Meningitis

[kareytops]

My nearly 3 yr old got septicaemia in april, I nursed him all night thinking it was just a virus, no photo sensitivity/stiff neck etc. Saw the blotches when I sat him up to give him a drink, I was so terrified when I saw the blotches I couldn't remember the emergency number, if our local regional ambulance had been out it might have been a different story. The menningitis org were amazing, personal, informative and very supportive, I recommend anyone to keep their number handy and if in doubt ring them, we rang NHS direct who agreed he might just have a cold coming on. I'm learning to live with the scars because he's my little miracle boy now. I want to encourage vigilence against this vicious disease, time is crucial so don't hesitate to strip them down and check just because they're poorly.

Kareytops... how scarey for you and poor ds. Its a hideous disease isnt it. My ds1 has just got over pneumonia, and after 3 days of temps of 39degrees asked for the lights to be turned off, "too bright". I freaked out thinking of meningitis immediately and phoned the doc but stupidly didn't think of looking for a rash first, and thats despite being medical (physio, hubby is an anaesthetist). Fortunately it was the first thing the emergency doc asked me to do, and luckily for us it wasnt meningitis. Do hope your little miracle is doing well now, and good on you for reminding us all to be vigilant.

Meningitis is a terrible disease. My ds nad pneumococcal meningitis at 6 months, but did not develop a rash until he started intravenous antibiotics in hospital. He had all the other signs though - high temp, not feeding, high pitched cry/moaning when moved. His bulging fontanelle was the telltale sign - confirmed by lumbar puncture.
Although a the rash of meningococcal sepicaemia/meningitis is classic, there are other forms of meningitis that do not present themselves in the same way. If concerned at all, always seek medical opinion, rash or not.

He fully recovered by the way.

Dd2 had the septicaemia rash, with mild cold symptoms, at 15 weeks, we had to stay in hospital for 48 hours with her as a precaution with i/v antibiotics. Fortunately, for us it was just a mystery virus, but the doctor's message was, if you see the rash, always check it out.

I also think its important to remember that there isnt allways a rash, my dd was borm 8 wks prem and still in hospital when she developed meningitis, luckily the doctor noticed she was breathing a bit fast and some tests,we were told it was unlikly that she would pull through, she became so ill so fast, but she did, although she developed hydrocephalus ,hemiplegia and is blind in one eye.