Anonymous wrote:I knew about the stiff neck thing and yet I have never asked my kids to nod when they are sick. So the reminder is important.

Meningitis is a problem for college students so they now recommend a vaccine before kids go to college.

I've heard that sensitivity to light is another symptom. Does anyone know if thats right?

Yes, sensitivity to light can be another symptom. Most colleges require that incoming students receive the meningitis vaccine because it spreads quickly in dorms and can be fatal if not treated quickly ( and even then there's no guarantee the person will survive).

He had the vaccine? Wow.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just want to say, on the subject of meningitis, that kids living in college dorms are especially susceptible. And, it kills fast. Two years ago we watched a healthy 19-year-old go from "I think I have the flu" to dead in a matter of hours. He was taken to the ER when his skin started to peel. He died a few hours later. It was unstoppable by that point.

I'm OP and I didn't know this about older people. I'm going to guess that student had symptoms he didn't recognize for awhile first, right? It takes time even for meningitis to develop, or are you saying it's possible to go from totally healthy to dead from meningitis in a day? Also, people only usually die from bacterial meningitis, right? Anyone ever hear of someone dying from viral, since there's no treatment for it except re-hydration?

It was bacterial. I know he had the vaccination. It was very quick. The poor kid cam home for thanksgiving break complaining of being under the weather. He went to bed that night and woke up miserable with a high fever and skin peeling. His parents took him to the ER during the early morning hours, and he died in the ER that morning. I wish I knew more. Obviously, the subject is very sensitive for the family. It is just frightening. This boy was built like a linebacker.

I knew about the stiff neck thing and yet I have never asked my kids to nod when they are sick. So the reminder is important.

Meningitis is a problem for college students so they now recommend a vaccine before kids go to college.

I've heard that sensitivity to light is another symptom. Does anyone know if thats right?

Anonymous wrote:I just want to say, on the subject of meningitis, that kids living in college dorms are especially susceptible. And, it kills fast. Two years ago we watched a healthy 19-year-old go from "I think I have the flu" to dead in a matter of hours. He was taken to the ER when his skin started to peel. He died a few hours later. It was unstoppable by that point.

I'm OP and I didn't know this about older people. I'm going to guess that student had symptoms he didn't recognize for awhile first, right? It takes time even for meningitis to develop, or are you saying it's possible to go from totally healthy to dead from meningitis in a day? Also, people only usually die from bacterial meningitis, right? Anyone ever hear of someone dying from viral, since there's no treatment for it except re-hydration?

I just want to say, on the subject of meningitis, that kids living in college dorms are especially susceptible. And, it kills fast. Two years ago we watched a healthy 19-year-old go from "I think I have the flu" to dead in a matter of hours. He was taken to the ER when his skin started to peel. He died a few hours later. It was unstoppable by that point.

I didn't know this. Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:Just read a few posts mentioning the tragedy of losing a baby and a couple posts mentioned meningitis losses. Whenever meningitis comes up I share our experience with a 17 month old who had a fever, clearly felt sick, but had no other symptoms. We took her to her Ped as we had with many other flus and viruses and heard the same things we always did. But then our Ped said something I'd never heard before: "Make sure she can move her head up and down. If she can't move her neck you need to call."

...

We had never heard of a stiff neck being a symptom of this, and are forever grateful to our fab Ped (we miss her since moving to DC!) for noting how extra miserable our DD seemed and throwing in the detail about her neck.

Chances are good that your child's pediatrician lost a patient due to meningitis.

Hi, OP here. For all those for whom this was helpful info, I'm so glad and really grateful for forums like these where we do learn helpful info amongst all the sniping.

To everyone who said they're glad my LO is ok, thank you, we are eternally grateful. A few months before this happened, a friend was supposed to visit from out of town but had to cancel her trip at the last minute. She told me why at the time, but thank goodness I didn't think of it until DD was day 3 @ children's hospital and we knew she'd be ok. On day 3 I remembered my friend telling me her friends had a 17 month old who had just passed away from meningitis, the same age our DD was in the hospital. She stayed back to support them. I woulda lost it if I'd remembered when we first took her to the hospital. So thanks for everyone's nice thoughts on my DD.

And finally, re: the people who felt the need to say this:

Anonymous wrote:This is something people have been told forever.

(Even after 3 pages of people saying they didn't know!!! WTF?!), well, one very common dynamic on DCUM is those who clearly need to feel superior to everyone else. I feel sorry for them, that's a lot of snark and cattiness to be walking around with all the time. Gotta be a drag even if they don't admit it.

Happy to share something useful everyone else, please pass the info along. Wishing healthy kiddos to you all, even the snarky ones!

thanks OP, I had no idea.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I thought this was common knowledge. At least in my home country every parent knows to check for that.

I didn't know you guys didn't know about this here... And good for you PP for catching it early on.

Moms, always trust your gut! If you think your baby is sick SEEK HELP!

I am so f'ing sick of these "in my home country everything is better" posts.

Not only that but that statement is clearly false.

I had never heard of this either, OP.

This is something people have been told forever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I thought this was common knowledge. At least in my home country every parent knows to check for that.

I didn't know you guys didn't know about this here... And good for you PP for catching it early on.

Moms, always trust your gut! If you think your baby is sick SEEK HELP!

I am so f'ing sick of these "in my home country everything is better" posts.

I read that as "in my home country we have to deal with potentially deadly childhood illness much more often". And you think that's "better"?

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I thought this was common knowledge. At least in my home country every parent knows to check for that.

I didn't know you guys didn't know about this here... And good for you PP for catching it early on.

Moms, always trust your gut! If you think your baby is sick SEEK HELP!

I am so f'ing sick of these "in my home country everything is better" posts.