Thread: Encephalitis anyone? there's hope

Hello, my name is David but usually get called Dave, im 29 years old and i live with my girlfriend Helen in Liverpool, England who is 27 on sunday. 18 months ago my girlfriend Helen who was is a teacher collapsed in work and lost her short term memory (she couldnt remember day to day what she did, but could remember me). Initially the doctors said it maybe stress as she was having a tough time at work and even i wasnt sure what was going on with her, kept telling her to snap out of it, because the Helen i knew was a real go get them type, bubbly and confident.
I work shifts and one night i got in from work at 2am, got in bed next to Helen and after about half an hour she started to have her first seizure. Id never seen anything like it i was so scared, her whole body tensed up and she was foaming at the mouth and would not respond to me, it lasted about a minute but felt like forever. i thought she was choking so was trying to open her mouth to make sure she wasnt but her mouth was slammed shut i couldnt, so i rang 999 (englands 911) and the ambulance came, she eventually came round.
For the following few weeks she was okay, her memorey was still bad but just something didnt feel right and she wasnt quite my Helen. We went on a family holiday to spain and some of her behaviour was a bit out of the ordinary but nothing too bad. Anyway the 2nd night we got back home, during the night she had her second lot of seizures, but this time they were very short and she had 3 in all, again all just as scary as the first time. I rang the ambulance and we went the hospital, but this time she never really came round. She was like a zombie, only mumbling, wanting to sleep all the time, couldnt feed herself or drink for herself and stayed like this for 2 days.
Eventually she seem to come around but seemed different, she would talk about holidays we had been on to places we had never been, she would tell me she had arranged to meet friends but when i dropped her off they seemed confused and said they had never arranged anything, her mind was palying tricks on her, Her personality changed too, she was like a teenager again rebelling against everyhting, she took up smoking, spend spend spend etc things like that. She would also all of a sudden become very tired and fall asleep and maybe not truely come round for a couple of days.
Months and months passed by, the strange behaviour went away, however, she was tired all the time and wouldnt eat and didnt want to do anything. This gradually got better too, where it would be she would ahve a tired few days, then she would be fine for a few days and so on.
During this period, poor Helen, had every test you could think of and eventually they diagnosed viral encephalitis (a viral infection of the brain, which can happen to anyone. It is basically any infection like the flu etc which by some unlucky fluke spreads to the brain). Therefore unless they know what specifically caused it, which they usually cant, they cant treat it, just have to let it pass throught the system on its own, but can take a couple of years.
18 months later ive finally got my Helen back, the doctors are ready to let her try going back to work in september and so far the only lasting damage she has suffered is the loss of hearing in both ears, so she now uses hearing aids which she is trying her best to get used to. Helens biggest fear seems to be that because of these hearing aids im going to leave her, but thats obviously not there case i love her.
Helens birthday is on sunday and ive bought a ring and im going to ask her to marry me so wish me luck.
I posted this, because before this happened to helen, i had never heard of encephalitis and it was so scary, i just want people to know that if you know someone going through a similar thing to tell them to be strong and eventually you will get through it, even though it doesnt seem possible at the time.

Originally Posted by unclem

thank god shes ok dave. iam glad she said yes. i have seen this in the hospital where i work as a RN. its a horrible thing to witness. i hope your ok going threw it with her, you are a stand up guy. best wishes on yoiur marriage plans. peace. imo

Thanks guys, yeah it is a horrible thing to go through but people do come through it eventually and glad ive got her back now.