“I made it, but somewhere it leaves a mark on you.”
Nabeel, 30, from Birmingham, was working in Turkey when he fell ill with a migraine, which turned into a full-blown fever.
He was hospitalised when he got home and has made it through, but meningitis has left its mark on him, as he tells us here.
“I was in Istanbul working on a project. After four months of work I packed my bags and was ready to go back to Holland, where I lived then, and then had a flight booked back to Birmingham, where I am originally from.
“I had a slight headache on the plane on the left side of my head. After a good night’s sleep I was okay. I had a slight fever the next day with a crazy headache that would not go away. On the third day I had a full-blown fever of 40 degrees. It was something that I couldn’t control or have any power over.
“I missed my flight from Amsterdam to Birmingham and went to see a doctor. They misdiagnosed me and sent me home saying it was flu, as I had no infection in my urine or blood.
"After pushing myself I got on the plane to England. My sister and brother-in-law are both doctors and when they saw me they knew something was really wrong and it wasn’t flu.
Misdiagnosed again
“My sister took me straight to A&E when I reached home. Again, I was misdiagnosed, stating that I am a young lad and must have been hungover following a night out.
"I was lucky that my sister pushed them to keep me overnight. They gave me a drip and I was admitted to the ward.
“I have memory loss from that day onwards. But what my family has told me and from the videos I have seen I had urine retention, couldn't swallow, was extremely confused, forgot the names of my loved ones (severe amnesia), and jaw lock.
"I was intubated on the day I got hiccups and my eyes started rolling in opposite directions.
“I got intubated for ten days. They woke me up and I was okay for two days. My lung then collapsed and they intubated me again for another two weeks. They woke me up again and within three days I was breathing completely on my own without any support. I was moved to the ward.
Not able to move my legs at all
“After that was the hard part. I was not able to move my legs at all. I could only wiggle my toes. I had lost 22 kilos in the time I was intubated and my muscles had shrunk and become jelly like.
"I had no control over my bowels, could not sit up or on the edge of bed, had zero leg sensation and when they tried taking the catheter out I couldn't pass urine, which none of them could understand.
“Over the next few days I had an MRI for my brain and spinal cord. My brain was healing but I had lesion on my spinal cord. They didn't know if it was scarred yet because it was still inflamed at the time.
"It was something you can’t be prepared for or even think of happening to you. It's like a person's worst nightmare.
Still use a wheelchair
“It took me three months to transfer to a standing aid. By month four I’d transferred to a wheelchair; month five a Zimmer frame and by the seventh month I was walking short distances with crutches. I still use a wheelchair for long distances.
“I was in the main hospital for four months and three months at neuro rehab. I can't be thankful enough. It was hard on my family.
"My mum never missed one day in seven months. My wife would sleep on a camping bed next to me as I developed severe anxiety and paranoia.
“I think I'm traumatised and it will take a while for me to be okay, but I think my family is traumatised way more than me, seeing me on ventilator and fighting a mortality rate of 75 per cent. I made it, but somewhere it leaves a mark on you.”
