Zachary J Sanders's story

12 December 2012, this day started out like when you get a normal cold. I found that I had been sneezing more than normal and having the worst headaches you could have. On 22 December the symptoms still got worse and keep getting worse so I go to the doctor for the flu, they give me Amoxicillin that helps to hold off the bacteria for a while.

2 January 2013, I was getting to the point I was not able to stand up and my mother was very worried and could not find the problem, as I didn't have a stiff neck, she thought it was a prolonged cold.

4 January 2013, I went to an emergency room and got a saline for dehydration but I still didn't get better. The flu I thought I had was not only feeling like it was killing me but also hurting my family, my mom could not stand the fact that I could not move at all. I had lost 45% of my body muscle before I could get treated.

12 January, 2013 , I went up to my dads in Stoughton Wisconsin and he got mad by the second day and got me into the hospital and they said I had flu but my father took me back and they did a spinal tap and found I had upper spinal meningitis.

The 10 days I spent in hospital were the worst. I was sedated with the drug diluted for the pain I had in my body. They were in my room everyday to help feed me and help me bath so I didn't wither away. My weight loss was very bad , I was not able to stop vomiting until the sixth day in the hospital. The weight loss ended up bringing me from 234lbs to 177lbs at the end of this. Before I went home I had to get a blood patch and the recovery from that was awful. 

After I was out of the hospital my father took me home to my mothers in Machesney Park were I still endured the challenges you get from double vision and muscle weakness to the point of not being able to stand . The recovery was more painful than the illness itself. My skin hurt when I tried to bath, it felt like someone stabbed me with a hot flaming knife.

After about two or more weeks I was able to go back to school but I couldn't do it and I was forced to drop out and quit my job because of all the stuff that was wrong with me.

Three months later I had another visit to Rockford memorial and I was there for an EEG because I had a seizure on vacation in Florida at my Aunt and Uncle's house. The problems I have had after it are Palsy and learning problems with mood problems and I'm still recovering.

I will never be the same guy again.

Zachary Sanders
June 2013