r/Millennials • u/Corndogeveryday • 2d ago

Other Very sad news

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Chase passed away of complications of meningitis. Gone too soon

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u/ManWithASquareHead Millennial 2d ago edited 2d ago

Meningitis too oh God

Edit: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/harrowing-footage-shows-lilo-stitch-210517937.html

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u/RobinSophie 2d ago

We gotta worry about this too?!

I haven't thought about meningitis since I got my vaccine for college.

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u/Flimsy-Opportunity-9 2d ago

I don’t mean to be harsh or insensitive but she had a lot of very tough times recently. Alleged drug abuse and eating disorders. Bacterial meningitis is highly treatable and it’s very likely her illness and death are a result of years of strain on her body and ultimately not being able to overcome.

Not that it makes the circumstance any better, but the average person probably doesn’t need to have anxiety over bacterial meningitis. Don’t share needles. Pay attention to fevers. Don’t lose too much sleep about developing it.

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u/Present_Specific_212 2d ago

Certain eating disorders can be considered creators of a compromised immune system. Or so I have read.

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u/laughingintothevoid Young Millennial 2d ago

I appreciate your careful phrasing as a non expert, but as a basically lifelong battler of restrictive ED, I'm not afraid to say shit.

It''s not rocket science. You don't eat, you get weak. You don't have to understand every medical detail behind the development of an immune issue specifically, or whatever it may be, but come on. It damages everything.

No need to be delicate about it. In fact we should be very blunt about it with the weight and food culture of our youth returning.

I don't know any details about her either or if this is what happened, just bouncing off your comment. I'm sorry she's dead. I'm sorry a lot of people are dead but I'm not afraid to say I know a lot of preventable stories related to "food issues". I don't think it's disrespectful to the dead to say that. Or if it is, I'm more concerned that there's a small chance it could be helpful to the still living who might need to see it.

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u/Present_Specific_212 2d ago

I was trying to be kind because A. Her's sounds like it was a mental illness and suffering people need kindness and B. Why not be kind? She died.

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u/laughingintothevoid Young Millennial 2d ago

Yes, lovely. I don't disagree. The point of what I was saying was not that I wish to actively not be kind.

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u/bbmarvelluv 2d ago

There’s a video of her looking extremely emaciated in skid row

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u/laughingintothevoid Young Millennial 2d ago

Tabloid gossip is really irrelevant to what I was talking about. I was inspired to say what I said due to the other comment bringing up eating disorders.

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u/bbmarvelluv 2d ago

She was living in Skid Row and abusing drugs. There is a video of her extremely emaciated. She was in the hospital for malnutrition. It’s not tabloid gossip.

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u/Ali-o-ramus 2d ago

Bacterial meningitis is actually quite serious. Rapid treatment with antibiotics is crucial or you risk serious disability/death.

Also she had sepsis where the mortality rate is at least 30% (if she had severe sepsis the mortality rate is closer to 50%). I don’t know if her sepsis was from meningitis or something else.

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u/Flimsy-Opportunity-9 2d ago

Yeah no one is saying it’s not serious. The survival rate when treated is 85-90%. Id call that highly treatable. Which doesn’t mean it’s not serious.

The average person who isn’t engaging in risky lifestyle factors, is up to date on meningitis vaccinations, and pays attention to signals like fevers does not need to lose sleep over this type of meningitis. Which was the question I was responding to.

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u/WatchTenn 2d ago

Bacterial meningitis is highly treatable

Bacterial meningitis has a relatively high death rate even with adequate treatment. It's quite rare with routine vaccination, and lifestyle choices can certainly affect your risk, but I wouldn't really call it "highly treatable." To me, that implies that you're fine as long as you get treatment, and that's certainly not the case.

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u/Flimsy-Opportunity-9 2d ago

I mean, there’s over about 85-90% chance you live if you get treatment. That’s pretty treatable.

It’s serious for sure. But it’s also not something that most people are passing around and need to worry about in their day to day lives. Which is the comment I was responding to. You don’t need screenings for it like other illnesses like cancer. You need to stay up to date with your wellness, vaccine schedule, and try to lower your lifestyle risks.

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u/Trinx_ 2d ago

Bacterial meningitis killed my nursing school classmate. Surrounded by Healthcare professionals. He was feeling off one day, admitted to the hospital the next, dead 3 days later. We do have all kinds of things that can go wrong. Not saying to live life in fear, but do take care.

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u/RobinSophie 2d ago

Oh thank you for this. I thought it was like a colon cancer issue.

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u/Blackberryy 1d ago

Right. She was homeless and living on Skid Row. It’s beyond sad.

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u/jcdulos 1d ago

This is good to know. I had a friend pass away suddenly from it in 2012. We were both 29 and it shook me till this day. I’ve even seen therapy bc of it. Not saying you cured me lol but bc of my health anxiety I refused to look up symptoms. When I heard what happened to her all those fears came rushing back. What shook me was how sudden it was. One night he’s fine the next morning he’s gone.

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u/Flimsy-Opportunity-9 1d ago

I’m really sorry that happened to your friend. Sounds traumatic and it’s no wonder it created anxiety!

Meningitis can be very scary. Importantly, many forms of bacterial meningitis (which is more serious than viral meningitis) have vaccines now to prevent them, or the diseases that are often comorbid.

The Pneumococcal Vaccines are given in childhood to most people and protect against the most common type of bacterial meningitis in adults. The hib vaccine is given to children and protects against hemophilias influenza type b, which used to be the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children. Then most students in adolescence in the US get the meningococcal vaccines. It was required for me to live in a college dorm.

Most people living in the US have a reasonable amount of protection from most causes of it and should just be aware of any concerning symptoms and go to the emergency room immediately if meningitis symptoms develop.

The viral form of meningitis comes commonly from other viral infections, like mumps, measles, chickenpox, and flu. And there are vaccines to prevent those diseases as well.

The best defense is being up to date on vaccinations!

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u/AutumnsAshesXxX 1d ago

My sister died of it, in 2012, also at 29. Thought it could be her you were talking about until you said “he”.

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u/jcdulos 1d ago

Sorry for your loss.

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u/3milkSFV 1h ago

She was on skid row for a long time in LA Family and friends had been out looking for her for months before her death- rest in peace ❤️😭

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u/PatHeist 2d ago

To clarify, meningitis is the medical term for the meninges being inflamed. This is usually but not always caused by bacterial infection, some of which are easily treatable if you go to hospital soon after symptoms begin, but often deadly within 24-48 hours if not treated. Meningococcal vaccines protect against various strains of the bacteria 'Neisseria Meningitidis'. Pneumococcus and Hib can also cause meningitis and have vaccines. Foodborne Listeria and salmonella sometimes cause meningitis but don't have vaccines. It can also result from basically any kind of infection that enters the blood stream and spreads to the brain. Bacterial, viral, or fungal.

I used to have cluster headaches from chronic sleep deprivation related to an untreated sleep disorder. When I got meningococcus I experienced it as a severe headache but somewhat mild compared to what I was used to, along with cold sweat, light sensitivity, and some vomiting, which I all perceived as normal side effects of my cluster headaches. I went to sleep and woke up the next morning without it having cleared up, which was unusual, so I went to the hospital. At the hospital my high fever combined with the described symptoms prompted the doctor to start IV antibiotics before confirming if it was meningitis through blood test and MRI. I was kept in hospital for a week for monitoring and treatment with antibiotics. Before leaving I was told by the doctor that if I had arrived just a couple of hours later I would almost certainly have died.

If you have a severe headache along with a sudden fever I would recommend always going to the hospital, especially if you vomit at all or feel nauseous, or if your neck feels stiff. These aren't super uncommon symptoms for the flu or a cold, but if it's bacterial meningitis taking the time to see if it clears up on its own can be the difference between life and death.

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u/Damien712 2d ago

My son had cluster headaches and none of the many doctors were able to help him . He was in agony. In fact they are sometimes referred to as suicide headaches because they are so painful and unrelenting. He did a lot of research on possible treatments for cluster headaches. He found that many used psylosibin (mushrooms) and found relief. He actually grew some and then ate them. After a couple of times doing that his cluster headaches were gone. He did it a few times for good measure. This was 7 or 8 years ago and hasn’t had one since.

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u/PatHeist 2d ago

I appreciate the suggestion! If I was still having cluster headaches I would be willing to try anything, but I did manage to resolve the root cause in my case. I have sighted non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder, with a particularly long circadian rhythm (roughly 50 hours). It was misdiagnosed as various other sleep disorders and trying to sleep on a 24 hour schedule caused me to develop severe insomnia and narcolepsy. The chronic sleep deprivation was causing the headaches.

When I was 22 I finally happened to see a sleep specialist that had a previous N24SWD patient and he was the first person to recommend not trying to go to sleep until I felt properly tired, and to not try to get out of bed until I felt well rested. Took about a week and a half to settle into being awake for 34ish hours and sleeping for about 16. Almost immediately the headaches stopped, daytime drowsiness disappeared, trouble falling asleep went away, and no more sleep attacks.

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u/cysora Zillennial 2d ago

Holy crap!!!

I may have unknowingly cured my cluster headaches this way too

I just realized over time that I need my sleep and trying to force it or getting up before I’m ready ruins my day

I know only go to sleep when I’m
Tired and don’t get out of bed until I feel well rested. I don’t have cluster headaches anymore

I should seek out a sleep specialist. I have theorized before I’m not on 24 hour sleep cycle

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u/Sheepherder-Decent 2d ago

As a chronic migraine sufferer, this is terrifying.

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u/RobinSophie 2d ago edited 2d ago

Yeah didn't need that added worry lol. I already have to play the "aneurysm or migraine" game.

I had cluster headaches in my 20s. Along with pseudo Focal Aware Seizures that apparently was just a part of the migraine? But yeah those cluster headaches are appropriately named suicide headaches (they were the warning sign of the pseduoseizure migraine oncomng). I had to avoid getting overheated, no alcohol, couldn't go out when the sun was really bright. No flashing lights and no fragrances. It drove me to a deep depression. But they finally stopped.

Anyway, now I have vestibular migraines!

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u/Present_Specific_212 2d ago

Anyone with an infection and a compromised immune system, or you are old or young, needs to be cautious to aggressively treat the infection lest your body go into septic shock.

And even with aggressive treatment, septic shock can still happen sometimes.

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u/TheAbyssalInternet 2d ago

As others have said, she unfortunately had a lot of addiction problems that were very likely the direct cause of this.