Dry Needling Injury that Almost Resulted in Death - Part 6

Darla is currently undergoing an MRI with contrast on her hip, back, and head to help doctors determine how much of the infection remains in her body.

She’s been experiencing memory loss—mostly short-term but occasionally long-term as well—which is frightening. From what I’ve read, symptoms like memory loss, confusion, headaches, and difficulty concentrating are linked to bacterial meningitis and could either be temporary or permanent. The thought of it being permanent terrifies me.

The other day, we went to a restaurant, and she wrote the tip amount but came up with an incorrect total that was less than the original amount! Sometimes she speaks normally, but then she’ll say something that doesn’t make sense. She usually catches herself and says, “I don’t know what I’m talking about!”

She’s lost a significant amount of weight, which is good since test results on December 6 showed she was a diabetic. However, she’s also lost a lot of muscle and is extremely weak. She walks very slowly and can only manage short distances, maybe 50 meters at most.

It’s heartbreaking how quickly her life changed. One moment, she was fine, and the next, she was fighting for her life—all because a physical therapist performed dry needling improperly, going too deep with unclean equipment or skin.

Darla’s back has been bothering her, and she has an appointment with an infectious disease specialist tomorrow. Hopefully, they’ll give us a clearer picture of her bacterial meningitis and determine if her back pain is related to that or her compressed disks.

I’m hopeful she’ll fully recover, but I know it won’t happen as quickly as I’d like. Just as it took me 18–24 months to recover from my total knee replacement, her journey will also take time. In the meantime, I miss hiking and might need to start going alone once the weather gets warmer.

Thanks a million for keeping Darla in your thoughts and sending good vibes and prayers our direction.

#bacterialinfection #bacterialmeningitis #meningitis #dryneedle #dryneedling #dryneedlingtherapy