“There are so many answers we will never have around the specific diagnosis and source of the infection.”
“On 19 August 2024, I gave birth to our beautiful daughter Annabelle. It was perfect. It was a planned C-section and I had a spinal for this.
“But 24 hours post-delivery, I started with a headache which progressively became worse. I just put it down to being on my own in the hospital overnight with my newborn daughter and not getting very much sleep (as partners were not allowed to stay on the ward overnight). I also have a history of migraines.
“My midwife was due to discharge me and had ordered for my medications to be brought up from the pharmacy ready for discharge. As I stood up to be weighed for these, I had an intense band of pain surge across my head. I bent over in pain. My midwife said she would need to observe me for at least 30 minutes before discharging me.
Became unresponsive
“My partner looked after Annabelle next to me whilst I got some rest. I fell asleep and didn’t wake up. I became unresponsive and was then transferred to ICU, where they told my fiancé Andy and my family that they suspected meningitis and I began IV antibiotic treatments for viral and bacterial meningitis. Lumbar punctures were attempted but failed. My MRI scans showed inflammation of my brain and fluid on the brain also.
“It was a waiting game at this point. My oxygen stats were low, so I was placed on oxygen, and the doctors were worried that if I declined at the same rate, they may need to ventilate me.
“Twenty-four hours passed, and I gradually started to regain some consciousness (although I don’t remember this). Andy would visit as much as he could through the night and talk to me, but I didn’t respond. Until morning, when he came in and asked if I was still in pain. I gave a small nod of the head.
Realised my baby no longer with me
“As the morning progressed, I woke to realise my baby was no longer with me, which was very traumatic and frightening. Andy wasn’t there, and I believed I was alone. I had my phone and looking back at text messages sent to Andy, it seems I was panicking because my neck was in severe pain and I needed help to sit up. Especially as I was also still in pain from the C-section!
“I couldn’t see the nurse stood to my left side and Andy alerted doctors to this, who began assessing me for a potential stroke. I’d lost the use of my left side and kept knocking over my glasses of water for 36 hours after. I’d also lost my left peripheral vision. This also began to return after around 36 hours. The doctors now believe these symptoms were as a result of infection in my brain.
“It was difficult for me to understand why I was in ICU – I fully believed I’d had a migraine and nothing more sinister.
Daughter returned to me
“My daughter was returned to me in ICU as I was distressed she wasn’t there. My mum and Andy had to help me hold her due to my left side being so weak.
“In the days to come, I was transferred back to a side room on the Labour Ward. I continued IV treatments for 14 days and spent the first 2.5 weeks of motherhood in hospital with my beautiful daughter. This caused us so much upset and stress as we just wanted to be home.
“On returning home, I had a few headaches and it was so worrying for our family as we all panicked it could very quickly become meningitis again. I am unbelievably grateful for the care we received. Especially my midwife, who saved my life by not discharging me. I was thankfully in the right place.
“There are so many answers we will never have around the specific diagnosis and source of the infection. This is hard to accept.
Motivation to get better
“I spent a lot of my recovery in hospital saying ‘there are other critically ill patients in this hospital who don’t have a beautiful newborn daughter to gaze at’. She is my motivation to get better and build my stamina back up.
“We are now over two months post meningitis and birth. I’m still very tired – I mean, being a new mum is tiring in its own right! But I’ve regained function of my left side completely and my vision is fine again. I suppose what we are left with is the trauma and this will certainly take a bit of time for us all to work through.
“Physically I appear to be okay, with some fatigue and I do tire easily. Mentally though the trauma of it all happening is still very much on my mind, especially as it happened so quickly after the birth of my daughter.”
If you have been affected by meningitis, contact the Meningitis Now nurse-led Helpline on 0808 80 10 388 or email helpline@meningitisnow.org.
