In January 2010, five days after my newborn baby was born, I was diagnosed with meningitis. I was having flu-like symptoms for two days and then I started hallucinating. I was put in an ambulance and taken to the hospital, where I was told they suspected it could be meningitis.
After this, I have no memory as I was unresponsive for just under two weeks. My partner and family were told I had 24 hours to live, and if I did pull through, that I wouldn't have much function in my brain.
When I came through this part, my partner was told that if I don't move my legs a little bit within 24 hours, then they would need to be amputated, as it would cause more damage. Thankfully, I moved them and got to keep my legs.
When I woke up, I was paralysed from the waist down and had to learn to walk again. I was in the hospital for a total of six months. After the rehab and learning to walk again, all my after-effects are still ongoing. I have short-term memory loss, bad fatigue all the time, loss of sensation in the soles of my feet, balance issues in my lower body, and bowel and bladder problems. I use self-catheters permanently now after an operation I had on my bladder, which involved cutting a piece of my bowel off to extend my bladder as it was overactive.
It is now fifteen years on, and I didn’t receive any help, advice or guidance until about five years after my illness, when I contacted Meningitis Now, for whom I am an ambassador currently.
I believe sharing stories and experiences is vital so that people don’t have to go through it alone like I did for so long. Also, the things that people’s families go through are terrible. My partner had to go through being a brand new parent on her own, whilst also dealing with me in intensive care and hospital for six months. She did not know if I would survive or what quality of life I would have, which is an unimaginable pressure and worry.
The whole experience is horrendous for everyone involved - your family and yourself. Keep moving forward and don't dwell on what has happened.