Collette’s Story
The day my world changed...
One of the most exciting things that ever happened to me ever.....giving birth!
Loved it the first time and was doubly excited the second time, I had twins!
The joy and excitement changed, just 6 days old and I noticed a change in Jim or James as he was then. James wasn’t feeding and was very sleepy.
The following day was a Sunday and James looked grey, I phoned the midwife at 9am and she arrived at 1pm, the doctor arrived at 2pm and by 3pm we were all back at the Alexander Hospital Redditch!
The doctors suggested a lumber puncture which we thought was weird as surely a grey, sleepy baby wasn’t meningitis ?! I was home for a short while and called the hospital to see if there was a result from the test, 30 minutes later I was back at the hospital. The lumber puncture was positive but more worryingly, James heart was beating over 300 beats a minute.
At 12 midnight James was put in an ambulance, to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital to their specialist heart unit. I was told to go home and rest, Grace was still at the Alex and so I kissed her goodbye and had a fretful night trying to rest as there was so much ahead of me.
The whole of Monday saw no change in James condition, this was very bad as to beat so quickly for so long was putting an enormous strain on his heart. Tuesday came and things had improved, the medication was slowing things down, I was hopeful.
On Wednesday morning, the rug was pulled from me once more as Jim had a fit for 4 minutes, more medication to control things and then.....a brain scan....At this point I was beside myself, not sleeping, not eating and still flitting from one hospital to another to stroke both babies and soothingly talk to them.
You feel so helpless and hopeless all rolled into one.
The brain scan came back ‘normal’ but then on Thursday the doctors requested a brain waive scan. I waited all day for the result, it came back ‘abnormal’.
A long wait on Friday as the patterns were studied, another sleepless night.
Saturday, was possibly the lowest/saddest, Jim not only had meningitis, he had encephalitis too. Not knowing much about either you fall into the worst position of searching the medical books, we all do it but it is so bad for you and is not going to help you sleep in any way!
Encephalitis is fluid on the brain which causes damage to the cells which may or may not repair.
The unknown tortures you, Jim could have total brain damage, complete recovery or anything in between.
It was Tuesday before there was better news, Jim had started to come out of his induced coma, a second brain waive scan showed an improved response.
Friday, Jim was bottle fed for the first time, the following Wednesday, another brain scan and the staff are discussing a possible discharge to go home.
Friday 21st November, the whole family are home, little did we know what was to come next.....
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