Hello everyone

[Michael Bell]

Hello to all on this site, my name is Michael and I became ill last year. I spent five and a half months in hospital and a few months at home recouperating but was able to return to work in November and have now built up my hours to full time. I started with a flair up of my arthritus and started to loose my hearing. I was treated for an ear infection but did not respond to the anti-biotics. After a few weeks I went for tests at ENT but they could find nothing wrong. A week later I was taken into hospital very ill with kidney, liver and lung problems. During the first few weeks I was given various tests but no one picked up on the problem. I was very lucky that a consultant kidney specialist was able to diagnose Wegeners and as soon as I was stable enough(following my heart stopping) I was transfered to ICU and spent two and a half months in an induced coma. I lost a lot of muscle and the next few months I was helped by a very good team of phisios to walk again. It has been very hard for me to come to terms with what happened to me and I still get tired very easily. The NHS have been very good and the treatment I recieved after diagnosis has been first class. I am also very fortunate that work have been very understanding and have done all they could to support me and my family.
I found this support group while messing about on my computor and am very happy to be here. Good luck to you all ang God bless.
Michael bell

[drz]

Your story sounds very familiar but even more extreme than most of us. Two and half months is a long time in a drug induced coma. I thought two and half weeks was a long stretch and the recovery an ordeal. Yours must have been a real major effort. Glad you also made it through and found us here. Things do tend to get better once you survive the initial treatment.

[mishb]

Hi Michael

I'm so glad that messing about on your computer brought you here. :thumbup:
You have certainly been through the wringer but thankfully someone or something was on your side, and you received a correct diagnosis.

I'm guessing you are from the UK.

I'm glad you are back at work full time and hopefully things stay good, or start becoming even better, for you.

Take care, and as I always say.........

[Pete]

Welcome to the forum, Michael. Also glad you're still with us! This forum can provide information and support to help you navigate your ongoing treatment. There are also some unique senses of humor, so getting a good belly laugh or a chuckle is also possible - and who can't use a dose of humor with this disease??

Don't be afraid to ask questions. There's a lot of experience available to you on this forum.

Welcome and good health to you!

[Dirty Don]

Wow Michael! First of all, another welcome to you...this is the best place to be...better than in ICU for a fact! You will find a great deal of info, support, and empathy on here. We've all been through our own phases of WG...thus, we have many stories and ideas to share. Glean what you need and can use from it all on here...as Pete said, please ask any and all questions and contribute your experiences and knowledge for us all to share. Though we all live behind our computers here, we are open books for the most part about this disease...it helps to let go and receive...best to you!

[marylz]

Welcome Michael! Sorry you had to go through what you did. I am relatively new to the forum but have gotten LOTS of support and info about and by Weggies. It has been invaluable. Keep your chin up:smile1:

[annekat]

Welcome, Michael! I'm glad you are here. It is the best place to be for a person with WG. You have had a harder time with Wegs than I and some others on here, but it's great to hear you are now doing a lot better. I also had the antibiotic-resistant ear infection, at age 56, after never having had an ear infection in my life. That is a common enough story on here to warrant an immediate suspicion of Wegs, it would seem to me, but for some of us, diagnosis was not until a couple years or more later. It sounds like it took a couple of months for you, which must have been frustrating, but I'm so glad someone was on the ball and figured it out when they did! I look forward to hearing more about your story and how things are going for you. We have fun and make friends on here, as well as learning a lot about this thing we all have.

[Psyborg]

Welcome to the forum Michael. You've had a rough go, I hope you can find any help you might need here.

[Alysia]

Hi Michael (I love your name)
you have been in the "other side" and came back. wow.
Im glad to hear that you are feeling much better.
welcome to the forum. it is a kind of "home" here, for us, weggies.

[Jaha]

Michael,

Welcome! What an amazing and strong person you must be, to have made it thru that and return to work full time. I'm really glad that you are doing well and wish you all the best.

[crackers]

hi michael.to have endured what you did and then return to work full time is remarkable.well done.
john.

[Debbie C]

Welcome to the group Michael...you sure have been thru alot and now working full time. Your a tuff guy...stay strong !!