Meningitis Started With Seemingly Routine Symptoms

As the cold winter months creep up on us, it brings the flu season. Last February, I came down with the flu. When that happens, as any mother knows, it’s only a matter of time before the children come down with the symptoms, too.

On Friday, Feb. 21, my son, Kyle, woke up from his nap late with a fever of 102 degrees.

“OK,” I thought, “it’s his turn.”

I tried to get him to drink something, but all he wanted to do was sleep. I gave him some Tylenol and put him back to bed.

Before going to bed myself, I checked on him. He looked as though he was sleeping soundly.

When I woke up Saturday morning, I thought to myself that Kyle must have had a good night’s sleep because he didn’t wake me with his cries.

I walked past his bedroom to the kitchen to make coffee. My daughter, Sharlie, who had been watching television, came to me and said she thought Kyle had fallen out of bed because he had bruises on his face.

I rushed to his room to see for myself. He was lying there, still.

In a faint whisper, he said, “Mom.”

My heart sank. I knew he was in serious trouble. But why?

I rushed him to the Deer Park Hospital. As I laid him down and watched the staff work on him, I knew it was to save his life. But why?

MedStar was called and Kyle was flown to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. The doctor there told me Kyle was in critical condition with bacterial meningitis. He was given antibiotics and anti-clotting medicine. Now it was just a waiting game to see how the bacteria would attack. The bacteria clotted in his veins. Sometimes the veins wouldn’t unclot. That’s when the children lose limbs. Believe me, that’s an ugly thing to watch.

My son lost some fingers and toes, and was left with scars on his face and arm. I don’t want any other parent to mistake this serious illness for the flu, as I almost did.

The symptoms are fever, vomiting, irritability, intense headache, stiff neck and unusual bruises. Even though few people are affected, 10 to 15 percent of us carry the bacteria that causes the disease. It’s carried in saliva and droplets from the nose. Once passed, it takes three to four days for the person to become sick and as little as six hours for the disease to be fatal.

We are so thankful for the doctors, nurses and therapist who worked with Kyle and other children in the same situation. God bless them all.

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a Your Turn column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write Your Turn, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615.