Castle Aching

[Annie]

My thoughts and prayers are very much with you and your family James.  My youngest had to go into hospital with a raging infection when he was only 18 months old so I can very much empathise with your present situation.  No parent wants to see their child distressed and in pain and it's good to read that the medical team at Darlington Memorial are doing their utmost to stabilise and care for your son.  Perhaps some prayers for them are in order too.

[Hroth]

Sorry to hear about your family emergency.  Best wishes to all, and to your son for a speedy recovery.

[ianLMS]

Goodness me.  Currently running on just 3 hours' sleep, so will be brief.  Thanks for all your support.

 

The Boy was admitted to hospital last night.  He had a fever, with temperature exceeding 40 degrees at times, and an agonising headache. Tonsillitis seems to be an opportunist add-on, but what is really wrong with him?

 

The last 24-hours have been like living inside an episode of House, with all manner of Consultants, scans and tests, punctuated by the odd crisis.  Twice his blood pressure has dived to worryingly low levels.  An anaesthetist was called to consider inducing a coma.

 

Re-hydration seem to have restored blood pressure, the fever has been kept in check and, this afternoon the morphine drip finally reduced the head pain sufficiently to allow him to sleep (he's been doing a lot of screaming).   

 

Until the cultures are ready, the diagnosis is in abeyance, but the current suspects are viral meningitis and encephalitis. 

 

Both are treatable conditions, however unpleasant, but it has taken the hospital staff a lot of hard work, devotion and skill to manage his condition and get things under some sort of control.

 

I cannot praise highly enough the professionalism and compassion by all the staff at Darlington Memorial, for which we are very grateful. 

 

The poor chap is suffering terribly, and will continue to do so for sometime. Tabitha has been very supportive and his girl friend is a constant strength and support to him. 

 

The Memsahib is taking night duty again, so the rest of us will be getting an early start and I will relieve the Mem around 6 tomorrow morning.

 

I'll let you know when more is known.

 

Best wishes all.

I am very sorry to hear this James. Lets hope for a full and speedy recovery and all are back home safely. Take care! Ian

[Edwardian]

Thank you all for your support.

 

I was sorry to learn that so many of you have had to experience similar issues and that so many young children have had such traumatic experiences.

 

Our lad seems stable.  Blood pressure and heart rate normal, temperature under control and with a normal result from the MRI. 

 

This afternoon is lumbar puncture to see if there's infection in the brain, now he's well enough for the procedure.

 

Oh, and had a call today to say that our house sale has fallen through due to a life-changing medical emergency for the nice couple who were to buy it.  Poor them.

Edited July 24, 2018 by Edwardian

[ianLMS]

Life can be cruel and always seems to deal another blow when you are already facing adversity. I am sure your futune will change for the better James. the downside is you just never know when! 

 

Take care

Ian

[Andy Kirkham]

What a trauma it must have been for you. The kind of thing that every parent fears. I'm so glad to hear your son seems to be getting over it.

[Bill_J]

So glad to hear that your son's condition seems to be under control now. I can only offer my thoughts and prayers for you at this time.

 

My sincere apologies to Edwardian and family. I inadvertently clicked the wrong emoji this morning and am somewhat ashamed that it had to be pointed out to me, that I had done so.

 

With regards

[Edwardian]

So glad to hear that your son's condition seems to be under control now. I can only offer my thoughts and prayers for you at this time.

 

My sincere apologies to Edwardian and family. I inadvertently clicked the wrong emoji this morning and am somewhat ashamed that it had to be pointed out to me, that I had done so.

 

With regards

 

Bill, no apologies necessary - I am forever clicking the wrong buttons.

 

Thanks to you and everyone for their support.

 

We should get a diagnosis tomorrow, but the brain is infected, and the leading contender is Bacterial Meningitis.  That's the nasty one that is invariably fatal if untreated.  If treated I gather the fatality rate falls to around 2%.  This was caught early and his condition is improving, so he is not in any danger, thank God.

[Compound2632]

Bill, no apologies necessary - I am forever clicking the wrong buttons.

 

Thanks to you and everyone for their support.

 

We should get a diagnosis tomorrow, but the brain is infected, and the leading contender is Bacterial Meningitis.  That's the nasty one that is invariably fatal if untreated.  If treated I gather the fatality rate falls to around 2%.  This was caught early and his condition is improving, so he is not in any danger, thank God.

 

You have my deepest sympathy for what you are going through. My father is currently recovering from listeria meningitis; very distressing for all in the early stages when he was having frequent delusional episodes and we didn't know the diagnosis. Fortunately he too has been in excellent medical hands (the Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Unit at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital) and is thankfully now close to discharge with home support. I had to complete a questionnaire from Public Health England, who of course wanted to identify the source of the listeria, but there was nothing that could reasonably be identified that I hadn't already eaten out of the fridge while camping in his house during the first days he was in hospital in early June.

 

Many years ago my brother caught bacterial meningitis while on a Scout Camp in Wales - I was at university at the time but it was a very anxious time for my parents. My brother made a full recovery but gave up Scouts. 

[south_tyne]

It's times and situations like this that put everything else in life into persepective. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family

[Hroth]

I'd been browsing CA before I logged in and noticed that with all the medical chat, the RMweb software had thought fit to inject adverts from ambulance-chasing lawyers, which I don't think is helpful.  At least that sort of rubbish disappears when logged in!

 

Anyhow, its good to read that a definite diagnosis is being approached and that current treatment appears to be working well.

[Edwardian]

You have my deepest sympathy for what you are going through. My father is currently recovering from listeria meningitis; very distressing for all in the early stages when he was having frequent delusional episodes and we didn't know the diagnosis. Fortunately he too has been in excellent medical hands (the Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Unit at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital) and is thankfully now close to discharge with home support. I had to complete a questionnaire from Public Health England, who of course wanted to identify the source of the listeria, but there was nothing that could reasonably be identified that I hadn't already eaten out of the fridge while camping in his house during the first days he was in hospital in early June.

 

Many years ago my brother caught bacterial meningitis while on a Scout Camp in Wales - I was at university at the time but it was a very anxious time for my parents. My brother made a full recovery but gave up Scouts. 

 

Very sorry to hear of these illnesses.  They really can be quite dangerous and dramatic, so it is good  were caught in time and dealt with; but very distressing and unpleasant so long as they last.  My very best wishes for your father's full and rapid recovery.

 

 

I'd been browsing CA before I logged in and noticed that with all the medical chat, the RMweb software had thought fit to inject adverts from ambulance-chasing lawyers, which I don't think is helpful.  At least that sort of rubbish disappears when logged in!

 

Anyhow, its good to read that a definite diagnosis is being approached and that current treatment appears to be working well.

 

I'm afraid my profession is something of a broad spectrum and I view the sort of firms you describe with considerable distaste!

 

I haven't seen these.  Currently we are feeling fairly optimistic concerning a full recovery within the next few days, so I would probably have seen the funny side. I might not have been so charitable otherwise.

[Compound2632]

Apologies, my intention was not to advertise my own woes but just to illustrate by example that full recovery is not only to be hoped for but commonly achieved. All the best to James and family at this deeply anxious time.

[Martin S-C]

I am very sorry to hear of your son's terrible illness, Edwardian, but as you say, when the pressure is on our doctors and nurses really can deliver a superb service. I do hope he will now be safe in their care and successful treatment will follow.

[runs as required]

....... Currently we are feeling fairly optimistic concerning a full recovery within the next few days.....

Good to hear that James.

Thank you for thinking to post for us

dh

[Edwardian]

Thank you all.

 

Things are now sufficiently relaxed that the Memsahib has been able to leave the hospital for the first time since Sunday, and I can post on her lap top at the bedside. 

 

Our Boy is sleeping now, but sat up earlier, chatted and managed to eat a yoghurt and some ice cream. 

 

He may be out by the end of the week, with the ability to inject the rest of his anti--biotics at home, so fingers crossed.

[Les le Breton]

Dear Edwardian, I'm glad that the prognosis looks much better and your son has made good progress.Please remember that the hardest part of being a parent is watching a child go through something really tough and not being able to fix it for them. All you can do is all you can do. I am sure you and your family manage to come out out of your black hole well. From my own experiences, once a crisis is surmounted, you will all be stronger and closer.

 

Take care all of you.

 

I am not religious, but the quotation of Corinthians 13.13 has been something to guide me through my own life.

 

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

[Caley Jim]

I fully agree with Les le B. When our granddaughter was so ill, all we could do was be 'goffers and dooffers' (go for things and do things for our daughter and son in law). The experience has made the whole family closer and stronger.

 

Jim

[BlueLightning]

James,

 

Sorry I have not been able to comment up until now. I am so relieved to hear that your son is recovering, these times really are the worst for a parent.

 

You have been in my thoughts since I read your first message. I hope his recovery is as quick as it can be!

 

Gary

[RedGemAlchemist]

Thank you all.

 

Things are now sufficiently relaxed that the Memsahib has been able to leave the hospital for the first time since Sunday, and I can post on her lap top at the bedside. 

 

Our Boy is sleeping now, but sat up earlier, chatted and managed to eat a yoghurt and some ice cream. 

 

He may be out by the end of the week, with the ability to inject the rest of his anti--biotics at home, so fingers crossed.

Good to hear he may be moving swiftly down the road to recovery! Excellent news indeed! Although the house thing just seems insult to injury at this point (not the potential buyers' fault) it's good to see something is clearly in your favour buddy. Send him my best wishes!

[DIW]

My goodness, Edwardian. What a dreadful week you have had.

 

When things have settled down for you, I'll introduce myself properly and explain how I've been lurking in the shadows of the Castle Aching thread. Suffice to say that I have now caught up to date with the saga(s), and certainly didn't expect to read of the double whammy of the Meningitis attack to your son and the latest house disposal obstacle.

 

In the meantime, my thoughts are with you - not a practical help I know - but if this simple message of support is of comfort then I'm glad to have written it.

 

Dave

[Edwardian]

Thank you all, and welcome Dave.

 

Another long day.  We have a confirmed diagnosis of bacterial meningitis, so it was a near miss. Had he not joined us at the cinema, where he was blinded by the screen .... Had he, instead, gone to bed with a paracetamol,...  Had we not taken him immediately to the hospital ... Had the consultant not insisted on immediate application of broad spectrum antibiotics ....

 

It is only now, looking back over the events since his first headache and fever, relatively minor, on Saturday, that I realise that we could so easily have lost him had not a number of things happened as they did, and without his youth, vigour and fighting strength (won on the playing fields of Barney School).

 

The lad is now recovering with great swiftness.  Sitting up, chatting away, eating more food, and ambulatory once more.

 

He will be discharged tomorrow, at some point, and an outreach team will come to our home to administer antibiotics - how marvellous! - leaving him to come back in to hospital for bloods at some point.

 

As I think I mentioned, without exception the staff were bloody marvellous, and we are profoundly grateful to them.

 

Hu-bloody-ray.  Not to say "phew!" 

 

I had a long talk with him this afternoon, in which he described without melodrama, but with much evident relief, how it had all been from his point of view; the endless unbearable pain as if his head would burst that seemed to be the limit of pain that could be felt, and then fresh waves of worse pain that were revelatory in their severity.  This, constantly, hour after hour with no end in sight until eventually the morphine brought it to a bearable level. Poor b*gger.   

 

I look forward to having him home soon.

 

Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

 

Who knows, might finally get some bloody modelling done ...

[Nearholmer]

Marvellous to read such good news.

 

My former chief’s daughter got caught by the same thing at age c12. It was only the fact the he noticed the severity of her reaction when he turned on her bedside lamp that led him to whip her off to hospital pronto. Long run outcome? Perfect health.

[laurenceb]

Just caught up. Glad that it is under control.

[Northroader]

What a relief, I expect the same occurs on all the regional news programmes, but we regularly have a report of a student, generally at Bristol or Bath uni’s, who succumbs to exactly the same illness, and perhaps through being away from home, does not realise the seriousness of the onset, and fails to get timely treatment. The pain for him must have been terrible, glad he’s mending so quickly.