A woman battled a rare autoimmune disease which made her "hallucinate" while working on the tills at Aldi. <br /><br />Ciara Wilkie, 26, got into an argument with customers and colleagues over "fake" money while suffering from encephalitis.<br /><br />The rare neurological condition causes inflammation of the brain and leads to symptoms including seizures, mood swings and behavioural changes. <br /><br />Ciara's boyfriend, Joe, 26, a tattoo artist, became concerned when he found her "rambling" at home and filling three notebooks with scribbles. <br /><br />She was rushed to hospital after having a seizure, and it took medics three weeks to diagnose her.<br /> <br />During that time Ciara's symptoms got worse - until she couldn’t recognise people, forgot how to talk and refused to go to sleep. <br /><br />Ciara said her "whole life has changed" since the diagnosis - she can no longer do day-to-day things like work, drive, cook, or walk to the shops.<br /><br />She still needs round-the-clock care but is determined to get back on track and raise awareness for her condition.<br /><br />Ciara, from Castle Vale, Birmingham, said: “I remember arguing with customers and accepting a fake £50 note from someone. <br /><br />"Things didn't feel real and I didn't feel like I was really there.<br /><br />“My sister said it seemed like I had taken drugs because I was so excited and talking really fast when she saw me.<br /><br />“Doctors thought maybe I had been spiked or was having a mental breakdown." <br /><br />In May 2022, Ciara noticed she was having unusual symptoms. <br /><br />She said: “I was setting up a party in the garden for my niece’s birthday when I my head started hurting. <br /><br />“I couldn’t see straight so I went home.<br /><br />“I thought I just hadn’t drunk enough water or been in the sun too long that day. <br /><br />“That was probably the start of my brain condition and I didn’t realise it.” <br /><br />A couple of days later, Ciara tried to go back to work at Aldi, where her symptoms continued and got worse.<br /><br />Ciara was on a “cocktail” of drugs including antibiotics, steroids, antipsychotics, anti-inflammatories, supplements, sedatives, and pain killers. <br /><br />Ciara had 15 plasma exchanges, which removes the disease from the plasma in her blood - replacing it with new plasma fluid. <br /><br />By December 2022, she slowly started feel like herself again and after two months in hospital, she was finally discharged.
