| Martin resident continues to improve from fungal meningitis in Nashville | | Posted: Monday, October 22, 2012 9:02 pm
| By KEVIN BOWDEN
Staff Reporter
Martin resident Ann Be-quette continues to improve at a Nashville hospital after contracting fungal meningitis more than a month ago.
DoRann Moore, Mrs. Bequette’s daughter who works at the Obion County Sheriff’s Department, told The Messenger her mother had a spinal tap done Friday at St. Thomas Hospital to check her white blood cell count.
Mrs. Bequette was admitted to St. Thomas Hospital Oct. 9 after testing positive for fungal meningitis. She had initially gone to the St. Thomas Outpatient Neurology Center after experiencing problems with her sciatic nerve. She was given a steroid pain injection, which is believed to have been contaminated.
She has been a patient at St. Thomas Hospital since Oct. 9 and has been getting treatments of antifungal antibiotics.
Mrs. Bequette is the mother of Ms. Moore and Suzanne Killebrew, both of Martin.
“She got a good report last week. We were told her white blood cell count was down to 420,” Ms. Moore said.
That’s quite an improvement from her white blood cell count of over 7,000 from her first spinal tap and 1,350 white blood cell count from her second spinal tap.
“They’re pleased that she’s making progress,” Ms. Moore told The Messenger Friday afternoon.
While at the Nashville hospital, Ms. Moore said her mother has been visited by many family members and friends.
In fact, Ms. Moore was in Nashville today visiting her mother.
Mrs. Bequette’s family was told earlier in the week last week she was showing “significant improvement.”
Her doctors are waiting for her white blood cell count to drop to 100 or lower before they consider releasing her from the hospital, according to Ms. Moore.
Even after she is released, there may be some physical therapy required as part of her road to recovery.
Staff Reporter Kevin Bowden may be contacted by email at kmbowden@ ucmessenger.com.
Published in The Messenger 10.22.12 | | | | |
