After contracting Meningococcal septicemia Meningitis last April I have had to fight to have a normal life. Its is not so much the people around me but my brains interpretation of what is happening around me.

Once upon a time I would be able to do 10 things at once, I would remember both important and silly things alike. Now I struggle to remember to put on my underwear in the morning.

I suffer from short term memory loss more than anything, especially when I’m stressed, my brain shuts down my speech, legs, arms and hearing. When really bad I have spasms and end up falling asleep, when I wake I have no memory of it. Before the meningitis I never got stressed, everything just went over my head and I would deal with every situation as it happened.

Now I find myself, talking to myself under my breath, stopping myself from having a go at my partner for no reason at all, ie not putting the milk back in the fridge after making tea. My once placid nature has been taken over by a questioning mind, never knowing what is right or wrong.

Before the meningitis I would only need to be told something once before I could understand it, now it takes maybe 1 or 2 days of going over it in my mind to get to grips with it.

The headaches come and go and the pains in the back of my neck seem to be like a wake up call to let me know when my brain is going on the blink. (This sounds strange I know but its true)

I started to learn about the way the brain works and this seams to help me understand why my brain works the way it is now but still leaves a lot of unanswered questions.

Can anyone tell me if there is any rehab centers for people that have had meningitis?

I’m looking for something where there are doctors who can study the after effects of meningitis and find a solutions of sorts that may help the many people like me to live with everyday life again.

Can anyone help?

Many thanks for taking the time to read this

Jayne