My Story

Here is an article that was printed in the El Paso Inc about my story.

http://www.elpasoinc.com/southwestsenior/cover_story/article_7a42525e-1998-11e4-8b63-001a4bcf6878.html#.U9_N3sIxsxE.email

Post Hospitalization Reflections

I was bitten by a mosquito and contracted West Nile Virus.  I went from being a healthy, highly functioning almost 70 year old to just barely escaping death a couple of times.  I spent 52 days in the hospital and 17 of those days in a comatose state.  Doctors warned my family that I might not make it.  For the most part I was oblivious to what was happening and was experiencing delirium and hallucinations.

It is staggering to realize how quickly your life can change.  I went from working every day as director of a large region for the Alzheimer's Association to having to learn how to walk, talk and rebuild my life.  I was blessed to recover full brain activity so my cognition was in tact.  That had been a big concern for everyone. 

I have been out of the hospital for 7 weeks today and have recovered beyond the expectations of all the medical community.  They say I am a miracle and I know that all the prayers and concerns made a difference for me.  I am able to walk with a walker and a cane, my voice is getting stronger daily and I can dress myself.

So now I find myself searching for the new me.  It will be a while before I can drive and be independent.  I have had someone with me constantly since my illness and I have had to give up so much.  I was unable to do anything for myself so I was totally dependent on others.  For someone like me that was a difficult position to be in but I had to let go and trust.  It was a very humbling experience to deal with.

I want to express my appreciation to my family for watching out for me and making certain I was well cared for during my hospital stay and since then.  They endured beyond what I would have wished for them but I am so appreciative to them for the caring and love.  They are incredible.

When I reflect on what has happened to me I am aware that there is a larger purpose in all this. Many have told me that God must have a purpose for me for me to survive all I went through.  I am so grateful for the support of friends and family during this time and want to honor them as I recover.  I find myself in a state of extreme gratitude for being here today.  More will be revealed

Before West Nile

This will be the best year of my life.  There are so many exciting things happening this year.  I decided to retire from my position of 18 years as Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association.  The “R” date is set for December 1.  This fall will be one of fulfillment and enjoyment for me.  September 13, is my 70^th birthday and I am planning a girls weekend in the mountains to celebrate.  After that we will have the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and that will be my final walk.  Then in November we have planned a luncheon to recognize the time I dedicated to the Association.  Table captains are already getting their tables filled for the event.   I chose December 1, to retire since my husband and I will be celebrating our 50^th anniversary December 26.  We have a big party planned with friends and family.

How fun it will be to look back on the successes of my career and be able to move to the next chapter in my life.  When I sent the announcement of my retirement to board members, colleagues and friends I had such nice responses.   I have done a good job in raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and helping many families over the years.   I am grateful for the experience and opportunity. 

On August 31, my husband and I went to a funeral for the mother of a good friend.  I got dressed up and felt great.  After the funeral we went to a reception at the family home.  There was great food but after eating I began to feel nauseous so we left.  I had a headache and just didn’t feel well overall.  I thought I had eaten some bad food so I laid around for the rest of the Labor Day weekend.

On Tuesday September 3, my daughter came to the house to check on me.  I had gotten dressed for work but was not feeling well.  I had a conference call with my staff so I made the call from home.  The ladies on the call could tell I was not well in fact they later told me they thought I was having a stroke.  They suggested I get off the call and they would take care of it.  When my daughter walked in she said I was passed out at my desk.

She immediately took me to the urgent care clinic and my temperature was 104.9 and pulse oxygen was very low.  They called an ambulance and that started my 52 day hospital stay.  When arriving at the hospital they did a spinal tap and decided I had encephalitis meningitis.      

Personal Perspective

What is happening to me?  I am very ill but don't know what is wrong.  I keep thinking that I need to get out of bed but don't have the strength.  Then at other times I think I should just go home.  My thoughts are random and confused.  Doctors come in and out and my family is here to help me.  I really need to use the bathroom but they won't let me out of bed.

I keep trying to get my cell phone from my daughter.  The hospital staff told me that I couldn't have it because it might get stolen, then I think my phone was stolen by hospital staff but found in Houston and returned.  They still wouldn't let me have my phone.  I didn't realize that I didn't even have the strength to push the buttons on the phone.  I am confused and don't know what is real and what is imagined.

I remember thinking I needed to go home so I got out of bed.  The bed was tall and I fell getting out.  There was an office with a computer nearby so I decided to use the computer to do a bit of work.  I woke up on the floor with a small dog barking at me.  The nursing assistant said she was glad the dog found me or she would have been in deep shit.  The nurses put me back in bed but they were mad at me so they put a new trache in and jammed it down my throat.  One nurse told the other to keep pushing on the tube even though they were having a hard time getting it down my throat.  I thought they were punishing me because they were mad at me and they moved me to another city during the night without telling my family.  The next morning my husband had to drive over 300 miles to find me.

All of this sounds terrible and as I reflect back thinking rationally I am certain that all didn't really happen. But that is what was going on in my mind.  Of course I could not speak with the trache in and kept trying to pull it out.  Why am I connected to all these tubes I wondered.

Most of my memories were probably hallucinations rather than memories but I had no way of knowing what was real from what was imagined.

West Nile

I was a very healthy almost 70 year old when I contracted West Nile Virus last September. I had nausea and headache for several days before going to Urgent Care.  When I arrived my fever was 104.9 and blood oxygen level was very low.  I was sent by ambulance to the hospital where I spent 52 days.  The infectious disease doctor had WNV several years ago so he was familiar with what was happening to me.  They did a spinal tap and began treating my symptoms I was diagnosed with meningitis/encephalitis.  I was in intensive care for 35 days and in a coma for 17 of those days.  The doctors were concerned that I might not make it and if I did I would most likely have brain damage or physical disability.

I continued to improve and was sent to rehab and then home.  I had to learn to sit, stand, walk all over again and was very weak.  I had fatigue and weakness for a long time.  I had home health therapy for 4 months then out patient therapy for 3 months.  Other than having damage to my optic nerve in my left eye and my voice being weak still I will experience full recovery. 

It has been 10 months since I got sick and I am getting stronger all the time.  I credit the great medical staff I had and the persistence and dedication of my family and friends with my recovery.  The doctors say it is a miracle I survived.

    

West Nile Virus / The Beginning

Saturday, August 31, 2013

My husband and I went to a funeral for a friend’s mother.  I got dressed and felt great that morning.  After the service we went to the friend’s home for lunch.  The food was delicious but after eating I started to feel nauseous so I told my husband we needed to go home.  We had thought about driving up to the lake for the rest of the weekend but I didn’t feel well enough to go so we stayed home and I layed around the rest of Labor Day weekend.

On Tuesday morning I got up and dressed for work.  I still wasn’t feeling well and had a bad headache.   A conference call was scheduled with staff from my offices in Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland and El Paso but I decided to make the call from home since I didn’t feel good.  When the call started one of my employees said that’s okay Denese we can handle the call why don’t you rest.  I got off the call and sat in my desk chair where my daughter found me passed out shortly afterward. 

She got me to the car and took me to the urgent care clinic.   My fever was 104.9 and my blood oxygen level was very low.  I was taken to the hospital by ambulance.  My daughter was told to go directly to the hospital and not follow the ambulance in case I coded.

That was the beginning of my West Nile Virus story.