Robin Holaway Owens' story

I remember waking up at 4 or 5 crying because I knew I was going to the hospital.

The next morning, I couldn’t walk and, indeed, I went to the Children’s Hospital in Evansville, Indiana.

I can remember bits and pieces of my hospital stay – having bad dreams about running when I couldn’t move my legs, and a doctor in a turban-type hat. I remember a test of needles in my head afterwards.

I did recover and after physical therapy that I also remember little about, it was over – or so I thought.

As time progressed, I lost some bladder control, felt more pains in my back than a child should and always scraped the tip of my shoes from not lifting my feet enough when I walked. Doctors tested me for MS as well.

As an adult, much later – 50 years later – the restless legs I had were so impacting my sleep that it was unbearable. The pain in my back became unbearable and my bladder control issues increased and ringing in my ears.

Back surgery

After years of neurologists, a cervical spine C5/6 fusion, an inter-stim device implanted to help me empty my bladder, I had had an L4/5 fusion just last week.

My neurologist also thinks this stemmed from the meningitis.

I am hoping the back surgery alleviates some of the pain in my back, but really have very little hope of good bladder control, which brings UTIs and since I have them so frequently, I oftentimes don’t realize I have one.

I would love to pin everything on the meningitis, too. I’d also just like to know there are others out there suffering with this.

One story can change a life. 2,030 could change the world. Share yours today.