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Meningitis Outbreak
There's a ritual Joan Peay goes through twice a day.
She has to take her medication out of the refrigerator two hours before injecting it to ensure it's warm enough.
"I can't even drive while I'm on this medication," said Peay.
She has to continue taking the injections through the end of November and then she'll take pills for months.
The medication is helping her fight fungal meningitis.
"It's just the worst thing. It's traumatic frustrating and I wouldn't have made it through without the support of my husband," said Peay.''
Medical experts say the recovery will be the same for many of Tennessee's meningitis victims.
Dr. William Schaffner from Vanderbilt Medical Center says the recovery process will continue long after we stop seeing new patients.
"This is not an easy infection or quick infection to treat," said Schaffner. "The medicine is tricky to take it can have side effects so the medical follow up will have to be very very close."
Even 10 days removed from her stay in the hospital, Peay's life is anything but back to normal.
"I had 3 good days this week and today I don't feel good at all," said Peay.
Doctors do say we're seeing fewer new patients diagnosed.
Medical officials believe the risk period for serious cases in Tennessee will be over by November 8th.
Friday, October 26 2012, 10:46 PM CDT
She has to take her medication out of the refrigerator two hours before injecting it to ensure it's warm enough.
"I can't even drive while I'm on this medication," said Peay.
She has to continue taking the injections through the end of November and then she'll take pills for months.
The medication is helping her fight fungal meningitis.
"It's just the worst thing. It's traumatic frustrating and I wouldn't have made it through without the support of my husband," said Peay.''
Medical experts say the recovery will be the same for many of Tennessee's meningitis victims.
Dr. William Schaffner from Vanderbilt Medical Center says the recovery process will continue long after we stop seeing new patients.
"This is not an easy infection or quick infection to treat," said Schaffner. "The medicine is tricky to take it can have side effects so the medical follow up will have to be very very close."
Even 10 days removed from her stay in the hospital, Peay's life is anything but back to normal.
"I had 3 good days this week and today I don't feel good at all," said Peay.
Doctors do say we're seeing fewer new patients diagnosed.
Medical officials believe the risk period for serious cases in Tennessee will be over by November 8th.
Friday, October 26 2012, 10:46 PM CDT
