"While I still have occasional migraines and have been left with tinnitus I am otherwise fully recovered. I feel so lucky to have survived and to be here today.”
“I had just qualified for my dream job as cabin crew and had taken myself on holiday for some me time to relax. I was enjoying travelling solo when on the seventh day of my trip I began to feel poorly.
“I flew home and went straight to bed, but woke up at 1am in excruciating pain. I drove myself to hospital were they diagnosed me with shingles and gave me some medication. However, after returning home I continued to deteriorate.
“Two weeks later I had rapidly gone downhill and my daughter found me very poorly in bed. She called the ambulance and I was admitted to hospital and given an MRI and CT scan but nothing was found. I was then woken up at 3am for a lumbar puncture where they diagnosed me with viral meningitis.
Never been so poorly
“I had never been so poorly in my life, the migraines were making me violently sick, I had lost my hearing and had painful muscle spasms all down my left side. I thought I wouldn’t make it through the night. I begged my mum to not let me die in the hospital and had planned my funeral in my head.
“I barely saw my children as I was so poorly in hospital.
“I really struggled after trying to understand the side effects of meningitis, my days were very dark and I was so unwell for months with severe migraines. It was nice to be able to read stories from people in similar situations on Meningitis Now’s Facebook and website. It helped me realise I was not alone.
Recovery
“I finally started picking up after a two week stay in hospital and returned home still suffering from migraines and awful pressure in my left ear. I worried about my career as an Air Hostess as I had worked so hard to get my dream job. Fortunately I am now working as an Air Hostess again.
“Recovery was slow and I used to be in and out of A&E with migraines but thankfully I got my hearing back after a few months. While I still have occasional migraines and have been left with tinnitus I am otherwise fully recovered. I feel so lucky to have survived and to be here today.”
If you have been impacted by meningitis and are looking for support you can contact our nurse-led Helpline by phone on 0808 80 10 388 or email helpline@meningitisnow.org.
