My name is Mark Duran I live in Colorado. In 1997 I was 25 at the time. I was married and had two boys. Dylon was  3 born 12/25/1993 and Austin was 3 months old born 12/27/1996. I was working in Ponca City Oklahoma  remolding a waste water treatment plant when I was diagnosed with nieseria  meningococcal meningitis. I have read a lot about meningitis and they say that it is basically an airborne disease but I believe that there is other ways to get it also. I have a doctors report stating that I could have got the disease from sludge water at the waste water treatment plant. I believe that that is true since about three days or so before I was admitted to the hospital  I had waste water splashed in my face. Then pretty much from that point after a few days I started having flu like symptoms. I thought I had just had the common flu . General stuff like muscle weakness, fever, aches, fatigue, nausea, headache, stiff neck, etc..  So I just kept on going, then the fever and the fatigue got worse and then I noticed A rash all over my body, the nausea kept getting worse. So the next day I made a doctors appointment. That was a story in it self since a lot of the doctors I called wouldn’t take new patients. Finally I found a urgent care that gave me an appointment ,said come on in around 1:00 pm then they said no come on at 10:00 am we just had a cancellation.  I arrived at the doctors office and was filling out the paperwork and the doctor just happened to come to the lobby and looked at me and said come with me now I have not seen anything like this for years I am pretty sure you have meningitis. So went back to a room and gave me a spinal tap and said yes you have meningitis. Said he was going to call an ambulance and I said no my wife will drive me to the hospital since I don’t have insurance. I didn’t know how serious everything was at the time but arrived at the hospital and they immediately wheeled me to Critical care unit. They even got me started on filling out a living will and that was scary. They called my parents my dad worked for the same company I did but was in Colorado at another job at the time. My parents and my brother flew to the hospital and I was in really bad shape then they couldn’t keep my fever down and I was delirious they told my parents I wasn’t going to make it and if I did I would have severe Brain damage and maybe some retardation.  My dad stayed up with me till I got out of the hospital and worked at my jobsite. I was in Intensive care unit over a month and regular room about another two weeks. IV holes everywhere I was a mess. We get back to Colorado and me and the family lived with my parents for awhile and moved out of the duplex we were in. I lived with my parents around three months and then told my neurologist to please let me go back to work and finally he released me .So I went back to work and we bought out first house. Ever since then I was struggling with post meningitis symptoms but I just kept on going. All I try to do is keep on going and support the family no matter how bad the pain is because family is the number one priority. I was deaf in my right ear but thankfully for only 6 months. Then my hearing came back. I know god provided a miracle for me and was looking out for me. I thank him everyday. It makes so appreciate the miracles of life and that god does provide miracles. My worst symptoms  everyday now are constant headaches mostly severe from around 1:00 am to 12:00pm then taper off but still pretty severe. Vision problems, dizziness, joint pain, numbness in my arms and legs, depression, fatigue, some breathing problems, constant neck pain. So any other meningitis survivors that are experiencing these things please believe them they are telling the truth. By the way now I have three boys Colton is my third he was born 04/02/2002 so thank god for my three healthy kids. I thank god that I recovered more than expected. But still every day I pray that all these other after affects will go away they make me miserable. If anyone out there can let me know what they do for their headaches please let me know. Since nothing over the counter works for me. Vicodin works but I hate taking things that make you drowsy. I hate the struggle with all these after affects but I guess it could have been much worse.  God bless all of you and everyone hang in there. If anyone wants to ask me questions feel free as we all need to help each other out. Thanks a lot and God bless

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Thanks again all of you and God bless.  Everyone hang in there.

And stay in touch with me. Mark Duran mtd1972@msn.com