real confused

[ashleytiny85]

On my birthday the other day my mom was bring early childhood memories and brought up the time I had encephalitis when I ZI was around 2. I am 27 now. Yes, my mom had told me vaguely that I had it, was in the hospital and almost died and that is why one eye is bigger than the other.  I didn't think anything of it since I was two and I am obviously alive. When my current boyfriend heard that I had that as an infant he explained a little. I actually really didn't tell people about it, and knew nothing about it. I feel WAY stupid now. since never paid attention, the few times I mentioned it to others I could never remember the name of it so surprise! It gave me the chills to read about it and finally match an illness that makes sense but shocking. I see my psych doc today. I have been diagnosed with every type of mental illness, seen the same doctor since 19 in college, endless useless meds. We settled on just  labeling it bipolar because I obviously had manic times as well (so I am told) struggles with word finding- how to I talk to my doctor about this new news? What should I ask about and what not. I was in a car accident a couple weeks ago, uncounsious for seven min until ambulance, I don't remember a thing from it. It was apparently pretty serious. When I looked at the hospital papers later it says I had a seizure. I am just one confused mess. What is going on. I have had seizures in the past while on drugs multiple times-so I was told more than once. I am missing way too much info to make sense of anything. What do I do?

[nursegirl6572]

Are you saying that you are worried that your encephalitis is the cause of your mental disorders?  Are you worried that there is somehow a correlation?  Are you also worrying about a connection between the encephalitis and the seizures you've had?

Let me see if I can shed some light on this for you.  Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, usually caused by a viral infection.  Most mild to moderate cases do not cause any long term effects.  If you had a more severe case, or there was resulting brain damage, there could have been long term effects.  You would have to ask your Mom about the details, and what the doctors told her (ie was there brain damage?  What was the prognosis?)

The thing is...if you had some resulting cognitive deficits, they would have been obvious pretty much right away.  Again, you would have to ask your Mom about that.  The thing with a brain injury of any sort, there isn't a whole lot anyone can do except allow the brain time to heal (which it would have by now), and make sure the patient receives therapy for any problems (physical, occupational, or speech therapy).  The brain has an amazing capacity to heal, but it is long process.  Most likely, if there was any concern, the doctors would have told your parents that it takes time.

Could your mood disorders and mental illnesses be related?  Absolutely.  There really is no way to know, and the thing is, even if it IS related to the encephalitis, the treatment for the mood disorders wouldn't be any different.  The approaches would still be the same, regardless of the cause.  So, most likely, you're thinking, "OMG!  This is all from the encephalaitis and I need to tell my doctors so they can look into it and fix it!"...right?  Unfortunately, wrong.  Like I said...there isn't anything that can be done NOW to address any possible brain injury that resulted from the inflammation of your brain when you were 2, and there isn't anything the doctors could have done back then to avoid these effects.  Certainly mention it to your p-doc...but I suspect he will tell you the same.

The long term effects of encephalitis could include mood disorders, movement disorders, trouble with mobility, cognitive deficits, seizures, to name a few.  You may very well be right that there is a relation, but, like I said, there is nothing different a doctor would do, knowing that.  Your treatment would still be the same.  The only thing that maybe you COULD benefit from would be some kind of cognitive therapy.  Your brain has healed as much as it is going to (and has been done healing probably for quite some time now).

So, to answer you answer...what should you do?  Continue on just like you have been.  Talk with your doctors about the encephalitis, ask them if perhaps they could recommend come cognitive therapy to improve any trouble you may have with problem solving, memory...those kinds of things.

I certainly understand you having the "ah ha!" moment, and you're right in that they COULD very well be related, but, even if the docs knew that from day one, as far as treating your mood disorders...there would likely have been no differences in the approach.

Let us know what your doc(s) say!  And, btw...HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!  :0)

[RainLover71]

You need to speak with your psych doctor and if they are not helping find one that will.All the best.