Sean Doyle's story

Hello,

My names Sean and I am 58.

In 2019, I was sitting in my car when I just started sweating profusely. A customer said I looked terrible and, I don't know how, I drove five miles home.

I was so tired and hot. So hot, I was eating lolly ice after lolly ice.

My wife came home and immediately called 111 who advised me to go the hospital. Unfortunately, I was sent home with paracetamol but the next day I was a lot worse and so went back to the hospital.

This time they took blood, and although they could see I was ill, I was admitted and put into isolation as they didn't know what I had.

Three days later I was told I had an unknown virus and would be there until well enough to send home.

I was hallucinating and the nighttime sweats would leave me soaked in bed shivering.

After three weeks, loads of different medication and two stone lighter, they let me go home.

I was knackered for ages and my head was all cloudy, but the doctor said it happens and will get better.

I lost my job of seventeen years (employer loyalty) and got a job as a postman. I was only there a year, and they had to let me go as I kept falling over. I understand and I am not bitter. It was a great job with great people.

I then got COVID and although a little rough I escaped any real sickness. My memory was so bad that I had a little book with all my contact details, emergency contact and a list of all my medication.

I had three brain scans in three years, but they kept saying it's a mix of the virus and COVID.

I was fuming. I had a virus in 2019, and you are saying my memory is now bad because of COVID?!

That was 2022 and since then my memory is so bad that even my short term memory is bad.

Finally, the doctor put me forward to the memory clinic near me. This was October 2023.

I waited a few months, but it was worth it. They told me the virus was actually meningitis, but my paperwork says unknown virus, and they did a load of tests and a brain scan.

In March, this year, they got the results back and the meningitis had damaged the front of my brain leaving me with dementia-like symptoms.

Five years of having to constantly call my doctor saying something is wrong. It's my mind and something is seriously wrong. They told me side effects were what I was feeling and that I was depressed so they put me on Sertraline. I don't know why I took them, but I was so mentally tired that I took them.

Now that I know I was right all the time it actually makes me feel a little better, as at least now I know I am not going crazy.