health and fitness: I run this body: how I battled meningitis and won

mercredi 22 avril 2015

I run this body: how I battled meningitis and won

At 18, Kim Lo ran for her school. Then meningitis nearly killed her and left her with no toes. The consultant said she would never win another race. Could she prove him wrong?

It has taken me nearly 20 years, but a recent film inspired me to finally write down the story of how I survived meningitis. In The Fault in our Stars, a boy with a prosthetic leg is embarrassed about what a girl might think on seeing it for the first time. She tells him to “get over himself”. So, this is my way of getting over myself. If one person reads this and it saves their life because they seek treatment when they need it, then it’s worth sharing.

So, 1997. I was 18 and studying for A-levels. I ran cross country and 800m for school. I was visiting my boyfriend at Lancaster University. It was Halloween, we had been in fancy dress and my fingernails and toenails were painted silver. I ate a pasty for lunch and then sat in on a lecture. My head started to spin and I felt so sick that I rushed back to halls and vomited again and again. I was convinced the pasty had dairy in it, triggering my severe allergy. We went to A&E. They prescribed steroids, which probably lowered my immune system, and sent me back to bed.