you know Meningitis is the inflammation of the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. It's a potentially deadly but rare disease.”
“What are his chances of living Doctor?” My Mother asked in total shock.
“The fact that he's alive now is a good sign but it's going to be a long process. The next 72 hours are critical and if he survives he could survive this episode. That's the good news.” The Consultant said. “Unfortunately, the best case scenario would be that he will suffer disability all his life, he would be on medication all his life, he would need 24 hours a day 7 days a week care, he will never walk or talk, he wouldn't be able to do much for himself and he'll have to go to a Special Needs School.”
My parents were shocked. They didn't realise how bad Meningitis could be for the person who has it or indeed the friends and family of the person who is ill with the disease. The fact that I was a baby and hadn't built up antibodies to anything yet left me susceptible to illness and this in turn left me with a huge chance of dying from Meningitis. The antibiotics were administered and all my parents could do was hope and pray that I would make a recovery of some sort. My parents were shocked but thankful that I was in the best possible place to make a recovery from this terrible disease. The next 72 hours I had a fight on my hands that if I lost I wouldn't have been here to write this.
I survived those first 72 hours and grew stronger. I was in hospital for a total of nine months with Meningitis and not being one to do things by halves I was diagnosed with Encephalitis a few days before I was going home. The Consultant wouldn't discharge me so I spent some more time in hospital.
I was in hospital for nine months but made a full recovery from Meningitis and contracted Encephalitis which kept me in hospital a further nine months.
Ian Alexander
February 2021