When is Meningitis not Meningitis? - Page 4 - SV650.org

09-05-11, 10:09 AM

I have no regrets about googling, it helped me to understand what causes Petechaie and enables me to ask the doctor questions and give him information that I would never have thought relevant. For instance his Platelet level was written down on his paperwork incorrectly, and it wasn't noticed until I asked the Pediatrician if it was normal and he realised the figure was in completely the wrong ball park, gave a nurse a bollocking, and sent her back to the computer to have it checked against the computer and corrected. Without Google I wouldn't have known what a platelet was, and the Pediatrician obviously hadn't even looked at it until I asked the question.

I'm not daft enough to take anything I read on a website as gospel, and I certainly wasn't going to trust a website that tried to do a diagnosis by process of elimination.

The internet can be your friend, as you can understand much more than the doctor ever tells you. I have been asthmatic for 15 years, and after my last asthma attack last year I did some googling and understand my own symptoms and the medication I take for it much better than I ever have in all that time. The doctors don't have the time to go into that depth, and they don't want to because they think you won't be able to understand it anyway. I used to do exactly the same with my customers and computer systems, I wouldn't always tell them what the problem was, because they would just give me a blank face in response.

So long as you trust the doctor foremost and use the internet to fill in the gaps, it's OK.

09-05-11, 06:31 PM

hope wee man is well on his way to recovery now. My mate sharon has had meningitus twice in last 3 years. Its the viral type (think peter andre had it when he was filming his sad life with jordan). anyway she had headache (thought it was migraine) chucking up and stiff neck. I was staying with her at the time. phoned her dad to call ambulance. they came and gave her penicillin and said it was tonsilitus. dad took her to doc in the morning and she was taken by blue light ambulance to hospital. was in for 3 days and let home. she had this again last month. There are so many strains of meningitus you only hear the horror stories and most people when they hear the word meningitus think the worst. hope you and Mrs Ralph are coping. Its horrible when your little one is ill. Libby was ill last month with scarlet fever (I thought it was middle ages disease) but after 10 days of penicillin she is fighting fit again.

09-05-11, 10:03 PM

Not sure if anyone has posted this yet but this link is useful for anyone who has any queries

http://www.meningitis-trust.org/

Although everyone is now much more aware of the non blanching rash, bear in mind that it is a very late sign and there are others, less well known which can be lifesavers if spotted early enough.

Glad your little one is on the mend.

09-05-11, 10:09 AM	#31
-Ralph- Guest Posts: n/a	Re: When is Meningitis not Meningitis? I have no regrets about googling, it helped me to understand what causes Petechaie and enables me to ask the doctor questions and give him information that I would never have thought relevant. For instance his Platelet level was written down on his paperwork incorrectly, and it wasn't noticed until I asked the Pediatrician if it was normal and he realised the figure was in completely the wrong ball park, gave a nurse a bollocking, and sent her back to the computer to have it checked against the computer and corrected. Without Google I wouldn't have known what a platelet was, and the Pediatrician obviously hadn't even looked at it until I asked the question. I'm not daft enough to take anything I read on a website as gospel, and I certainly wasn't going to trust a website that tried to do a diagnosis by process of elimination. The internet can be your friend, as you can understand much more than the doctor ever tells you. I have been asthmatic for 15 years, and after my last asthma attack last year I did some googling and understand my own symptoms and the medication I take for it much better than I ever have in all that time. The doctors don't have the time to go into that depth, and they don't want to because they think you won't be able to understand it anyway. I used to do exactly the same with my customers and computer systems, I wouldn't always tell them what the problem was, because they would just give me a blank face in response. So long as you trust the doctor foremost and use the internet to fill in the gaps, it's OK.

09-05-11, 06:31 PM	#32
kitkat Guest Posts: n/a	Re: When is Meningitis not Meningitis? hope wee man is well on his way to recovery now. My mate sharon has had meningitus twice in last 3 years. Its the viral type (think peter andre had it when he was filming his sad life with jordan). anyway she had headache (thought it was migraine) chucking up and stiff neck. I was staying with her at the time. phoned her dad to call ambulance. they came and gave her penicillin and said it was tonsilitus. dad took her to doc in the morning and she was taken by blue light ambulance to hospital. was in for 3 days and let home. she had this again last month. There are so many strains of meningitus you only hear the horror stories and most people when they hear the word meningitus think the worst. hope you and Mrs Ralph are coping. Its horrible when your little one is ill. Libby was ill last month with scarlet fever (I thought it was middle ages disease) but after 10 days of penicillin she is fighting fit again.

09-05-11, 10:03 PM	#33
Nick762 Guest Posts: n/a	Re: When is Meningitis not Meningitis? Not sure if anyone has posted this yet but this link is useful for anyone who has any queries http://www.meningitis-trust.org/ Although everyone is now much more aware of the non blanching rash, bear in mind that it is a very late sign and there are others, less well known which can be lifesavers if spotted early enough. Glad your little one is on the mend.