In July 2022 woke up with an almighty headache. I started vomiting and couldn't stand the pain in my head any longer. I called my dad to come and get my son and take him to nursery school for me. Within two hours of him going, I was delirious and eventually unconscious.
My eldest son came home from school and called my husband and said “Mum is really really poorly, come home.” I don't remember anything else until being woken up days later in intensive care. I was in hospital for a total of three weeks before being discharged.
I was so shocked at the lack of support post-meningitis, I mean I almost died! I still have fatigue, muscle pain, deafness and loss of feeling in my leg. I feel like it's changed my personality. I suffer from terrible anxiety that I never had before. Nobody wants to know. Why is there such little attention paid to this devastating disease?
I remind myself that I am one of the lucky ones. How lucky we are to have vaccines against this terrible disease – use them! Vaccinate your children and educate yourself on the symptoms of meningitis.
Kathryn Thomson
February 2025