They Now Know What's Causing Mom's Illness!

Finally, a test has come up positive. Mom has Human Herpes Virus Type 6. It usually attacks children under the age of 3 and is mild, affecting the skin only, going away on its own after a while. However, when it attacks adults, it can be much more serious, often infecting the brain, which is what has happened to her.

Mom is being moved as we speak to the bigger hospital in Reggio Emilia, where they have a topnotch communicable disease division and they'll be able to take better care of her.

Mom didn't have a fever or any of the symptoms she has now when she entered the hospital. All this happened after about a week. We don't know if the virus had been dormant in her and woke up after she was in the hospital or she got the virus in the hospital. The research we have done this afternoon after we found out tells us that this virus an lay dormant for months in the body, so it's likely she already had it before she went into the hospital. Either way, I'm glad that at least we have a probable cause!

We hope to know more soon and will keep you posted here.