Meningitis in your words

Alice 's story

  • Categories: Bacterial meningitis
  • Age: Teenager
  • Outcome: Full recovery
Alice

I contracted meningitis last year May 2022 whilst I was in my first year of university. I was in my University Halls in Edinburgh, Scotland when I woke up one morning and found it very hard to move. All my muscles ached. I slept most of the day, had cold sweats and couldn’t eat. I thought I had COVID because my flatmates had had it the week before.

That evening my friends brought me some neurofen which I took and fell asleep. When I woke up around 8PM, I was sweating profusely, and had a rash all over my body. I FaceTimed my mum crying. She immediately told me to put a glass on my arm but the only glass that I had in my room was tinted. She told me to call 999 which I didn’t want to do so she asked me to get one of my friends to come and help me. A friend came down and called an ambulance for me.

I went into hospital, convinced that none of my friends needed to come because I was fine, I was just worried about the rash. Once I was in hospital, I became a lot worse very quickly. I don’t remember much. A friend followed me into hospital because she wasn’t convinced that I was okay. She found me on a hospital bed several hours later, unable to talk and she described me as ‘green’. She tried to feed me but I threw it all up straight away.

Alice Jenkins in hospital bed, leg and arm rash

I was moved into a dark room and could barely open my eyes. Whenever I woke up, it would be to throw up and I couldn’t lift my body so I would just throw up on myself. Two friends stayed with me until a nurse told them to leave early in the morning and get some sleep. My friend had to call my mum and tell her how ill I was. I remember needing the toilet and saying ‘help’ but I was barely audible so nobody could hear me. I had to wait for my mum who arrived in Edinburgh a few hours later (we live in Surrey, near London).

The next thing I remember was several doctors looking at me and I was in a different room. They were performing a lumbar puncture. I was barely conscious. The next time I woke up I was in a different room and was starting to get better. I was transferred to a different hospital with an infectious diseases ward.

I was in hospital for a week and am lucky enough to have made a full recovery. The doctors and nurses at the hospital saved my life. My mum sending me to hospital saved my life.

Alice Jenkins
Aug 2023

Detailed information about the after effects of meningitis

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They listen to the issues faced by someone struggling with the impact of meningitis, and provide detailed information and support.
Membership and support

The MRF Membership and Support team are here for you for any questions you might have about meningitis and septicaemia and their effects on you, or your family and friends.

Tel: Helpline UK 080 8800 3344 Ireland 1800 41 33 44

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