Louise Fawcett's story

January 2012 I started feeling really unwell. I was experiencing an extremely painful stiff neck then later on that day I came down with a high temperature of 39. I was really sick, had the most dreadful headache and the light began to hurt my eyes. I was shivering so that evening I got into bed. I called an ambulance which took me and my two children to hospital.

I woke up with doctors around me explaining I had meningitis. I was terrified – I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I thought ‘no, not me, they must have got this wrong’

I was then treated but I haven’t been the same since. I've experienced the same symptoms twice and have been admitted to hospital.

I'm with a neurologist now in Queens Square, London and they seem to be helping with my symptoms but now I also have developed memory loss and depression, I'm scared of hospitals and doctors and I also feel very sad and tearful most of the time. My two children have been affected as my life has changed; I’ve lost all the will to do things I use to enjoy and I feel worried most days that I'll never recover.

But I hope and pray one day I will start to think positively and try to believe I can fight my way to a full recovery.

Louise Fawcett
August 2012