My letter to Santa. ATTENTION: YULETIDE BUREAU WISH DEPARTMENT
Dear Santa, As you know, I have given great thought to my Christmas wish this year. I hope I have made your ‘NICE LIST”, as my wish is in the form of a favor.
Since I am awake, due to insomnia from the IV Solumedrol infusion I received yesterday afternoon, I thought it was a good time to write you. I guess I didn’t need to tell you that, since you see me when I am sleeping, and you know when I am awake. LOL:)
Sometimes the lessons we need to learn to grow our soul and faith come in the most unexpected forms. I have realized the truth of this and am doing my best to rely on my faith, to celebrate the love and support I receive and do my best to face my adversity.
Santa, I have to be totally naked in my honesty here. As Head Elf, embodied with the Spirit of -now here’s my word finding problem rearing its head… It means to love without qualifying or judging. I can’t remember how to say it Santa, but you get me. How could anyone ever imagine they would get a disease where your immune system attacks your brain?!
I mean if my brain isn’t working right, nothing works right. That’s a hard thing Santa. We are talking TOUGH challenge here.
Santa, you know this. You have been watching. I don’t have to explain because you have lived it with me. Yeah, I’m totally on the “NICE LIST”.
Sorry, attention span problems, back to my favor. But… I have practiced daily random acts of kindness for many years…attention span problems again and paranoia I might not make the cut for that ‘Nice List’.
Santa, this disease has created personality changes that are not the heart of me. It has taken ME away before with episodes of psychosis twice now. I am inside. In my heart, buried deep, I am ME. People were not able to see ME when my brain disease flared in this way, but YOU could! Sorry, I will try to stay on topic. Attention Span problems, but YOU know this.
Okay, I forgot what I was going to say… LOL. Wait, I’ll reread this and write my main point on a sticky note so I can remember my wish. Why am I telling you that? YOU see me. YOU realize everything. Ok. Wait just one minute for me Santa. Yes. I am back. Got it. My Christmas Wish. (That is what I wrote on the sticky note. Oops, sorry, forgot. Don’t need to tell you that.)
I am having a problem with worry for my future. I have now faced FEAR. I have stared it down. I have survived. I get scared sometimes. YOU know I do. My faith and spiritual beliefs sustain me; through them, I draw my courage and do my best to surrender my fear.
This brings me to that favor I mentioned. My Christmas Wish. Gosh, Santa, I need your help.
By the way, Jim says guys like peanut butter cookies and oatmeal raisin the best, so we will be leaving those out in their usual place by the Cocoa. Feel free to use the copper pot I leave out for you to warm up your Cocoa in case you find yourself running late. Oh, the carrots for the Reindeer are grown by local farmers- I am adding some lovely fresh pears this year… But, you know that too… Sorry….. What was I going to say? Oh, right! My Christmas Wish:)
You’ll find an envelope by your nighttime snack. I’ve enclosed all my fears and worries inside. Could you kindly take them from me? That is my Christmas Wish.
And when you take your leave, by the way, I LOVE that time suspension magic you do- very cool!
When your laughter rings out within and around our home, can you add a bit of Christmas Spirit Magic to infuse your laughter, Joy, and that kind of love I can’t remember the name of …within our home, our hearts and my brain where my fears and worries once were? By adding your love and laughter to mine Santa, well, that’s a powerful infusion. Exactly what is needed to receive the appreciation of each day.
My family and I laugh a lot Santa. YOU know. My laughter helps my husband, Jim and our son, Matthew. Their laughter helps me. And so, it goes….
P.S. Should you find other letters written by people with Autoimmune Encephalitis, whether they be drawings by children, a single word, or simply the breath of fear blown inside an envelope and sealed, my wish is that you take these too and leave your laughter.
Oh, make yourself at home as long as you would like Santa. The weather across the Northern Hemisphere is projected to be quite cold. There are extra blankets in the hall closet. Help yourself. When you are working your way across the Southern Hemisphere and get to Sarah’s house in New Zealand since it is Summer there and you won’t need them any longer, you can leave the blankets with her and she’ll get them back to me on her next visit;) Pleasant trip and God speed. Best Wishes, Tabitha
(Originally written December 17, 2014)
IAES invites you to spread awareness of Autoimmune Encephalitis by sharing this delightful musical spoof utilizing the classic holiday music from ‘Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer’. Learn who identified the most common type of autoimmune encephalitis of them all and where that magical moment occurred.
Your generous Donations allow IAES to continue our important work and save lives!
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES) is a Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey.
Driven by the knowledge that “Education is Power”, International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society manages an educational support group for patients diagnosed with Autoimmune Encephalitis and their loved ones, empowering them to be strong self-advocates and advocates that will lead them to best outcomes and recovery. We are the premier organization leading in these vital roles.
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in an accurate diagnosis for someone suffering right now who is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
For those interested in face masks, clothing, mugs, and other merchandise, check out our AE Warrior Store! This online shop was born out of the desire for the AE patient to express their personal pride in fighting such a traumatic disease and the natural desire to spread awareness. Join our AE family and help us continue our mission to support patients, families and caregivers while they walk this difficult journey.
My letter to Santa. ATTENTION: YULETIDE BUREAU WISH DEPARTMENT
Dear Santa, As you know, I have given great thought to my Christmas wish this year. I hope I have made your ‘NICE LIST”, as my wish is in the form of a favor.
Since I am awake, due to insomnia from the IV Solumedrol infusion I received yesterday afternoon, I thought it was a good time to write you. I guess I didn’t need to tell you that, since you see me when I am sleeping, and you know when I am awake. LOL:)
Sometimes the lessons we need to learn to grow our soul and faith come in the most unexpected forms. I have realized the truth of this and am doing my best to rely on my faith, to celebrate the love and support I receive and do my best to face my adversity.
Santa, I have to be totally naked in my honesty here. As Head Elf, embodied with the Spirit of -now here’s my word finding problem rearing its head… It means to love without qualifying or judging. I can’t remember how to say it Santa, but you get me. How could anyone ever imagine they would get a disease where your immune system attacks your brain?!
I mean if my brain isn’t working right, nothing works right. That’s a hard thing Santa. We are talking TOUGH challenge here.
Santa, you know this. You have been watching. I don’t have to explain because you have lived it with me. Yeah, I’m totally on the “NICE LIST”.
Sorry, attention span problems, back to my favor. But… I have practiced daily random acts of kindness for many years…attention span problems again and paranoia I might not make the cut for that ‘Nice List’.
Santa, this disease has created personality changes that are not the heart of me. It has taken ME away before with episodes of psychosis twice now. I am inside. In my heart, buried deep, I am ME. People were not able to see ME when my brain disease flared in this way, but YOU could! Sorry, I will try to stay on topic. Attention Span problems, but YOU know this.
Okay, I forgot what I was going to say… LOL. Wait, I’ll reread this and write my main point on a sticky note so I can remember my wish. Why am I telling you that? YOU see me. YOU realize everything. Ok. Wait just one minute for me Santa. Yes. I am back. Got it. My Christmas Wish. (That is what I wrote on the sticky note. Oops, sorry, forgot. Don’t need to tell you that.)
I am having a problem with worry for my future. I have now faced FEAR. I have stared it down. I have survived. I get scared sometimes. YOU know I do. My faith and spiritual beliefs sustain me; through them, I draw my courage and do my best to surrender my fear.
This brings me to that favor I mentioned. My Christmas Wish. Gosh, Santa, I need your help.
By the way, Jim says guys like peanut butter cookies and oatmeal raisin the best, so we will be leaving those out in their usual place by the Cocoa. Feel free to use the copper pot I leave out for you to warm up your Cocoa in case you find yourself running late. Oh, the carrots for the Reindeer are grown by local farmers- I am adding some lovely fresh pears this year… But, you know that too… Sorry….. What was I going to say? Oh, right! My Christmas Wish:)
You’ll find an envelope by your nighttime snack. I’ve enclosed all my fears and worries inside. Could you kindly take them from me? That is my Christmas Wish.
And when you take your leave, by the way, I LOVE that time suspension magic you do- very cool!
When your laughter rings out within and around our home, can you add a bit of Christmas Spirit Magic to infuse your laughter, Joy, and that kind of love I can’t remember the name of …within our home, our hearts and my brain where my fears and worries once were? By adding your love and laughter to mine Santa, well, that’s a powerful infusion. Exactly what is needed to receive the appreciation of each day.
My family and I laugh a lot Santa. YOU know. My laughter helps my husband, Jim and our son, Matthew. Their laughter helps me. And so, it goes….
P.S. Should you find other letters written by people with Autoimmune Encephalitis, whether they be drawings by children, a single word, or simply the breath of fear blown inside an envelope and sealed, my wish is that you take these too and leave your laughter.
Oh, make yourself at home as long as you would like Santa. The weather across the Northern Hemisphere is projected to be quite cold. There are extra blankets in the hall closet. Help yourself. When you are working your way across the Southern Hemisphere and get to Sarah’s house in New Zealand since it is Summer there and you won’t need them any longer, you can leave the blankets with her and she’ll get them back to me on her next visit;) Pleasant trip and God speed. Best Wishes, Tabitha
(Originally written December 17, 2014)
IAES invites you to spread awareness of Autoimmune Encephalitis by sharing this delightful musical spoof utilizing the classic holiday music from ‘Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer’. Learn who identified the most common type of autoimmune encephalitis of them all and where that magical moment occurred.
Your generous Donations allow IAES to continue our important work and save lives!
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES) is a Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey.
Driven by the knowledge that “Education is Power”, International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society manages an educational support group for patients diagnosed with Autoimmune Encephalitis and their loved ones, empowering them to be strong self-advocates and advocates that will lead them to best outcomes and recovery. We are the premier organization leading in these vital roles.
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in an accurate diagnosis for someone suffering right now who is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
For those interested in face masks, clothing, mugs, and other merchandise, check out our AE Warrior Store! This online shop was born out of the desire for the AE patient to express their personal pride in fighting such a traumatic disease and the natural desire to spread awareness. Join our AE family and help us continue our mission to support patients, families and caregivers while they walk this difficult journey.
February is AE Awareness month! IAES will be very involved in promoting AE Awareness in many terrific ways throughout month. One of the many things we will be doing is publishing a few more patient blogs than usual. Each will cover something different. Each will highlight, in some way, a different type of AE or AE experience.
As we head into February and in hopes of raising AE awareness, we begin with a blog from a long time AE family member/caregiver and doctor. This blog touches the heart and raises hope! It our sincerest desire that you enjoy this series and will help in our quest to raise awareness so that we collectively move from a family of Warriors and Survivors to a family of Warriors and Thrivers!!!
February 2, 2021 | By Jennifer Mark, MD
I recently lost a beloved parent to anti-NMDA encephalitis. It is still hard to talk about it as my sister and I went through many challenges to get her diagnosed.I understand the pain and difficulties that many of you go through with this disease and having physicians or other health care professionals who are unfamiliar with this disease and its treatments.
Over time, I have been willing to speak up about it as I hoped that I can educate others, one person at a time.I work at a medical center that trains physicians so it is important to me, that I can increase awareness of this terrible disease.It is my hope that if even one more person gets a proper diagnosis, autoimmune encephalitis can be recognized early and treatment begun thus, giving more patients and their families hope.
I was humbled tonight to find out that others have been listening. One of my physician partners remembered some of my mother’s history and how it sounded very much like a patient she had been caring for that others had written off to untreatable and in need of palliative care.
Tonight, that family got answers. The lumbar puncture came back positive for AE with a specific match on an antibody.
All those countless hours I spent researching and looking for help resulted in something positive. I was able to quickly offer information to my physician partner and in turn to this patient’s family. I was able to offer proper guidance regarding this disease and treatments. Most importantly, I could give this family hope which is so needed when a diagnosis is initially unclear.
I became a local resource for a rare disease that few have known. IAES, I offer you my gratitude. The information and resources I found though this organization, website and members have allowed me to be a resource to others. I wish to say thanks for the outstanding education that you have offered me and my family.
Graphic courtesy of a pediatric AE member/patient
Your generous Donationsallow IAES to continue our important work and save lives!
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in accurate diagnosis for someone suffering right now who is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
For those interested in face masks, clothing, mugs, and other merchandise, check out our AE Warrior Store! This online shop was born out of the desire for the AE patient to express their personal pride in fighting such a traumatic disease and the natural desire to spread awareness. Join our AE family and help us continue our mission to support patients, families and caregivers while they walk this difficult journey.
Exciting news: February is just around the corner, marking the start of Autoimmune Encephalitis Awareness Month 2021! Join us for our virtual speaker series with talks from top AE researchers by signing up here.
Today’s blog highlights an AE Warrior, her fight, her success and the incredible need for AE awareness.
January 27, 2021 | By Catherine Cloutier
My name is Catherine Cloutier, and I’m currently 28 years old. My journey with anti-NMDAr autoimmune encephalitis started in April 2015, at the age of 23.
I had previously completed a human nutrition degree at Université de Montréal and I am still practicing as a Registered Dietitian in Québec Canada, and I am a member of my professional order (Ordre professionnel des diététistes du Québec).
As I was studying for my finals of first year in my Bachelor of Law at Université de Montréal, I started getting severe migraines. Of course, as a well-driven student and hard worker, I blamed it on fatigue and stress.
On May 7, 2015, I was leaving for a three-week trip with my then-boyfriend to Burma, Vietnam and Qatar. I was so excited to finally get some vacation time after a hard year of managing work and studies at the same time! After arriving, I was really tired, couldn’t handle the heat and needed multiple naps in order to be able to do simple tourist activity. I blamed it on accumulated fatigue and jet lag. Throughout the trip, I acted erratically, including crossing streets without looking, and a motorcycle accident, to name a few.
Our departure was tumultuous, and I couldn’t sleep for most of the journey home. As we landed back in Montréal, I thought I was going to be able to sleep properly. However, during that night, I kept having hallucinations and was very agitated.
My boyfriend brought me to Hôtel-Dieu hospital, where I had a moment of lucidity and nothing on the exam came back to warrant admitting me.
The day after, it got even worse. I couldn’t take a shower by myself and was slurring a lot. They took me back to the hospital, where I was put in a hallway bed. Anxiety was through the roof and they did multiple blood tests and an MRI.
All results came back negative — except that five years later looking at the results of my blood tests, a microbiologist pointed out that something could be up regarding my immune system. It was not noticed by the doctor in charge at that moment.
I was later transferred to Notre-Dame Hospital in Montréal. After hallucinations, demonstrating an impossibility to differ between dream and reality, one neuropsychiatrist claimed that I was faking it all along and discharged me. I had a seizure on the way out of the hospital and other healthcare professionals realized at that point that something big was going on.
I was sent in for another MRI and had a PET scan, all came back negative. During the next week, they said that it was neither viral nor bacterial.
The resident doctor then conducted a lumbar puncture and the results came in five days later: anti-NMDAr autoimmune encephalitis.
They immediately started IVIG treatment for five days, and after one treatment, I was already starting to feel like myself. I was discharged four days after the end of treatment.
Since then, I still have short-term memory loss and levels of anxiety higher than my usual self before. However, it made me strive even more for my goals: I was back in law school less than two months after being discharged and completed my law degree in two years; then pursuing my master’s in common law the following year. After failing the Quebec bar twice, I finally passed the Ontario Bar, where I am currently articling. I will be sworn in as barrister/solicitor (lawyer) in less than two months.
I hope that my story can inspire some that are going through it. It was the toughest period of my life. The hardest part is having people who surround me who still don’t understand it, and likely never will.
With love, Catherine
Your generous Donationsallow IAES to continue our important work and save lives!
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in accurate diagnosis for someone suffering right now who is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
For those interested in face masks, clothing, mugs, and other merchandise, check out our AE Warrior Store! This online shop was born out of the desire for the AE patient to express their personal pride in fighting such a traumatic disease and the natural desire to spread awareness. Join our AE family and help us continue our mission to support patients, families and caregivers while they walk this difficult journey.
My letter to Santa. ATTENTION: YULETIDE BUREAU WISH DEPARTMENT
Dear Santa, As you know, I have given great thought to my Christmas wish this year. I hope I have made your ‘NICE LIST”, as my wish is in the form of a favor.
Since I am awake, due to insomnia from the IV Solumedrol infusion I received yesterday afternoon, I thought it was a good time to write you. I guess I didn’t need to tell you that, since you see me when I am sleeping, and you know when I am awake. LOL:)
Sometimes the lessons we need to learn to grow our soul and faith come in the most unexpected forms. I have realized the truth of this and am doing my best to rely on my faith, to celebrate the love and support I receive and do my best to face my adversity.
Santa, I have to be totally naked in my honesty here. As Head Elf, embodied with the Spirit of -now here’s my word finding problem rearing its head… It means to love without qualifying or judging. I can’t remember how to say it Santa, but you get me. How could anyone ever imagine they would get a disease where your immune system attacks your brain?!
I mean if my brain isn’t working right, nothing works right. That’s a hard thing Santa. We are talking TOUGH challenge here.
Santa, you know this. You have been watching. I don’t have to explain because you have lived it with me. Yeah, I’m totally on the “NICE LIST”.
Sorry, attention span problems, back to my favor. But… I have practiced daily random acts of kindness for many years…attention span problems again and paranoia I might not make the cut for that ‘Nice List’.
Santa, this disease has created personality changes that are not the heart of me. It has taken ME away before with episodes of psychosis twice now. I am inside. In my heart, buried deep, I am ME. People were not able to see ME when my brain disease flared in this way, but YOU could! Sorry, I will try to stay on topic. Attention Span problems, but YOU know this.
Okay, I forgot what I was going to say… LOL. Wait, I’ll reread this and write my main point on a sticky note so I can remember my wish. Why am I telling you that? YOU see me. YOU realize everything. Ok. Wait just one minute for me Santa. Yes. I am back. Got it. My Christmas Wish. (That is what I wrote on the sticky note. Oops, sorry, forgot. Don’t need to tell you that.)
I am having a problem with worry for my future. I have now faced FEAR. I have stared it down. I have survived. I get scared sometimes. YOU know I do. My faith and spiritual beliefs sustain me; through them, I draw my courage and do my best to surrender my fear.
This brings me to that favor I mentioned. My Christmas Wish. Gosh, Santa, I need your help.
By the way, Jim says guys like peanut butter cookies and oatmeal raisin the best, so we will be leaving those out in their usual place by the Cocoa. Feel free to use the copper pot I leave out for you to warm up your Cocoa in case you find yourself running late. Oh, the carrots for the Reindeer are grown by local farmers- I am adding some lovely fresh pears this year… But, you know that too… Sorry….. What was I going to say? Oh, right! My Christmas Wish:)
You’ll find an envelope by your nighttime snack. I’ve enclosed all my fears and worries inside. Could you kindly take them from me? That is my Christmas Wish.
And when you take your leave, by the way, I LOVE that time suspension magic you do- very cool!
When your laughter rings out within and around our home, can you add a bit of Christmas Spirit Magic to infuse your laughter, Joy, and that kind of love I can’t remember the name of …within our home, our hearts and my brain where my fears and worries once were? By adding your love and laughter to mine Santa, well, that’s a powerful infusion. Exactly what is needed to receive the appreciation of each day.
My family and I laugh a lot Santa. YOU know. My laughter helps my husband, Jim and our son, Matthew. Their laughter helps me. And so, it goes….
P.S. Should you find other letters written by people with Autoimmune Encephalitis, whether they be drawings by children, a single word, or simply the breath of fear blown inside an envelope and sealed, my wish is that you take these too and leave your laughter.
Oh, make yourself at home as long as you would like Santa. The weather across the Northern Hemisphere is projected to be quite cold. There are extra blankets in the hall closet. Help yourself. When you are working your way across the Southern Hemisphere and get to Sarah’s house in New Zealand since it is Summer there and you won’t need them any longer, you can leave the blankets with her and she’ll get them back to me on her next visit;) Pleasant trip and God speed. Best Wishes, Tabitha
(Originally written December 17, 2014)
IAES invites you to spread awareness of Autoimmune Encephalitis by sharing this delightful musical spoof utilizing the classic holiday music from ‘Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer’. Learn who identified the most common type of autoimmune encephalitis of them all and where that magical moment occurred.
Your generous Donations allow IAES to continue our important work and save lives!
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES) is a Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey.
Driven by the knowledge that “Education is Power”, International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society manages an educational support group for patients diagnosed with Autoimmune Encephalitis and their loved ones, empowering them to be strong self-advocates and advocates that will lead them to best outcomes and recovery. We are the premier organization leading in these vital roles.
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in an accurate diagnosis for someone suffering right now who is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
For those interested in face masks, clothing, mugs, and other merchandise, check out our AE Warrior Store! This online shop was born out of the desire for the AE patient to express their personal pride in fighting such a traumatic disease and the natural desire to spread awareness. Join our AE family and help us continue our mission to support patients, families and caregivers while they walk this difficult journey.
She was diagnosed with Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis on November 5, 2019. She was 13 years old then, and turned 14 on March 15 this year.
Our healthy daughter was showing the exact opposite of herself. She was very healthy and athletic. She has a blackbelt in Taekwondo and was bagging gold medals left and right in combat tournament.
All the standard symptom of encephalitis were there. It was very hard to understand and we were very shocked to digest the sudden alteration of our lives.
The early recovery period was the toughest. The IAES Facebook group witnessed how scared and frustrated we were as her parents. She didn’t sleep for 2-3 days. And when she did sleep it was only for 5-6 hour at a times. Often she had tantrums. Crying, shouting and there were times that she just snapped and hit anyone in our house.
Today, is June 1, 2020. Almost 3 weeks that she has been showing very good behaviors. She sleeps on time now and for a good 8-10 hours. Our house is filled with laughter again. She has become funny again. She loves playing with her dolls again. Art, music and movies are her pastimes. Unlike before when she could not sit for more than 5 minutes. She takes her medicine and milk by herself now. She can now take care of herself in the bathroom.
This illness is too much and no one deserves it. Many people helped us during the hard times. And we cannot thank them enough, especially those who prayed for us. Who helped us to understand her situation. And of course, the IAES Facebook group. It helped us know more and understand more. And I thank God for the everyday miracle.
Your generous Donationsallow IAES to continue our important work and save lives!
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in accurate diagnosis for someone suffering right now who is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
For those interested in face masks, clothing, mugs, and other merchandise, check out our AE Warrior Store! This online shop was born out of the desire for the AE patient to express their personal pride in fighting such a traumatic disease and the natural desire to spread awareness. Join our AE family and help us continue our mission to support patients, families and caregivers while they walk this difficult journey.
August 4, 2019, was the day that changed our lives forever—one that we call the perfect storm. A few weeks prior to this day, my daughter Brynn had turned two, with a baby sister born a few months before.
We noticed some weird behavioral changes as I returned to work from my 12-week maternity leave. Brynn is my first child, so my thoughts were immediately, “Wow. Two-year-olds are tough.” I kept asking my coworkers and friends that had been through this, whether this was normal, and they assured me that it was simply the “Terrible Twos.” They promised me she would get used to my working again. They even commented, “Wait till she turns three… it gets even worse!”
Brynn had been a very mild-tempered, funny, happy-go-lucky child that I really never had any behavior issue with. Developmentally, she was ahead of schedule: speaking full sentences; knowing numbers and colors; and speaking and understanding a good amount of the Spanish language.
As a week went by, she started not sleeping through the night, tantrums started becoming inconsolable, and exhibition of impulsive behavior. Starting on a Monday she vomited and her appetite changed. My husband, observing very subtle movements like Brynn cocking her wrists outward. He took me aside on Wednesday and said, “It’s almost like she is autistic. Additionally, her behavior towards her cousins changed. I remember my sister and I laughing under our breaths because she was in a RAGE yelling and screaming at them! By Thursday, my mother-in-law reported to me that she was barely eating. She had even turned down a Popsicle in the bathtub which she looks forward to every night!
It is truly the hardest thing as a parent to decide when to call the doctor, you never want to miss anything, but at the same time, you don’t want to be one of those parents that take your kid in for every little thing. My husband and I decided that since I had the day off on Friday, It would be a good idea to just take her in to make sure everything was ok. Throughout all of this, she never spiked a fever!
By Friday morning, she was looking pretty rough. Little did I know, this was the last day I would hear her sweet little voice for seven weeks. At the pediatrician’s office, I explained what was going on. They did the full exam including looking in her mouth. As a dental hygienist, it’s normal for me to observe her mouth regularly, and I had seen nothing weird. Her nurse practitioner stopped and said, “Do you see this little white dot in her mouth? This is very common. Your child has Hand-Foot-Mouth disease.”
She further explained that this is why she wasn’t eating because it is very painful. She also stated to me that it would probably get worse before it got better, and this virus has to run its course. She instructed us to make sure she was drinking fluids and not to let her get dehydrated. On Saturday we laid low, gave her some Pedialyte and began syringe-feeding her liquids and had to bribe her to get a couple drips down. The next morning, I ran a quick errand and my husband stayed home with Brynn. As I was sitting in the parking lot, my husband FaceTimes me, saying, “She is unresponsive,” as he lightly moved her face from side to side, calling her name, all without her making eye contact.
I have never shoved groceries in my car so fast. I instructed my husband to get dressed and I will be home ASAP and we will be taking her somewhere! I immediately got on the phone with my best friend who happens to be the nurse practitioner at the local pediatric urgent care clinic. She said, “Come on in and we will check her out… she is probably just dehydrated. We will give her some fluids and see how she does.” When I got home, Brynn had perked up as if nothing was wrong and I questioned my thought process. We chose to proceed, thinking, “Better safe than sorry!”
We arrived at the clinic and the nurse practitioner agreed that she didn’t seem normal and started an IV immediately. Upon observation, the doctor noticed her eyes were rolling back in her head and noticed unusual movements. They called an ambulance right away due to the fact it looked like seizure activity. I was taken back by how fast everyone was moving and thinking, “OMG, is this really happening! What is going on? Our worse nightmare was coming true. Something is wrong and we have no idea!” We were rushed to the local hospital and there they did a MRI, spinal tap and drew some blood. Everything came back normal, except a herpes 6 virus (a/k/a, Roseola which every kid under the age of five comes in contact with and fights off) which was wonderful, except no one could explain what was going on. The doctor did state that it seemed neurological, but he couldn’t put his finger on it exactly.
From here started a seven-week journey to the world of a medical nightmare with Autoimmune Encephalitis. We only stayed at the first hospital for two nights, due to the lack of attention my daughter was getting. They initially placed her on EEG machines to watch her closely for seizures, which she had none! They treated her for the herpes with a high doses of Ganciclovir, saying it was to risky to do steroids. Getting a doctor to answer any questions or return to our room was a nightmare. There was no infectious disease doctor or rheumatologist, and getting a hold of a neurologist was a chore.
The second day I kept hearing meningitis/encephalitis, though no one said this to me directly, nor could explain anything. At this point, I had not had a meal or slept. I felt like no one was doing anything and I was up all night researching on Google different signs and symptoms. I got wind from one of the doctors that a transfer could be in place if I wanted, to which and I replied, “Yes, let’s get outta here!” This was the best decision I ever made.
The next day we were transferred to Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando where a plethora of doctors asked all the right questions. They ran about 100 different test to different labs, and I could tell they were really working toward a diagnosis. No one had a clue until a Rheumatologist who had previously worked for a doctor that had a lot of experience with patients with AE. She strongly suspected the NMDA Autoimmune Encephalitis but we realized for the test it takes over a week to confirm because it has to be sent to the Mayo Clinic.
They were actually very confident with this diagnosis that they started with very high dose of Solu-Medrol and IVIG for a couple of days. Brynn at this point was in bad shape. They attached ” No-No’s to her arms so she could not pull the feeding tube out. Her eyes were rolling back in her head, she couldn’t sit up, and had this movement disorder which is very common with AE. There were days she went without sleep and then days all she did was sleep! It was so scary to watch your child go through this as you helplessly sit on the sidelines, praying the doctors and nurses are doing what’s best for your child. Then, the diagnosis came back positive for NMDA Autoimmune Encephalitis, at which point the doctors decided to treat it aggressively with five rounds of plasmapheresis and two rounds of a chemotherapeutic drug called Rituxan. We spent three weeks in the ICU and another two weeks on a stable floor weaning her off the drugs, and beginning PT, OT, speech and music therapy. Brynn had reverted back to a baby: sticking things in her mouth; moaning to try and communicate; and crawling on the hospital floors. Around week five, she became a two-person job, changing diapers and keeping her from getting tangled around all the cords to which she was attached.
To make this whole experience even more challenging, Hurricane Dorian was headed to our hometown of Melbourne, and we had a three-month-old infant being passed around the family, driving freshly pumped milk back-and-forth. I fully believe the only way we made it through this terrible nightmare was the support we had from our friends and family. Truly, we would not have been able to do it without them. Kudos to the Ronald McDonald house that housed my family as they came to visit to stay long weekends so I got to see my infant.
Daily, we saw subtle changes. Brynn became stronger and actually started to walk before we changed hospitals. That was the best day ever seeing her up walking, though she was very unsteady. Little did we know, this now presented us with new challenges as she became more difficult to keep in a bed or hospital room.
Our last stop was we being accepted into a rehab facility across town at another children’s hospital. Here she learned how to eat and bathe, and she started saying words again the very last night we were there! What a relief my kiddo was coming back to us!!! Doctors to this day can’t tell us where we will be in the long run or how long it will take her to fully recover, but we have high hopes with positivity and a heck of a support system that works with her everyday to be all she can be.
That concluded our seven weeks and we finally got to come home. I was a little nervous because we had so much help and proper tools to keep her safe at the hospital. We continued at home with occupational therapy and speech therapy until the end of the year. Brynn was back! Doctors would like to still remain on monthly IVIG treatments for one complete year and supplement with Rituxan as needed. All of them are amazed by how fast she snapped back from this disease. I can honestly say that it was because of a fast aggressive treatment, attentive doctors, and a strong support system full of love, patience and positivity that pulled this little girl back. Life is way better than we had projected at this point. The monthly IVIG treatment is rough as my daughter hates getting the IV. Hopefully we can look back at this and say, “Wow, that was just a bump in the road.” Until then, we will just keep our heads up and plug along!
Your generous Donationsallow IAES to continue our important work and save lives!
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in accurate diagnosis for someone suffering right now who is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
There are moments where you are enjoying life and never think that anything could go wrong. In December of 2015 our family was hit with a crazy oddity that was nothing we could have ever dreamed.
It was Christmas break and thankfully I took the time off to be home with all my kids while they were out of school. My oldest is Elaine, whom we all call Lainey. She had just started working her first job with me at the local call center. I took her for the first late-night shift she ever worked on December 28. The next morning was when hell began and didn’t stop until late April/early May of 2016.
On December 29, Lainey woke up and wasn’t quite right. As a parent knowing how the young kids are, I started thinking maybe she was just tired or that maybe she tried drugs to be cool with the people she worked with the night before. When she got up, she was out of it. Throughout the day, she kept seeing things that her brothers and I didn’t, as well as making weird statements. I literally thought my daughter was a bit crazy.
By the morning of December 30,, she was much worse. She didn’t know where she was or that she had to get to work. When I had her get up to go take a shower, I found her outside in the cold, without any shoes on, trying to get in my car to take her shower. Once I was able to get her inside, I had to shower her myself because she acted like she had no idea how to clean herself.
By this point, I was so concerned that I called her work and told them she was sick. I then drove her to the ER in St Joseph, MO. Once there, they took her back to the area for people who may need to be admitted to a psychiatric ward. They had her strip down and put on a hospital gown. A guard sat outside her room and it took several hours before they confirmed anything. They took tests and ruled out drugs as well as alcohol. The doctors had no true reason as to why my beautiful angel was acting so crazy. The only answer they could give was that she had a UTI and when elderly people have these it can cause dementia for them. So, they prescribed some meds—one of which I couldn’t even get for 24 hours after this visit—and said if she wasn’t better in two days to come back. It was like they knew I would have to come back.
We went on about our days as usual as we could with a teenager that was deteriorating before our eyes: she barely slept; her paranoia worsened; and, late at night while home, she had a couple moments of aggression. When December 31 came around, she couldn’t dress herself, remember how to eat or drink, and barely remembered how to walk. Our family always got together on New Year’s Eve and everyone knew that something was wrong with my sweet girl. I made the decision then, that if by morning she hadn’t shown any signs of improvement, I was going back to the hospital and not leaving until they could help my daughter get back to herself.
We arrived at the ER again in St Joseph, MO, and started a multitude of tests. None of them came back with any signs of what could be wrong. The doctors looked at me and said they had no idea what was wrong with my daughter. That was not good enough. I told the doctor that something is clearly wrong and to figure out where my daughter could be sent to get answers that wasn’t a psychiatric ward because I knew in my soul that she was not crazy. By 9 p.m. that night we were sent via ambulance to Children’s Mercy. I had no idea at that moment, that this was going to be the place that saved my daughter from an evil no one else would have ever recognized.
Early in the morning on January 2, I met the men who were sure they knew how to help Lainey: Dr. Aalbers and Dr. Allison. They explained to me that they were sure from the symptoms that she was presenting with, that they wanted to test for this rare illness called Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis. I had to agree to let them attempt a spinal tap for them to get the fluid that was needed. They also added a bunch of wires to her head in order to check brain waves. Once I spoke with them and agreed to all the testing, I of course did research on what they had discussed with me. After reading articles on the internet, I was convinced that these two extraordinary men had found the way to heal my baby and get her back to her normal self. We spent months at Children’s Mercy in Adele Hall. On January 11, we received the result from the CSF, stating that Lainey truly had Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis. This is when we began all the treatments that would get this disease under control.
Who knew that the antibodies in your own body could backfire making them attack the brain cells instead of the actual cells that were caused by an illness? Most of the medical documentation stated that women would need to be screened for teratomas as this would be the leading cause of what brought on the illness. Unfortunately, Lainey was negative for teratomas. We still have no real reason as to why she now has Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis, except that someone higher than us knew that we could handle anything they put on our plates.
At one point I was certain that the doctors had no idea what to do, so we had a medical conference and one of Lainey’s doctors that week reached out to Dr. Dalmau. This doctor received an email back from the man who first diagnosed this and was told that what was being done is exactly what he would do. So, we kept to that course moving forward from that point. It took another 75 days after this before we started to see Lainey “wake up.”
They call it waking up because most patients have no memory of anything that happened to them while deep in this disease. That is true for my daughter. Her main memories of how she became sick and most of her hospital stay are from my stories to her. I have told her every detail she has asked for. To this day, she still will take me with her at times in order to help with information that she doesn’t remember well.
We got close to so many doctors, nurses and care assistants. It was a long hard battle. Lainey worsened before getting better. We spent many days in heightened paranoia states. She had more than her share of aggressive moments, which eventually meant that for the safety of herself and others, the doctors had to start using restraints. I was super happy that stage didn’t last long. There were weeks of two steps forward with six backwards.
Lainey experienced many different treatments. She took Rituxan twice. Had weekly treatments with Cytoxan. She was on melatonin, steroids, Ativan, Benadryl, Zofran, clonidine, IVIG, trazadone, and Cellcept. I am sure I forgot some of the meds that got her back on track to a state of remission, but the main ones are here. She made it through multiple MRIs, EEGs, spinal taps, PT, OT, speech therapy, and even having her eyes checked on from all the steroids she was on. We were released on May 4 to Lakemary in Paola, KS. She was at this facility for 23 days before being released back to my care. We had to be sure that she was not going to be harmful to herself or others before coming home for good.
That summer she spent as much time with her brothers and her horse as possible. She had her 18th birthday and was excited when she was able to go back to school with an IEP. She fought hard to get back to herself and once that happened, she did everything she could to prove that she would beat the odds. She attended her senior prom, lots of dances, and was featured in St. Joseph Newspress for showing that she could graduate with her peers despite all odds.
Since graduating from high school, she has completed all treatments for her illness and is currently in remission. We call it remission because at any point this horrible devil could come back and Lainey has the possibility of having a relapse. She worked full time and at one point held down more than one job. Lainey is back to her normal stubborn, hardheaded self. She gave birth to most handsome little boy on November 13.
All of these things were items that doctors said may not ever happen for her. At one point we weren’t even sure if she would ever “wake up” from all of this. Still to this day, she doesn’t remember much of her hospital stay at Henson Hall. Lainey remembers a lot of her nurses and care assistants because they were some of the ones there as she was coming out of the so-called fog that this disease causes in the brain. We still give big shout-outs to all our people at CMH and are more than thankful to have found people who knew how to help us. She still has lots of issues with her memory, some of her muscle spasms are still there, and when she is sick, she knows I will still ask all the same questions that she had to answer when she was sick. I truly believe that once you experience something of this nature it builds sort of a post-traumatic syndrome in the people who are caregivers.
I never stop worrying or looking for signs that she may be going into a relapse. I have a hard time when we don’t speak often and get worried more than I probably should. I do, however, say a prayer everyday thanking those above that she is here and healthy, living a normal life that I was told to prepare for her not to be able to have. I also say prayers for all the other warriors afflicted with this deadly illness.
We give thanks to all her doctors who helped us through this at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City: Dr. Aalbers, Dr. Allison, Dr. Cooper, Dr. Tobler, Dr. Coffman, Dr. Cation, Dr. Becker, Dr. Lepichon, Dr. Hema, Dr. Korth, Dr. Hall, and I am sure there are some I can’t remember.
CAs and Nurses: Lauren, Kelsi, Brian, Chrissie, Rita, Courtney, Julie, Kaitlin, Heidi, Steph, Rachel, Shannell, Alisa, Terri, Laura, Elizabeth, Codi, Lena, Skylar, and Ann. Just to name a few.
Child life – Gretchen and Sandy. OT and PT. Speech: Gayle.
Lakemary – Marcy, Mary, and Courtney. Plus, all the house staff and teachers.
Your generous Donationsallow IAES to continue our important work and save lives!
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in accurate diagnosis for someone suffering right now who is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
As the name suggests, autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is a group of diseases in which the body’s immune system attacks the brain. To treat it, there are a variety of therapies that target different aspects of the immune system. The goal of these immunotherapies is to reduce brain inflammation and the resulting symptoms, as well as maintain these improvements by preventing relapses1.
Immunotherapy is most successful in patients with antibodies against cell-surface proteins (such as NMDR, LGI1, and Caspr2). These diseases tend to be caused by B cells and autoantibodies. In contrast, when antibodies are directed against molecules inside of cells (such as Hu, Ma, or GAD65) the disease is usually mediated by T cells, and these patients typically do not respond as well to immunotherapy. It should also be noted that removal of any disease-associated tumors, such as the ovarian teratomas frequently seen in NMDAR encephalitis or tumors seen in patients with intracellular antigens, should be an early treatment priority as removal quickly produces improvements2. However, there are currently no standardized treatment guidelines; at present, different regimens are used based on the patient’s particular condition and clinical status, as well as the opinion of their doctor.
First-line Treatments
The first treatment for most patients is typically steroids, also calledcorticosteroids. Corticosteroids act to broadly inhibit inflammation in multiple ways, which results in the depletion of mainly T cells. They offer the additional benefit of restoring the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which can be impaired in
AE. However, corticosteroids aren’t perfect. They have many side effects, and can aggravate or even induce psychiatric symptoms associated with AE such as depression, insomnia, agitation, and psychosis. What’s more, corticosteroids do not target B cells, the cells that go on to produce the antibodies that cause many of the symptoms of AE3.
Two other first-line therapies do target autoantibodies. One is administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). IVIg is a blood product prepared from the serum of more than 1,000 donors that contains a broad range of antibodies. Some of these antibodies target a patient’s autoantibodies and neutralize them, along with other pro-inflammatory aspects of the immune system3. The other first-line treatment targeting autoantibodies is plasma exchange (PLEX, also called plasmapheresis). PLEX “cleans” the blood of autoantibodies by replacing the liquid plasma portion of a patient’s blood with that of a donor. PLEX also changes T and B cells in favorable ways. A more refined form of PLEX called immunoadsorption has also been used to treat AE, and selectively removes antibodies from the blood, instead of all the other components that are also in the plasma3. However, both PLEX and immunoadsorption only remove antibodies from the blood, not from the brain; although decreasing antibodies in the blood can lead to a decrease in the brain4. Furthermore, all first-line treatments but especially PLEX require a good deal of patient compliance, which can limit their use if the patient is agitated or displays other behavioral problems5.
Different subtypes of AE respond differently to treatment. For instance, patients with LGI1 antibodies who are diagnosed early are often responsive to corticosteroids alone. In contrast, only about 50% of patients with NMDAR antibodies are responsive to first-line treatments, and the remaining require second-line therapies6.
Second-line Treatments
There are two main second-line immunotherapies for AE. The first is a drug that destroys B cells called rituximab. Rituximab is actually an antibody that targets B cells, which normally go on to become antibody-producing cells. It is expected to work particularly well in patients with LGI1 and Caspr2 autoantibodies. However, because B cells can cross into the brain and become antibody-producing cells, but rituximab cannot cross the BBB, its effects may be limited3.
The other second-line treatment is a chemotherapy drug called cyclophosphamide. Cyclophosphamide directly prevents T and B cells from multiplying, but it affects the ability of many other cells to multiply as well. For that reason, it has some potentially serious side effects including infertility, and instead rituximab is usually the preferred second-line therapy3.
Alternative Treatments
Sometimes second-line treatments are also not effective at treating AE. When that happens, options include re-administration of first-line therapies, extended use of second-line therapies, or use of other non-steroid (steroid-sparing) drugs to suppress the immune system. For instance, the steroid-sparing drug mycophenolate mofetil prevents T and B cells from multiplying and has a better side-effect profile than cyclophosphamide3.
Other alternative treatments are also available. One option interrupts the inflammatory effects of a molecule called interleukin-6 (IL-6). Normally, when IL-6 binds to its receptors on immune cells, it causes B cells to multiply and mature into antibody-producing cells, and causes pro-inflammatory T cells to mature. The antibody drug tocilizumab targets the IL-6 receptor and prevents these inflammatory processes. A molecule related to IL-6, IL-2, is also a target. Instead of inhibiting this molecule, giving patients low doses of IL-2 activates a “good” type of T cell called regulatory T cells that help the body shut down autoimmune responses. Another option, bortezomib, directly targets antibody-producing cells, instead of their immature B cell precursors3.
Maintenance Treatments
Even if AE is successfully treated, sometimes the disease can relapse. Relapses could be caused by some antibody-producing cells that can survive for many months, which are not targeted by treatments. Many of the therapies described above, including the first-line treatments, steroid-sparing agents, and rituximab, have been used as maintenance therapy to try and prevent this from occurring. However, the length of time patients should continue to receive treatment is unknown, and can range from 6 months to several years depending on the patient’s condition and doctor’s opinion3.
In addition to immunotherapy, other important aspects of treatment include supportive care (particularly while in the hospital); treatment of symptoms such as seizures, spasms, and psychiatric issues; and rehabilitation1. While responses to tumor removal and immunotherapy are often seen within a few weeks, it may take years for patients to return to normal7. As more is discovered about which aspects of the immune system are involved in each subtype of AE, hopefully more directed treatments will become available.
Your generous Donationsallow IAES to continue our important work and save lives!
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in accurate diagnosis for someone suffering right now who is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
1. López-Chiriboga, A. S. & Flanagan, E. P. Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approach to Autoimmune Neurologic Disorders. Semin. Neurol.38, 392–402 (2018).
Seki, M. et al. Neurological response to early removal of ovarian teratoma in anti-NMDAR encephalitis. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry79, 324–326 (2008).
Shin, Y.-W. et al. Treatment strategies for autoimmune encephalitis. Ther. Adv. Neurol. Disord.11, 1–19 (2018).
Fassbender, C., Klingel, R. & Köhler, W. Immunoadsorption for autoimmune encephalitis. Atheroscler. Suppl.30, 257–263 (2017).
Damato, V., Balint, B., Kienzler, A. K. & Irani, S. R. The clinical features, underlying immunology, and treatment of autoantibody-mediated movement disorders. Mov. Disord.33, 1376–1389 (2018).
Varley, J., Taylor, J. & Irani, S. R. Autoantibody-mediated diseases of the CNS: Structure, dysfunction and therapy. Neuropharmacology132, 71–82 (2018).
Venkatesan, A. & Adatia, K. Anti-NMDA-Receptor Encephalitis: From Bench to Clinic. ACS Chem. Neurosci.8, 2586–2595 (2017).
My dad and my brain go back more than a few decades. When I was two, he convinced my eldest sister she could teach me to read, which I insisted upon in order to move on from coloring books. It wasn’t that I was bored with Dad reading Dr. Seuss to us before bed, it was a fascination with the stories that I wanted MORE.
Among my rather large family—including more than a dozen cousins, with whom our young parents raised more like a collective of siblings—I was given the nickname “The Brain.” I took no offense at the name (until adolescence finally kicked in); rather, I relished reading in a corner when the rest were doing anything else.
It paid off, too. I was immediately admitted to the public school’s advanced program, while my four siblings attended the local parochial school. Dad generally drove us to school and I was the final drop-off, during which time he encouraged my academic achievement in multiple ways, whether quizzing me on spelling words or asking me to solve math problems in my head.
Dad was in advertising, heavily involved in political campaigns, which also set the stage for my career in public relations and marketing—including a stint as a registered lobbyist for the Health Insurance Association of America. As a matter of course, the last three people who hired me asked in the interviews whether I was his daughter. My answer weighed heavily in my favor.
Fast-forward to November 2018… During dinner with my boyfriend, I said something so out of course with our conversation, that Tim was stunned. The next day I had no recollection of it and he insisted I see my internist, who knows me well enough that I was sent immediately for an MRI. Limbic encephalitis was rampant and the obvious diagnosis. (I’ve had epilepsy for nearly 30 years, due to an entirely separate and resolved diagnosis, so all seizure activity was well-controlled, making my memory issues the trigger in my case.)
Upon receiving this new diagnosis, I communicated it to my family. My sister, Suzanne (the one who taught me to read), is now a bioethicist in Washington state, and she arranged for me to be seen at Mayo Clinic for a consult with Dr. Sean Pittock, who agreed out of professional courtesy. Immediately upon meeting me during my office visit, he admitted me and began my steroid treatment.
During this time and since, Suzanne, Dad and I have been in daily text communication. Sometimes it’s related to my encephalitis, though often it’s about our beloved University of Louisville Cardinals, the Chicago Cubs, Thoroughbred racing, or the political antics of the moment. Never has Dad wavered in his commitment to my wellness.
Once it became apparent that working at a job I once loved was no longer possible because of my significant memory issues, he has continued to nudge me along intellectually. He’s convinced “The Brain” will overcome and achieve in new ways. There are days I’m not yet there with his belief, but more often than not, I’m still the kid who’s being quizzed in the car on the way to school. Happy Father’s Day, Dad!
Terry Holland
She Didn’t Stand Alone, She Had Her Father
June-21-2020 | Mari Wagner Davis
She did not stand alone, but who stood behind her, the most potent moral force of her life was the love of her father. Harper Lee.
Father’s Day is a day we celebrate our fathers. We may take them out to dinner, send a card, or make a special phone call. There have likely been times when we have argued or butted heads with our fathers. Times when they have come to our rescue. Times when they have chewed us out for doing something goofy. I didn’t really realize how important my parents, my father is, in my life until I had seizures and was diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis.
Growing up, my Father’s goal was to make sure we were competent, independent adults. We had to learn to read a map, change our oil, when we were five he helped us open our own bank accounts and made sure we put money in them to save. One thing he couldn’t protect me from or prepare me for was autoimmune encephalitis. But as always, my parents have stood behind me, loving me, supporting me, at times holding me when I cried from the frustration of not being who I was before and celebrating the small goals I have achieved as I have inched along in my recovery.
Events one doesn’t conceive of celebrating such as when I completed day rehab, passed my special driving test so I could resume driving, and when I was able to stay up all day without a nap. (Autoimmune encephalitis makes you celebrate the small things).my Father celebrated with me.
So, when we feel alone, know that whether we still have our Fathers physically with us or not, they stand behind us, cheering us on.
Happy Father’s Day DadWillard Wagner
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in someone receiving an accurate diagnosis who is suffering right now and is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’s ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
The last two years of my life seem to have disappeared from my memory. Gone. Holidays, weddings, a funeral, birthday parties, Christmas and New Year. Friends and family keep telling me things I’ve done and the way I’ve behaved, some of which are very embarrassing to hear. It’s just not me.
This is the result of the disease Autoimmune Encephalitis (AE), the symptoms of which I was clearly exhibiting without my even realizing. Hallucinations, involuntary movements (which developed to 20-30 movements over four or five minutes), insomnia, loss of inhibition, memory loss and finally seizures, none of which I can remember. Apparently, I had two massive seizures at work (a Secondary School where I teach Physical Education), one of which resulted in the police being called due to my resisting all help. I’m told this was the last of a number of smaller seizures as the disease continued to develop and take hold.
The last seizure resulted in hospitalization for more than two months and being seen by a number of doctors and specialists who put me through a whole host of MRI scans, EEG’s, blood plasma analysis and other tests I don’t recall. I was eventually transferred to another hospital, where a specialist identified AE straight away, where I stayed and was treated for more than three weeks.
Lots of my friends and family traveled to see me, none of which I can remember and feel very guilty about admitting to. I do have a memory of very small flashes of shouting inappropriate comments at some female staff and having to apologize the next day and some very small flashes of walking around on other wards in my underwear looking for my ward. Again, it’s very embarrassing and most of it I can’t fully remember.
I’ve been told of other embarrassing events I performed, which eventually resulted in my being placed in a room by myself and given sedatives to help me “relax.” I was given all sorts of medicines, went through a whole host of tests and discussions with specialists on how to treat and control this very rare disease, and no one knew the right answer. It was a case of controlling the disease from worsening and monitoring my condition very closely.
Eventually, I was transferred back to my local hospital and continued to have a wide range of tests, blood samples were taken every morning to be analyzed and, after three more weeks, I was released to go home with a cannular inserted into a vein in my wrist with 24 tablets to be taken during the morning and 12 at night. I also received IVIG treatment to boost my immune system every morning at the local hospital.
I am now awaiting a decision from my consultant regarding the next steps. He has to speak with specialists in London as he is also unsure about what to do. I’ve been signed off work until after Christmas, which I also find frustrating as I feel back to 100%, but deep down I know that is the right decision.
I hope this article gives other sufferers of this very rare disease assurance there are other people out there experiencing similar symptoms of this confusing and inexplicable disease for which hopefully leads to further research and ultimately a successful pathway to complete recovery.
May 2020
Since I wrote the above piece back in late December 2019, I’m feeling back to 100%. The doctors, specialists, occupational health therapists are all very surprised how quickly I seem to have fully recovered, and it’s all down to the support and treatment I’ve had.
It’s now early May, I’m still taking a large dose of meds including Lamotrigine, Levetiracetam, Prednisone, Adcal etc, which to be honest it’s now a case of a gulp of water and down the hatch. It’s now about 10 tablets in the morning and eight at night — massively down from 24 and 12.
I went back to work in early January on a carefully monitored and phased return, building back to full-time before the dreaded COVID-19 hit. I’m not going to lie, going back to work has been tough. The school I work at has moved on, which has is expected in the 12-18 months I’ve been in and out (mostly out). Different students. Different staff. Different expectations. It’s been hard for me, but harder and more frustrating for the brilliant people I’m lucky enough to work with.
When I got back into work I tried to pick up where I left off. It didn’t work, because my expectations of myself are so high. I wanted to know why, how, what had happened to this, that, and the other. I tried to rush back too quickly, and it didn’t work. I wasn’t listening or asking for help enough.
I thought I could pick up where I left off, but I couldn’t. My brain needed time to click back into action. Those billions of neurons needed time. Time, I thought I didn’t have. Fortunately, my employers have been incredibly understanding. They’ve supported me so much, something for which I am eternally grateful.
This is where I know I’m so lucky. I’ve read so many stories of people that are struck with different forms of encephalitis and other life-changing illnesses where they haven’t recovered enough to be able to return to work, or their employers haven’t been as understanding. At times, I feel guilty reading their stories.
As I write this I now only see my specialist twice a year and my meds are being reduced every 10 days. I’m back into full-time work in my original role and physically fit again, running at least three times a week, with lots of sport and the gym. I seem to have a “small” gap in my memory of about 12-18 months, but it could have been a lot worse.
So, it is very possible to make a completely successful and long-lasting recovery from AE and other forms of the disease. I read so many stories of people who have suffered from this terrible illness and are still suffering, so I wanted to write this to let people know there are success stories and you can — with the correct treatment and support network around you — return to full health and look forward to living the rest of your life.
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in someone receiving an accurate diagnosis who is suffering right now and is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
A year ago we introduced you to Shadazah Brown in her piece, A Diagnosis for Daisy. Today she shares an update to her continuing journey.
December 31, 2019 at 10 p.m., I had a seizure at home. I woke up the following year, January 1, 2020, in the hospital. I didn’t even get to see the ball drop and celebrate with my family.
I woke up crying in so much pain, hooked up to the plasmapheresis catheters in my neck. Some of my hair had been cut for the EEG machine. My stomach hurt because of dry heaves. I felt like nothing.
Since my diagnosis with AE in 2017 — which began with a seizure in a store that caused me to split my forehead open — my seizure medications have been changed regularly to manage my epilepsy. I am also diabetic, meaning the steroid treatments have resulted in additional trips to the hospital to manage high- and low blood sugars. In that same time, the doctors have decided to give me plasmapheresis treatments every three months.
My depression has kicked in much more and I have lost all communication with my friends and family members. I think they understand what it’s like to be great living a normal 24-year-old life. Working, driving, had a boyfriend, friends, having fun. Then you go to worrying about yourself 24/7 because you the diagnosis requires it. I didn’t ask for this.
Being told you’re totally disabled at the age of 24 hurts a lot. I couldn’t celebrate my 25th birthday because I had plasmapheresis surgery since I needed the treatment right away. I still want to be able to work, drive, drink, party, and live a healthy young person’s life.
I miss having fun so much. I watch so many videos and look at pictures and I cry. People I thought were friends and truly cared, who would be there compassionately, haven’t been. I’ve spent the last two years alone. I have a couple of friends that are still there but remain somewhat distant.
Now that I have to go to hemoglobin infusion once a week for five hours at a time, I have made new friends who are actually older than me and they are really good people to talk to. (Sometimes, I really miss them and can’t wait until infusion… LOL.)
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in someone receiving an accurate diagnosis who is suffering right now and is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families, and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that the best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
Seizures can be scary events both for people who suffer from them and for their loved ones. Symptoms of a seizure typically include muscle spasms; loss of consciousness; sudden, rapid eye movements; or sudden mood changes; among other symptoms, and these can last from seconds to minutes1. These are the most severe seizures, but mild seizures, with more moderate physical and behavioral symptoms — such as stiffness of the muscles, feelings of déjà vu, anxiety, temporary confusion, or nausea — can also happen and may negatively affect health. During seizures, the body parallels what is happening in the brain: uncontrolled movements of the body can result from uncontrolled bursts of electrical activity in the brain.
Seizures are a response to hyperexcitability, meaning increased activity, of neurons in the brain, and hypersynchrony, meaning more neurons fire at the same time than normal. Seizures are very different across and within conditions. They can be generalized, affecting the entire brain from the beginning of the seizure, or focal, affecting one specific area although it may later spread. Frequent, unprovoked seizures called recurrent seizures may indicate that the person has a condition called epilepsy. Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder in which seizures can cause periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and negative effects on cognition such as a loss of awareness. However, because abnormal electrical activity can happen in response to other alterations in the brain such as brain injury and in response to medications, seizures can also be seen in other conditions.
One of these conditions is autoimmune encephalitis (AE). In AE, the body attacks the brain by creating antibodies against important neuronal proteins. Because these proteins help neurons communicate, the antibodies alter neuronal activity. Altering neuronal activation can lead to the changes that are seen in seizures (hyperexcitability and hypersynchrony). In fact, research shows that seizures in some patients can be a common symptom during the acute phase (early on in disease) of AE2. It is believed that antibodies against the neuronal proteins contribute directly to the disease processes and the development of seizures. It’s also possible that the process of neuroinflammation associated with AE, which increases the amount of toxic inflammatory molecules in the brain, can also contribute to the development of seizures2. Even once the inflammation has been resolved, the brain can still be predisposed to seizures or developing epilepsy, especially if the inflammation resulted in neuronal death3. However, whether epilepsy, a chronic disease, is developed in response to AE is not entirely clear. Some studies suggest that the risk of developing chronic epilepsy is low, from 10-15%4.
In different types of AE, seizures appear differently. Apart from the well-known tonic-clonic seizures (associated with jerking muscle movements), seizures in AE can also show up as faciobrachial dystonic seizures. These are characterized by abrupt involuntary movements, typically on one half of the face and arm of the same side. The frequency, response to therapies, and symptoms of the seizures themselves can all vary. However, the AE that most frequently manifest with seizures and chronic epilepsy are those mediated by antibodies against the LGI1, GABABR, and GABAAR; all-important proteins involved in neuronal communication5.
Are seizures associated with AE treated the same way as in epilepsy?
Antiepileptic drugs are the standard of care for people with epilepsy. Since seizures are a result of uncontrolled electrical activity and an imbalance of excitation and inhibition in the brain, antiepileptic drugs work by trying to restore that balance. For example, the drug clonazepam prevents seizures by increasing the effectiveness of a molecule in the brain called GABA, which helps the brain dampen the uncontrolled brain activity.
Now, although the normal path for people with epilepsy is treatment with antiepileptic drugs, it may not be particularly effective for people with seizures associated with AE. A study looking at a population of AE patients found that resolution of seizures happened even after discontinued antiepileptic drugs therapy6. In these young patients with AE who experienced unprovoked seizures at the onset of the disease there was a remission rate of 94%, meaning they stopped suffering from seizures, after they stopped taking antiepileptic drugs. Rather, immunotherapy seemed to be the important factor in controlling seizures. The researchers suggested that “long-term use of antiepileptic drugs appears not to be necessary to control seizures in AE”6.
Other studies support the idea that immunotherapy is more effective in attacking seizures in AE. One study looked at three different types of autoimmune encephalitis (anti-LGI1, anti-NMDAR, and anti-GABABR) and their response to immunotherapy and antiepileptic drugs7. They found that seizure freedom was achieved faster and more frequently after the use of immunotherapy than after the use of antiepileptic drugs. However, there may be a specific window in which immunotherapy is effective at controlling seizures.
Importantly, the researchers do mention that differences in seizures characteristics and therefore response to treatment may be due to the specific type of encephalitis. For example, patients with anti-GABABR encephalitis had an increased risk of developing seizures, meaning that the development of seizures may depend on the type of encephalitis7.
What do these findings mean for people with AE?
These differences in treatment response between AE and epilepsy point to an important trait that needs to be considered: the cause of seizures. In AE, antibodies generated against important neuronal proteins make the brain go awry. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to treat seizures may be attacking the root of the problem with immunotherapy. However, due to the variable nature of AE and the seizures associated with the condition, proper treatment with immunotherapy and/or antiepileptic medication will change from patient to patient.
What to do if someone is having a seizure?
During the most severe seizures, the person may not be able to control their body movements. For this reason, you may help them clear the area around them to prevent possible injury. If possible, place them on their side and provide cushioning for their head. There are additional indications suggested by the Center for Disease Control (become familiar with thesehere).
Rana, A., & Musto, A. E. (2018). The role of inflammation in the development of epilepsy. Journal of Neuroinflammation, 15(1). doi: 10.1186/s12974-018-1192-7
Vezzani, A., Fujinami, R. S., White, H. S., Preux, P.-M., Blümcke, I., Sander, J. W., & Löscher, W. (2015). Infections, inflammation and epilepsy. Acta Neuropathologica, 131(2), 211–234. doi: 10.1007/s00401-015-1481-5
Steriade, C., Moosa, A. N., Hantus, S., Prayson, R. A., Alexopoulos, A., & Rae-Grant, A. (2018). Electroclinical features of seizures associated with autoimmune encephalitis. Seizure, 60, 198–204. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2018.06.021
Spatola, M., & Dalmau, J. (2017). Seizures and risk of epilepsy in autoimmune and other inflammatory encephalitis. Current Opinion in Neurology, 30(3), 345–353. doi: 10.1097/wco.0000000000000449
Huang, Q., Ma, M., Wei, X., Liao, Y., Qi, H., Wu, Y., & Wu, Y. (2019). Characteristics of Seizure and Antiepileptic Drug Utilization in Outpatients with Autoimmune Encephalitis. Frontiers in Neurology, 9. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2018.01136
Bruijn, M. A. D., Sonderen, A. V., Coevorden-Hameete, M. H. V., Bastiaansen, A. E., Schreurs, M. W., Rouhl, R. P., … Titulaer, M. J. (2019). Evaluation of seizure treatment in anti-LGI1, anti-NMDAR, and anti-GABABR encephalitis. Neurology, 92(19). doi: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000007475
Lawyers have two great fears in life: 1) missing a deadline and 2) getting sick. Missing a deadline is scary and keeps us awake at night, but getting sick is about the worst. A simple cold or the stomach flu can require us to reschedule a deposition which could possibly change the course of the case and other deadlines, and it feels like all the dominos then start to fall. We’re humans, so we’re going to get sick, but we’re also lawyers, so we can plan for everything. Or wait, can we? I am a lawyer and I fell deathly ill while in private practice. It was unexpected, there was no accordingly tailored action plan, and it was worse than I ever could have imagined. In late May 2018, I was diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis (AE) and it has forever altered the course of my life. My disease is a sneaky assailant. It took my body and it took my mind before I, or anyone around me, could get a serious hold on what was going on.
I suffered from insomnia for quite a while before I decided to take it seriously, but only because I was afraid it would start affecting my work. All signs pointed towards depression and anxiety. Lawyers become depressed from their workload and stress, that’s a fact. Who was I to believe I was any different, especially because of the hours I was working and the nature of the cases I was handling as a family law and criminal defense attorney. I didn’t want to admit to any mental health issues, but the slow and serious deterioration of my health finally made me admit and accept it. I was prescribed antidepressants to sleep and continued to plow through work. I told myself I’d take time off in the summer, I just had to make it through my busy spring. By the end of April, I was still an insomniac, my jaws were clenched, my hands were shaking, and my ears rang. In early May, I left work for a week’s break. Earlier that day, I had what I now know was a serious anxiety attack at my desk, and I knew I couldn’t stay at work any longer. I believed I needed time for my medication to kick in, which would hopefully allow me to sleep. On the surface, I told myself I would return to work very soon, but a deep down dark thought told me I’d never return to my office as I nearly collapsed out the door that day. Only six days after I left work, I checked myself into the psychiatric ward. My decline was obvious. I wasn’t very communicative, I stared a lot, I couldn’t sleep during the day or night, I no longer believed I was fit to drive with my children, and my body stopped working while I tried to swim or bike. I suffered from paranoia and confusion and hallucinated with prescribed sleeping medication. During my 48-hours in the ward, my mind started to slip and things, like knowing the date and reading a clock, became a challenge. I struggled to read and write. I cried and exhibited serious tremors. Something told me I didn’t belong in the ward, but I was desperate for help to sleep and to feel better.
From the time I left work until my time in the ward, my memory isn’t great. Once I left the ward, I nearly ceased to exist as a person and my memory is bare. My life during that time has been pieced together through records and my family’s recollections. For six days after I left the ward, my husband of 10 years took care of me like a child and wondered if I had dementia or was possessed, because of my cognitive impairment and strange behavior. At a follow-up behavioral appointment, my nurse practitioner immediately believed I had a neurological condition and expedited my referral to a local neurologist. Her astute thinking absolutely saved my life. However, the word “neurological” led my husband and family to think the worst. They believed I had a brain tumor. My neurologist’s diagnosis the next day was also life-saving for me. He believed I had AE but ordered more testing to rule out other conditions. Over the course of three days, I failed a neurological examination with flying colors, had an MRI image of my brain that was of poor quality because I shook so badly and could not lie still, and I underwent a spinal tap. I have only a few memories of the testing the first day and I don’t remember much after. My family cried for days and I was oblivious to everything. I repeatedly asked the same questions about what was going on but was fairly easily reassured and was compliant. My mother repeated over and over, “Thank God she doesn’t understand what’s going on.” Just 20 days prior, I had successfully defended an order to show cause hearing, but could not draw the face of a clock during my neurological exam. During the early morning hours, the day after the spinal tap, I had a grand mal seizure in bed that broke and dislocated my right shoulder. I was taken to CHI-St. Alexius Hospital in Bismarck, where I spent the next five days. My memories from the hospital are almost nonexistent and the ones I have are skewed. My health was incredibly fragile and there was serious discussion of having the Mayo Clinic’s airplane fly to Bismarck to retrieve me. While I was sick and rendered incompetent, my husband, family, and a few close lawyer friends took over my life and made all of the decisions for my cases, my role in my own law firm, my health care, and whether my husband had to sell our home and move us closer to our family. I had no idea any of this was going on. They all went into crisis mode to fight for my health and so that no one missed a step at the law firm. The thankfulness I have for my Superman husband, my beloved family, and my friends can never be fully explained. My health started to stabilize, so I stayed in the Bismarck hospital. Upon my release, I began a week of IV steroids to treat the AE. By the second day of treatment, my mind rallied, and my family saw the signs of me again. I underwent a CT scan that same week, which revealed blood clots in my right lung and leg, and three broken vertebrae in my back. It was also during that week that I was able to understand I was never mentally ill, but that all my health problems were the AE at work.
I went to the Mayo Clinic in June and my diagnosis and treatment were all verified, which was good news; it was the devil we were coming to understand. But the recovery process was slow from there. I struggled with people diverting my attention, noise, anxiety, fear, personal interactions, any public outings, could not drive, felt broken physically and mentally, was limited in movement, and was shaky and unsteady. I was mostly confined to my home for a year. I had to repair my mind, body, and spirit, and the Superwoman efforts required of me to survive and recover were overwhelming. With the love and support of my husband and family, and my determination to recover for the sake of my children, I rose to the challenge.
I never returned to my law firm after the onset of the AE, and I elected to retire from private practice based upon my health conditions. Starting in fifth grade, I only wanted to be a lawyer and have sacrificed more than I can explain to get to where I was in my career when the AE hit. Feeling like I lost the career I loved and the law firm I was so proud of, felt like the end of me and everything I knew. Although I have lost in unexplainable ways, I have gained an incredible new perspective on life. I have a lot of hope for the future. I also believe I can use the same drive and skills I honed to be a respected lawyer to accomplish the same goal I had as a lawyer: to help others. How I can best do that, only time will tell. I am currently working on a book to describe my experience with AE and I hope it is out for readers to enjoy in 2020.
As I’ve gone through this journey, I believe I’ve learned a few things along the way and hope to offer a little advice. 1) Take your work-life balance seriously. Upon deep soul searching, I know I was working too hard and not enjoying enough around me. I will live with that guilt and lots of “what-ifs” for life. 2) Make sure you surround yourself with colleagues and friends you admire and trust because your professional life requires it if you are ever unexpectedly debilitated. 3) Purchase long-term disability insurance. It is a great investment and was a life-saver for me. But most importantly, understand and read your policy before disaster strikes.
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in someone receiving an accurate diagnosis who is suffering right now and is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES), home of the AEWarrior®, is the only Family/Patient-centered organization that assists members from getting a diagnosis through to recovery and the many challenges experienced in their journey. Your donations are greatly appreciated and are the direct result of IAES’ ability to develop the first product in the world to address the needs of patients, Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards. Every dollar raised allows us to raise awareness and personally help Patients, Families and Caregivers through their Journey with AE to ensure that best outcomes can be reached. Your contribution to our mission will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those impacted by AE.
Now that frantic February is finally over its time to look back and take stock of what we achieved. World Encephalitis Day (WED) was started by the Encephalitis Society in October of 2013 and has been held every February 22nd annually since then. The purpose is to raise awareness of encephalitis globally. The International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society (IAES) has participated in WED annually since its formation. This year IAES designated the month of February to be Autoimmune Encephalitis (AE) Awareness month and will continue to exhibit the face of AE every year.
So, what did we do to bring attention to AE in February 2020? IAES President, Tabitha Andrews Orth, put together our 4th annual AE awareness video. This wonderful video features members who were kind enough to send photos of themselves in treatment and before and after shots. The AE Warriors Stepping Forward video was a great success so thanks to all who participated.
Our annual Virtual Arts Show 2020 was a beauty to behold. Filled with talent. Drawings and paintings, poems and short stories. It was an outpouring of emotion from the hearts of AE Warriors from all over the world. If you ever want to know what it feels like to have AE look no further.
We rolled out a selection of AE awareness products that provide the support and encouragement of everyone in the AE community’s desires. AE Warrior Gifts, now available year-round, features the Royal Registry certificates for the AE warrior ™ and Caregiver. These certificates recognize the heroism in battling AE by the patient and caregiver for their heroism under fire. Survival Kits for AE patients, caregivers, doctors, RNs, Kids, and parents were created, and many members gave these out. Candy bar wrappers with fun encouraging statements were developed for fundraising efforts and are available for free as well as a unique AE Medical Identification card IAES developed.
With all these great things going on there was still a magnificent topper to the month. Tabitha and her team rolled out a first of their kind Autoimmune Encephalitis Trivia Playing Cards Deck. These remarkable cards were developed with assistance by Dr. Dalmau and have questions and answers about AE to use for quiz games with families, who want to know more about AE, doubles as a rehabilitation tool or can just be used as playing cards. The original art on the cards was done by a fellow AE warrior, Julia King. Complimentary decks are being sent out to AE doctors on our Doctor’s List. The excited responses IAES is receiving from doctors about AE Trivia playing cards are filled with praise and congratulations in developing the ideal tool for AE patients, families and therapists. AE Trivia playing cards are on sale to the public and all proceeds will go to support AE research. Well done team.
So outreach for the first annual Autoimmune Encephalitis Month was a big success and thanks to all the members, caregivers and volunteers who put in their time and hearts to make it happen.
Of course, the culmination of the month is February 22nd and World Encephalitis Day. Many members sent in updates around this date and pictures to show before and after views that we decided to share some of them in case you missed them the first time around. So here are some great pictures and a few quotes to go with them.
From Renee Sanchez, “Well today’s the day! Almost exactly 5 months from her first seizure, which would be the last day of work and the beginning of this nightmare for our daughter, she is going back to work!”
From Paula Lee Ramirez, “Happy world encephalitis day
From ICU September 2017 to now. Symptoms started in August 12, 2017. I wasn’t admitted and believed I was sick until September 17,2017. Diagnosed on October 3, 2017 with ANTI-NMDA Receptor encephalitis. I have yet to relapse! ❤️
Lucy May Dawson, “Today is World Encephalitis Day. I, like 78% of people, had no idea what Encephalitis was until the words fell out of my neurologist’s mouth after I was misdiagnosed as having had a mental breakdown and had spent 3 months in a psychiatric ward…….Regardless, I am one of the lucky ones, and I hope that by continuing to post about encephalitis, someone will one day remember one of my posts when their loved one begins to act strangely, and they will ask their doctor to test for it, and it may just save a life”.
Daisy Garuvadoo: World Encephalitis Day today, from being critically ill with Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis in Nov 2017, 2 years ago, having to relearn to walk, speak, to brush her teeth. to get dressed, to read, to write, to learn basic maths, to tell time and to regaining her cognitive abilities to Medical School and thriving. Yesterday, my daughter was honored for her research project related to Intrathecal procedures at her Medical School. INTRATHECAL RITUXIMAB TREATMENT(though the spine) IS WHAT SAVED HER LIFE.
Kimberly Anne Thompson I beat this. I have no lasting side effects. But awareness is so important… Because Encephalitis often presents with psychiatric symptoms it is often misdiagnosed… I spent six weeks in a Psychiatric Hospital originally diagnosed with having a Nervous Breakdown. I was given meds that only made My condition worse. It wasn’t until I started having Seizures and the Encephalitis began affecting My Heart that I was transferred to ICU and had a Lumbar Puncture which showed I had Anti-NMDA Encephalitis…. It is this delay that kills. I urge all Medical Professionals to consider Encephalitis in Patients that present with Hallucinations for the first time… You could save a life.”
Grace Harimate, It is world Encephalitis Awareness day today yesterday in NZ time…. as I contemplated sharing these images and my story, my heart was pounding … I wanted to forget but this ordeal you’ll never forget…I was misdiagnosed and mistreated with bipolar taking the wrong medications and wrong treatment for 6 years from 13y to 18y. Spending most of my teenage years in the mental health ward. But so glad I met the most amazing people in those years…..The hard part was to come when I woke up from a two-year coma… I was fully blind for one-year memory loss still tube fed etc. I was determined to walk … determined to get my eyesight back determined to get back on that horse determined to get a job … I walked into my 21st blind.
These awesome warriors and their brave care givers look at World Encephalitis Day and the new Autoimmune Encephalitis Month as a milestone. Where was I last year and where am I now? Some who have been floundering in a wilderness of lost memories have found their way or at least see a light at the end of their tunnel. Some are still, though making progress, struggling with issues others cannot even begin to imagine. Not only one year at a time but moment to moment. Some have been in comas only to wake up to a new truth, new situation, others are missing months or years of their lives. People they will never see again and new members of family and friends they are only meeting now. Such is the nature of Autoimmune Encephalitis. Your own body turning on you and messing up your brain. Sometimes making you hear, see, taste or smell things that are not there. Trying to make the family and friends in their lives understand the impossible.
March on brave warriors, continue to fight and savor your special month and the day set aside for you every year. May your lives look better next February.
Your generous Donationsallow IAES to continue our important work and save lives! Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the need for our services has surged exponentially. Some cases of COVID-19 have affected the central nervous system and medical researchers are suspecting the infection could cause ADEM, type of Autoimmune Encephalitis. Donations of any size are vitally important to meet the increased need in our community. If you have the ability to set up a reoccurring monthly donation, it will be greatly appreciated and will immediately begin to help patients and families during this historic time.
Become an Advocate by sharing your story. It may result in accurate diagnosis for someone suffering right now who is yet to be correctly identified. Submit your story with two photos to IAES@autoimmune-encephalitis.org
Our website is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice. Nothing contained on our website is intended to be used as medical advice. No content is intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice. Although THE INTERNATIONAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALITIS SOCIETY provides a great deal of information about AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALITIS, all content is provided for informational purposes only. The International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society cannot provide medical advice.
International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society is a charitable non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2016 by Tabitha Andrews Orth, Gene Desotell and Anji Hogan-Fesler. Tax ID# 81-3752344. Donations raised directly supports research, patients, families and caregivers impacted by autoimmune encephalitis and to educating healthcare communities around the world. Financial statement will be made available upon request.
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