A Love Story That Might Be Hard to Believe (I will try not to be too mushy)

Sometime in early January of 2000 I was sitting at my computer just putzing around, being totally nonproductive. Back then, I was an ICQ user and loved chatting with anyone that wanted to chat.

While working on my checking account, with ICQ running in the background, a message popped up from a lady here in Colorado Springs. The message read, "I am looking for someone crazy and you’re it”. At the time, she seemed a little crazy too but I chatted with her for about 3 hours.

The more we chatted, the more I wanted to meet her. As time went on I started noticing that chatting with her was like chatting with me. Her personality and sense of humor almost matched mine exactly. I could almost "second guess" what she was going to say next. I decided that I MUST meet her in person. That didn't happen for another month, but we chatted nearly every day for at least an hour. I looked forward to coming home and finding her on ICQ so we could chat.

Finally in early February we decided to meet. She was an officer with the Ladies Auxiliary in the VFW. Since I was a Navy Combat Corpsman stationed with the 3rd Marine Division in Viet Nam, I used joining the VFW for my reason for meeting and having her sign me up. Both of us figured before meeting that it would last 15 minutes, if that. Neither of us trusted online dating, and knew that it never works out. We were at Perkin's restaurant for a little over 4 hours. We hit it off right away. We both laughed till we cried many times that first meeting. The next day, my stomach was sore from all the laughing I did. We dated several times and had LOTS of talks on the phone and on ICQ.

On July 4th of 2000, we went to Memorial Park here in Colorado Springs for the fireworks display. We had a great time. On July 7th I received a very confusing phone call from her. She sounded delirious and very confused. I told her I wanted to find here and take her to a doctor. She was staying at her father’s house because she had just sold her house. I didn't have a clue where he lived or where she was or how I could get there. Finally after putting together bits and pieces of what she would tell me, 3 hours later, I found her in Calhan, CO., 35 miles east of Colorado Springs. Luckily I recognized her silver Firebird on a driveway. I was right about her confusion and delirium. I made her get into my car and rushed her to Memorial Hospital. When we arrived, she was taken in right away and had a temperature of 105. Needless to say, but I will say it anyway, she was admitted. It turned out she had an extremely rare Herpes (non-sexual) encephalitis. There have only been 7 people that have had this nationwide.

Each day that I would visit, she seemed much worse than the day before. After several visits, I started getting extremely depressed because I was afraid I was going to loose her as a wonderful friend since she didn't have a clue who I was. She didn't even know that she had 2 children or what their names were. In fact, she still didn't even know her own name. At one point, her electroencephalogram showed that she was 3% away from being brain dead. She was in a coma for 4 months.

She eventually started to awaken and started talking, but not making much sense. Two months later, she was "alert" enough to be transferred to a Rehabilitation Center. I wasn't told about the transfer until 2 days later when I went to visit her, and her bed was empty. I asked the nurses and they were kind enough to tell me where she went.

I visited her numerous times there and I was ecstatic about her remarkable recovery. She still didn't know who I was though.

About 90 days later, she was transferred to an assisted living facility. Three days after she was transferred, I went to visit her thinking she was still at the rehabilitation facility and again, the bed was empty. After getting over my initial panic, I asked the nurses where she went. I was told that she was transferred out but they wouldn't tell me where since I was not "family”. I hadn't known her long enough to find out things like whom and where her children are and how to get a hold of them. Her father couldn't have cared less about her or even where she was or that I was trying desperately trying to find her.

In late December of 2000, I received a call from a VFW member asking me if “I knew a lady named Rachelle”. I told him yes and for God sakes please tell me where she is. I have been searching for her since early November. She had awakened from a dream and remembered me!! She remembered that I had joined the VFW. I got dressed right away and rushed over to see her. She had finally started coming around and remembering things. It turns out that there were only 7 people nationwide that have had this disease and she is the FIRST one to live!!! She moved in with me in February, 2001 and we have been together ever since. She has had several set back since but made it through all of them. She is now about 92% brain active and each day she experiences new "memory rushes".

Today she still has trouble with some words and when to used the right word or how to spell a word. She is doing wonderfully and I am super proud of how hard she has worked to continue her recovery. She was a CPA before this illness hit and she hasn't gone back to work yet, but she is "chomping at the bit" to get back to being a productive member of society.

THANK GOD I GOT HER BACK!!

    Return to the Front Page

Please send e-mail with your thoughts to:

thedoc80915@adelphia.net