Don't worry, he had it in 2006, but I think it's a story to tell. We laugh that he's a survivor: coming out strong from Mono (no I didn't give him this 'kissing' virus) in 2000, West Nile in 2006, and removal of (what we were told was like a 79 year old's) gallbladder. We know that some are not as lucky.
I have the actual paper article that talks a little more about this 22-year old male (a.k.a D), but couldn't seem to find it at the moment.
We assume that D was infected with the virus when we were visiting Nebraska for a cousin's wedding. We were outside grilling the night before the wedding, and within 24 hours, he had flu symptoms. He had to leave the reception early and continued to feel flu like symptoms for the next week. The following Sunday, back in Kansas, we went out to dinner and as we were driving there, I noticed he had a rash on his neck. I remember asking him if he had changed body wash that would have irritated his skin, but he said no and thought nothing of it. Upon coming home from dinner, he realized that it was in fact a rash all over his body.
This was about the time West Nile was getting talked about. I of course, being the worried one, decided to WebMD him, since it was a Sunday. He wasn't 'dying' so the emergency room was way too expensive. I put in his symptoms and guess what came up, West Nile among other things. I was convinced it was what he had, so I made him go to a walk in/after hours clinic. Not sure what all they were going to do, they did the normal check. D stayed mostly quiet and the doctor asked him all sorts of questions. I couldn't help but mention what I thought it was. By the end the 'doctor' was asking him if he had any tick bites, because he thought it was Rocky Mountain Fever. REALLY? I was so mad, but we ended up leaving with antibiotics for RMF. Total waste of money.
The next week he ended up going to KU Student clinic where he finally did get diagnosed with West Nile. He had to give a ton of blood, and it took about a week for them to finally say that was what it was. I remember he was just happy with all the grape juice boxes he got from the nurses there. I was the girlfriend that forced him to go to the first week of classes with a 100 degree fever, so he wouldn't start off wrong with his professors - way to go me! The National Center for Disease Control had to call him and get all his statistics, thus they could announce what he had.
He definitely had some interesting affects from west nile, some probably too personal for him to let me share on here, but it did take him a really long time to recover. Mostly he was dehydrated, feverish, tired, and weak. I remember him loosing his strength the quickest.
I don't think he has much affect from it now, but you'll have to ask him that one.
Love him.
B
