Meningitis in your words

Robin Holaway Owens' story

  • Categories: Unknown meningitis and septicaemia (sepsis) type
  • Age: Young child 3-5
  • Relationship: Self
  • Outcome: Recovery with after effects
  • After effects: Hearing problems
Robin Holaway Owens

I remember waking up at 4 or 5 crying because I knew I was going to the hospital. 

The next morning, I couldn't walk and, indeed, I went to the Children's Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. 
I can remember bits and pieces of my hospital stay - having bad dreams about running when I couldn't move my legs, and a doctor in a turban-type hat). I remember a test of needles in my head afterwards. 

I did recover and after physical therapy that I also remember little about, it was over - or so I thought.

"As an adult, much later - 50 years later - the restless legs I had were so impacting my sleep that it was unbearable."

As time progressed, I lost some bladder control, felt more pains in my back than a child should and always scraped the tip of my shoes from not lifting my feet enough when I walked. Doctors tested me for MS as well. 

As an adult, much later - 50 years later - the restless legs I had were so impacting my sleep that it was unbearable. The pain in my back became unbearable and my bladder control issues increased and ringing in my ears. 

After years of neurologists, a cervial spine C5/6 fusion, an inter-stim device implated to help me empty my bladder, I had had an L4/5 fusion just last week.

My neurologist also thinks this stemmed from the meningitis.

I am hoping the back surgery alleviatessome of the pain in my back, but really have very little hope of good bladder control, which brings UTIs and since I have them so frequently, I oftentimes don't realize I have one.

I would love to pin everything on the meningitis, too. I'd also just like to know there are others out there suffering with this.

No, it wasn't a car accident; no, my husband doesn't beat me; no, I didn't fall down or off my bike. I'm sick of hurting and feeling this way but would find comfort in knowing where it all stemmed from.

Robin Owens
June 2015