Leo from York was 22 when he started to feel unwell and his girlfriend realised he needed an ambulance. His story shows the importance of getting help quickly, as he explains here.
“I started feeling ill on the Friday but had improved a little on the Saturday. I went for a curry with my girlfriend. I was staying at hers but couldn’t sleep all night, so went back to my flat about 8am and got into bed. That’s when I knew something was not quite right.
“I had a severe headache that came on very fast. After arriving home, the symptoms became worse and were almost unbearable.
“My girlfriend was texting me but apparently my responses were completely illegible. She panicked and phoned me, but I couldn’t really talk properly.
“She knew something wasn’t right and said she was coming round. She also called an ambulance.
Passed out
“I remember trying to stand up to drop my keys out of my window to my girlfriend and I had no sensation in my right side. After dropping the keys, I passed out.
“The ambulance arrived, and the paramedics took my vitals. They discovered I had tachycardia (a heart rate over 100 beats a minute). Then they transported me to the hospital. I had a lumbar puncture that confirmed that I had bacterial meningitis.
“I was put on a ventilator and in ICU. I was on the ventilator for four days.
“My CT and MRI scans showed no permanent damage, only inflammation of the brain.
Brought in just in time
“It was a lot better than it could have been. I think I was very lucky with the timings. The consultant said that I was brought into hospital just in time.
“I still have quite severe headaches, get quickly exhausted and my memory isn't great. But, considering everything, it's going amazingly, and it just shows the importance of getting help quickly.
“It’s so difficult to know when it is meningitis because the symptoms are so similar to so many other things.
Don't wait
“The most important thing to know about meningitis is how quickly the symptoms can come on. The progression from feeling a bit bad to feeling like I was going to die happened in about 10 minutes.
“Don’t wait. The faster you get help, the better your chances are of survival. Always take the side of caution.”
