My “RUN IN” with Meningitis

On Sunday, 1 February 2004, I had organized to do my long run from Karrinyup into Perth City to watch the Accenture Triathlon (swim bike run) Series race. Paul, my fiancé was competing in the amateur race and we had organized to have a bit of a picnic and watch the professionals race at midday. By the time I reached Kings Park Road, Paul was on the last lap of the ‘bike section’ of his race. I ran down to transition at Langley Park to see him begin the ‘run section’ and I saw Paul and lots of friends finish the race. The day was a hot and I felt dehydrated, even though I was drinking water. During the previous weeks I had not been feeling that well and had decided not to enter the Accenture race. I had recently completed some other races but ended up feeling quite sick and bloated as I started the ‘run section’ of the races. I went to the doctor to find out what was wrong and had all kinds of tests that indicated nothing was wrong. I took a few pain relief tablets, on Sunday evening before going to a friend’s BBQ. I thought that the day in the sun and the dehydration, had given me a headache.

During Sunday night I woke up feeling unwell. I felt like I had a flu but knew I did not. When I woke up in the morning I had a pounding headache. I ached all over and I decided to take the day off work. As the day wore on I knew that something was really wrong, my neck got stiff and I started feeling very sick. I booked an appointment at a doctor’s surgery and my Mum came and took me to the 4pm appointment. By 4pm, I barely had the energy to make it to the front door of our house. When we arrived at the surgery I needed to lie down but had to sit in the doctor’s room. The doctor told me I probably had heat stroke and sent me home, told me to take some pain relief medication and to rest. I told the doctor at this stage that I could hardly turn my head.

My Mum stayed with me at home for a while, my temperature was rising rapidly and the day was hot and this made me feel even more uncomfortable. Regardless, all I wanted to do was get under my doona and go to sleep. My Mum is a registered nurse with many years experience. She started to get worried. I could see the concern in her face as she began searching my body for any sign of skin blotching.

I woke up early on Tuesday morning, after a terrible night’s sleep, feeling like I had slept on a rock. I asked Paul to take me to hospital. I was seen quickly by accident and emergency staff, when I arrived at the hospital. I had a lumbar puncture and the results came back at approximately 10am. I was told I had Viral Meningitis. “Wow, what is that?” I asked the doctor. The doctor explained what it was and how it couldn’t be treated with antibiotics. It seemed I would be ill for around 7-10 days but would probably recover quickly and it would unnecessary for me to be hospitalized. However, by 1pm my temperature was nearly 39 degrees but I was freezing. I lay shaking uncontrollably with a stiff spine, an IV drip in my arm, bracing myself for the next round of vomiting. My Mum and Dad came into the Emergency Department around 6pm. Mum was feeling really bad because she didn’t push the possibility of meningitis to the doctor on Monday. I was so hungry and had barely eaten since the BBQ on Sunday night. Mum fed me some crumbed fish and veggies.

By 7pm I was admitted to hospital and moved to a public room by myself, labeled “infectious”. I didn’t care I just wanted to sleep and get rid of the thumping in my head.

Over the next few days I was given pain relief medication every four hours. I was throwing up every time I moved and the medicine I was given to stop the vomiting, seemed to make it worse. The nurses were excellent and looked after me with a level of care that was so comforting and empathetic. I had many phone calls waking me from delirious sleep, but I enjoyed having the numerous visitors. However I often fell asleep during their visits. I would awake to see a growing number of flowers and chocolates. My special visitor Paul, would come and eat my dinner most nights, hungry after training as he did not have the time to dash home before visiting me. I happily pushed the food his way.

By Saturday I had had enough, I was unsettled and wanted to get out of hospital but the doctors did not want me to leave. Eventually I was wheeled out of the hospital by Paul and sat wondering, how I would stand up and get into the car. I was also unsure how I would make it from the car into bed, once we got home. However I made it into the car and sat clutching my plastic vomit bag. We called into a pharmacy on the journey home to get some medication. Paul collected the medication and by the time he got back to the car I was squirming and ready to cry. My headache was impossible and I felt awful. By Monday my Mum decided to cart me back to the hospital. Before I left I tried to put my contacts lens in. I started shaking and fell backwards and dropped a contact lens and was unable to find it because I couldn’t see.

Back in hospital I had glucose by drip, X-rays, a CAT scan, lots of blood taken, another lumbar puncture, and was taken by ambulance to another hospital for an MRI scan. I really thought my head was going to explode. The meals I was given were impossible for me too eat because of my stiff neck and spine. I was started on a chocolate energy drinks and slowly started to feel a little better, however I was still sleeping most of the day and I was starting to feel restless at night. Every few hours my temperature was taken and blood pressure checked….(still sitting on 39 after almost 12 days.)

By Friday I was released from the hospital. Mum and Dad came to pick me up and took me to their house to look after me. By this time I had lost around 8 kilos and I normally weighed 60kgs. The heat of summer prevented me from doing much so I started reading Cathy Freeman’s book, for a bit of motivation. Mum was trying to feed me up. She later told me that I moved around the house like a robot. Mum and Dad would take me out at night for a walk and I would manage about 100metres before I needed to turn around. I just wanted to get back to the couch and lie down.

Eventually things improved but I started to experience a surreal feeling in my head that would take a few more weeks to disappear. I can’t really explain what it was like. My appetite started to improve and I was gradually beginning to feel better. Around day 19, Mum and Dad agreed to let me go back to my own home. I spent most of the next week wearing a track in the carpet, by making my way from the couch to bed. I started to do little chores around the house that had been left in disrepair by my lovely fiancé. I was struggling with dizzy spells and at least once a day I would latch on to the nearest bench and hold on for dear life, while my body shook. A few times I did end up on the ground which was very scary. After a week at home (the 4th week of sickness) I was starting to feel much better. A friend came over to pick me up and prepared me a power lunch. The following Tuesday I went to work but the first time back in my car was tiring. I got to work and sat at my desk, opened all my emails replied to some and went home. I may have pushed a little hard but I regained full-time hours by week 5.

It is now late April and I have made a full recovery. My head wasn’t quite with it for a while, but now I am fine. I have been swimming up to 3 times a week and walking frequently. I make the 2 hour return journey to and from work on my bike, a few times per week. I am now much more aware of my body and do not let it get run down. I appreciate being fit and well and will not underestimate the importance of this ever again. I have to acknowledge the wonderful support I received from friends, work colleagues and family and I feel this was a crucial part of my successful recovery. I plan to rebuild my fitness base and hopefully prepare for the Busselton Ironman Triathlon, which will be held on 28 November 2004.