A student is suddenly extremely forgetful – that nearly took her life

A young woman struggles to misdiagnosis in psychiatry to your life

“I felt physically sick. I couldn’t eat without Nausea, I slept the whole time, I could not sit still and I couldn’t find the words to tell my family that I loved you.“ The 22-year-old student Hannah from Dublin, suffered a sudden in a stressful situation in life to serious physical and emotional complaints. She turned to the doctor. Diagnosis: depression, anxiety, suspected Borderline. The young woman was admitted to a mental hospital and fell briefly into a coma. The real reason behind the symptoms was not initially detected. The cost of Hanna’s life.

The young student Hannah Farrell from Dublin, Ireland, told of the charity organization “the Encephalitis Society” your suffering history, to make their rare disease so that others are spared suffering.

A momentous summer

Hannah was the situation in the summer of 2017 in an extremely stressful life. Your exam, stand in front of the door, she worked in a delicatessen, an important relationship in your life split, and then died with your grandma. Shortly thereafter, strange complaints were with the young student. She was forgetful, suffered constantly from Nausea, had severe word-finding difficulties, and was constantly tired. Her parents thought this was a reaction to the past events. You thought your daughter would have a nervous breakdown.

Hannah lands due to incorrect diagnosis in psychiatry

The parents drove her to a psychiatric hospital. Today, the student recalls that she was sure that, with your Psyche, everything was fine. Her true illness prevented them, however, this right to Express it. “I was both physically and mentally paralyzed,” she reports in her medical history. It was not possible to describe their symptoms properly. The psychiatrist in the clinic, the diagnosis of Depression and anxiety disorder, with a suspected Borderline. Hannah was immediately admitted to the psychiatric clinic.

It was like a nightmare!

“The day I was admitted to the psychiatric clinic, is a day I will never forget,” says Hannah. Today you Wake up in a cold sweat with nightmares about this day. After the diagnosis no one wanted to listen more and to speak to your ability was so bad that she couldn’t put up a fight. Hannah describes how she was taken in a dark, cold room with a brown, thin bed sheets. She was tired and confused. The room was spinning and she couldn’t think clearly. The last one was what reminded the student that a nurse wanted to take her antidepressants and sedative. With the last of his strength, Hannah refused the medication. Then she fell asleep and woke up only 10 weeks later.

A psychologist is suspicious

When Hannah doesn’t Wake up the next day, is an experienced psychologist taken aback. He makes a few simple reaction test, in which Hannah doesn’t react. This brings him to the idea that the Problem must be neurological in nature. He makes the young woman a MRI Scan, where the Doctors discover a huge cyst in the brain. 24 hours later you will be transferred to the emergency room.

Also the cyst is not the real reason

First of all, the Doctors were convinced that the cyst is for all complaints to be responsible. In the further investigations, it turned out, however, that Hannah is fighting against an infection. The Doctors are baffled at first, and to administer her antibiotics, and Hannah lapsed into a catatonic stare. Within the next five days, her condition worsened increasingly. The Doctors were shocked, and carried out further investigations, until they found out, finally, that Hannah suffered from an inflammation of the brain.

Rare Form of encephalitis

Hannah’s parents were initially relieved when the Doctors told you that you will finally know what her problem is. It is the NMDA-encephalitis, a rare Form of brain inflammation. This auto-immune disease of the brain, antibodies against body’s own NMDA receptors, a Protein involved in the signal transmission in the brain an important role. This disease was first described in 2007, and has a high mortality rate.

Hannah wakes up after 10 weeks

After several treatments with steroids and blood plasma transfusions administered, the Doctors want her to Rituximab, a biotech drug that is primarily used in cancer immune therapy. A short time later, Hannah opened her eyes again. In the following weeks, she had to walk again and learn how to speak, but their disease is not yet defeated, for a long time.

The hard way back to reality

In February 2018, it has been moved to a rehabilitation hospital, where you should learn, again, of the self-employed. Simple things such as Speaking, reading and Writing have prepared your still having problems. You therapies Speech received, occupational therapy and psychological counseling and had to take around 40 tablets each day. In December 2018, Hannah was finally back home from the hospital.

As it stands today, Hannah?

Hannah has recovered and can return to life even if the disease has left clear traces. You must twice take daily immunosuppressant, what is the car suppressed immune response. In November 2019, they would have discontinued the drug. The young woman must cope with the danger of a relapse. According to Doctors, an approximately 25% risk that the disease occurs again. Hannah doesn’t let that get you down. She’s gone back to College, where she will her studies continued. “My brain is working a bit slower and it’s hard to keep up with everything,” says the student. “Luckily, my friends are very understanding, what makes it for me much less frustrating and embarrassing.” (vb)