I Went To Bed With A Sore Ear, Meningitis Put Me In A Coma

A man who developed bacterial meningitis successful January 2026 said it was "mind-blowing really it conscionable happened" but he was "very grateful to beryllium alive".

Mark McNamee did not cognize he had meningitis until he woke up successful infirmary aft being successful an induced coma.

He had gone to furniture pinch a sore receptor and a fever.

"I still can't get my caput astir it. For conscionable a elemental receptor infection to basically, it's astir destroyed your life for you," he said.

"I cognize I'm grateful to beryllium live and for my family, but you cognize from doing nan things that you usually do you conscionable can't do them now," he said.

"It's conscionable huffy really speedy it conscionable came on."

Mark spent six days successful a coma and 2 weeks successful ICU successful nan South West Acute Hospital (Swah) successful Enniskillen successful County Fermanagh.

He didn't create a rash.

His symptoms, aft an earache were fever, headaches, dizziness, vomiting and confusion.

Mark, from Omagh successful County Tyrone, besides developed encephalitis, secondary to nan meningitis, but fought done it all.

"It was very scary because I cognize really fatal meningitis tin be," he said.

"But nan truth that it had only started pinch a sore receptor I conscionable couldn't judge it.

"And past now pinch each these outbreaks complete successful England it's very shocking to hear."

His woman Ellen said watching her hubby spell done this astatine nan property of 48 was "very scary".

"When I look backmost now and realise really terrible things wherever I deliberation astatine nan clip I was connected autopilot," she said.

"The first 3 days I was conscionable surviving successful a nightmare because portion of maine was reasoning I was going to beryllium having to rear my children connected my own.

"To beryllium told that nan strain he had was nan astir terrible strain, it was scary. It was very scary."

Mark had been blue-lighted by ambulance to Swah.

His woman thought he was showing signs of sepsis but "meningitis ne'er erstwhile came into my head".

A CT scan showed inflammation of nan brain, and he was earnestly ill.

But she was shocked erstwhile results came backmost that Mark had bacterial meningitis.

"People said to me, 'But only children get that', and I thought that too," Ellen said.

"I've ne'er heard of an big getting bacterial meningitis."

Rash was an absent symptom

Ellen had been very alert of symptoms but said 1 of nan symptoms group were told to look retired for was a rash, but her hubby did not person one.

"They told maine successful nan infirmary that a rash doesn't ever appear," Ellen said.

"They checked Mark each time for a rash, but it ne'er appeared.

"So that's 1 denotation that not everybody gets is nan rash, and that's 1 of symptoms that group look truthful very focused on."

Mark had different symptoms specified arsenic a headache and a sore neck, sensitivity to agleam lights and confusion.

It took clip to get Mark's infection levels nether power and for him to commencement to retrieve moreover erstwhile he was brought retired of nan coma.

"We didn't cognize if Mark was going to travel retired of it astatine all," Ellen said.

"While he was successful nan coma we conscionable were taking it time by day"

She was told doctors would not cognize if location was immoderate encephalon harm until Mark was awake and retired of nan coma, but that took clip arsenic he did not respond arsenic good arsenic doctors hoped erstwhile he came round.

"I retrieve leaving infirmary that time conscionable truthful deflated because I conscionable didn't cognize really Mark was going to beryllium because astatine that shape he was conscionable lying awake, he wasn't moving, he wasn't moving his arms, his hands," Ellen said.

"He wasn't nodding. He wasn't talking. He was doing nothing, conscionable looking. And nan unit were worried astir that arsenic well."

"The first fewer days aft coming retired of nan coma, he was very for illustration personification pinch terrible Alzheimer's," she said.

"It was very scary. It was conscionable a matter of taking each time arsenic it came just.

"I've ne'er prayed truthful difficult successful each my life."

Mark said he felt very fortunate to propulsion through.

But bacterial meningitis has had an effect connected his memory, eyesight, balance, and sleep, which he said is very frustrating.

He still gets terrible headaches astatine times, and his proceeding is sensitive.

He is hoping to beryllium capable to spell backmost to activity arsenic an technologist but it is still excessively early to cognize if that will beryllium possible.

"I'm conscionable trying to support affirmative because I do for illustration to beryllium retired and astir and being pinch people.

"I for illustration my job, but I conscionable person to return it time by time to spot what happens."

Ellen said what happened to Mark has had "a large effect connected our family, mentally and conscionable successful each way".

She said her hubby is "very wary of nan children being sick" and "his worry has heightened a lot, but that they were some thankful to nan unit successful Swah".

An urgent nationalist wellness alert was issued urging wellness workers to look retired for signs of infection aft 20 suspected cases were investigated by nan UK Health Security Agency, including 2 group who had died.