Adrian Clarke's story

I am 32 and contracted meningococcal meningitis five months ago.

I started feeling pain in my knees and wrist while working onsite, followed by headache and nausea.

I drove back to my accommodation after work, as I was working away from home, but kept feeling worse and worse.

That night I had a fever and kept vomiting, so got very little sleep.

My wife rang me at about 9am, and at that stage I was aching all over and unable to walk.

She knew something was wrong, as I was talking complete nonsense, so by 11am I was in A&E in St. James Hospital in Dublin.

I was admitted straight away and given a full barrage of tests, including x-rays, blood tests and a lumbar puncture, and was quizzed by several doctors and put on antibiotics and fluids to treat septicaemia.

It was late that evening before a rash appeared, and I was diagnosed with meningitis and moved to isolation. I had another lumbar puncture the following day, and spent the next two weeks in hospital on antibiotics, pain killers and anti-nausea medication. I spent most of that time in bed with crippling headaches every time I tried to sit up or stand. I still suffered with the headaches after I was discharged, and was readmitted three weeks later and given a lumbar patch.

I still get the headaches occasionally but not constantly. I am often depressed and my energy levels are low, and I find it hard to get motivated to do anything. The worst after-effect is the pain in my lower back. It is always sore and weak and doesn’t seem to be improving with physio, but it’s early days yet.

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