- 200 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
Encephalitis is a devastating condition whose impact upon people should not be underestimated. It robs people of abilities most of us take for granted, it leaves people without their loved ones, and even in those families where the person affected survives the person they once knew can be dramatically changed.
Life After Encephalitis provides a unique insight into the experiences of those affected by encephalitis, sharing the rich, perceptive, and often powerful, narratives of survivors and family members. It shows how listening to patient and family narratives can help us to understand how they make sense of what has happened to them, and also help professionals better understand and engage with them in practice. The book will also be useful for considering narratives associated with brain injuries from other causes, for example traumatic brain injury.
Life After Encephalitis will appeal to a wide range of professionals working in rehabilitation settings, and also to and survivors of encephalitis, their families, and carers.
Frequently asked questions
Information
Chapter 1 Introduction
References
- Cloute, K., Mitchell, A. and Yates, P. 2008. Traumatic brain injury and the construction of identity: a discursive approach. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 18, 651â670.
- Easton, A. 2012. The Role of Written Narratives in the Recovery of People Affected by Encephalitis. PhD, University of York.
- Jones, C. A. and Turkstra, L. S. 2011. Selling the story: narratives and charisma in adults with TBI. Brain Injury, 25, 844â857.
- Kreiswirth, M. 2000. Merely telling stories? Narrative and knowledge in the human sciences. Poetics Today, 21, 293â318.
- Lorenz, L. 2010. Brain Injury Survivors: Narratives of Rehabilitation and Healing, London, Lynne Rienner Publishers.
- Segal, D. 2010. Exploring the importance of identity following acquired brain injury: a review of the literature. International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 1, 293â314.
- Shapiro, J. 2011. Illness narratives: reliability, authenticity and the empathic witness. Medical Humanities, 37, 68â72.
- Smith, C. and Squire, F. 2007. Narrative perspectives: two reflections from a continuum of experience. Reflective Practice, 8, 375â386.
Chapter 2 Encephalitis: what it is and what it does
I was discharged home and had to believe that my husband was the right person, but I had no sense of certainty about him. Although I could not recognize our children I did have the belief that they were mine. I have memories of that time which are very frightening and upsetting. I had no sense of belonging to this family who I was told was mine. I remember feeling very frightened about the identity of my husband in particular and very separate from a unit of individuals who seemed so intense and confident together.Encephalitis survivor: Rytina, 2007: pp. 18â19
Introduction
What is encephalitis?
Infectious encephalitis | Post-infectious (autoimmune) encephalitis |
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This type of encephalitis is caused when someone has an infection which breaches the blood-brain barrier, mounting a direct infectious attack on the brain tissue. | This type of encephalitis is caused when someone has had an infection or vaccine and their own immune system overreacts and launches an attack on the tissue of the brain. |
Autoimmune encephalitis | Sub-acute, chronic and slow |
This type of encephalitis is caused when a person's own immune system overreacts to something in the body it considers is alien. For example in response to a tumour or anti-neuronal antibodies. | These types of encephalitis are often terminal and can result for a variety of reasons. Examples include being unable to identify the cause of an autoimmune reaction or as the result of a persistent infection (for example a mutated measles virus resulting in sub-acute sclerosing pan-encephalitis (SSPE)). |
Infectious encephalitis | Autoimmune encephalitis |
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Infectious encephalitis often has a rapid onset. Flu-like symptoms Dizziness Malaise Headache Vomiting/gastro-intestinal upset Fever | Autoimmune types of encephalitis can have a longer onset than infectious causes. |
Later stages indicating a more serious illness involve lowered consciousness which may include: Confusion/Drowsiness/Seizures/Coma Other symptoms may include: Photosensitivity/Sensory Change/Inability to speak or control movement Uncharacteristic Behaviour | Symptoms will vary depending on the c... |
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Half Title Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Table of Contents
- After Brain Injury: Survivor Stories
- List of illustrations
- Foreword - Simon Hattenstone
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Encephalitis: what it is and what it does
- 3 Medicine and the history of narratives
- 4 The survivors
- 5 The spouse
- 6 The parents and their children
- 7 The one who didnât make it
- 8 Neuro-narratives: authors and readers
- 9 Narratives in professional practice
- 10 Concluding remarks
- Index