I Have West Nile Encephalitis
I have West Nile Encephalitis. In March of 2005 I had a Liver Transplant. I take anti-rejection drugs which lower my immunity. In August of 2007 I tested positive for West Nile Virus. The disease had been building up in my system for about three weeks prior. I don't remember having the mosquito bite. Maybe on the back deck, maybe camping in the mountains. I live in Boulder County Colorado and we have had a significant number of cases. I had developed a fever, confusion, hearing loss, double vision, stomach cramps, shaking and my legs just would give away underneath me with no warning. Some of those symptoms were not unusual side effects from my liver transplant. I couldn't see these problems but my wife did and she took me to the Emergency room in Longmont. My physician noticed my name on the intake list and immediately had be transferred to the University of Colorado Health Science Center because of concern with the Liver Transplant. I spent some time in a coma. I just was mentally some place else. I don't remember people visiting. I do remember one of my sons reading to me while I was half way between the here and the there. It was a comfort and I believe it helped bring me back. When I came to some level of awareness I was bat (expletive deleted) crazy. I was also very weak. I had lost feeling in my right leg and had extreme pain at the base of my spine that radiate throughout my body. The pain is incapacitating and I was treated with morphine. I spent about a month in the Hospital wheelchair bound and I had physical therapy. For about three months the general confusion, fatigue and inability to loco mote successfully daunted me. I went under psychological testing. I did very well for someone 59: But the disease left me with concentration problems, memory issues and the nervous system pain still persists. I was able to return to work but only half time. I don't have the strength to do a full eight hours. I would not be able to function at all if it weren't for the medications I am taking. I am taking 400mg of Gabapenten every 4 hours, Amytriptilyn at night and 20mg of Oxycodon every 4 hours (including night). I finally talked my primary care doctor into seeing a pain management specialist; which I will see within the next few days of this post. In some ways I feel a bit like something out of the book "Pet Cemetery". I lived and I am back to life but I didn't come back quite the same. I am now participating in a study that contacted me through Boulder County Health. In the last few days, in reading other peoples stories, it is good for me to know that the leg paralysis is part of the disease for many people. I also feel very fortunate. Last summer five people with transplants caught West Nile. two died , one was put in an institution, there is myself and one other that did better. I am most interested in what people are doing in the way of medication. Thanks all and be well.
