Wondering what life might look like 1 year after autoimmune encephalitis? Have a listen to the thoughts that come to my mind on the anniversary of my discharge last summer 🏥 .  

Please note that I made this impromptu recording—in 1 take, with no cuts, "umms" and "ahhs" left in—on purpose. Verbal fluency is something this illness has taken from me; but I hope to be able to look back in time and see the progress that I've made towards speaking with the level of fluidity and organization that used to come naturally to me. 

Today has been a good energy day, and this actually turned out a bit better than I was expecting—though still far from where I hope to be.  To clarify a few points:  

-I've been sick since 2014.

-my cognitive symptoms waxed and waned over the years until I was hospitalized at my lowest point, last year in Canada.

-the ultrasound suggested I might have a teratoma, a common finding in anti-NMDA encephalitis. By the time I had the PET scan a week later, the mass could not be found again. 

-I feel blessed to have finally gotten a diagnosis of seronegative autoimmune encephalitis in summer 2019.

-I relapsed in spring 2020, and went through another ordeal just to get Rituximab treatment in the US. The pandemic did not help.  

You can find more insight into my story on my blog, http://wherearemypillows.com/ 

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