My father at age 72 contracted bacterial meningitis in 1993 and it nearly killed him. A week in ICU and over a month in the hospital.
We don’t know how or where he got it, but he was a diabetic and had recently worked on a bathroom renovation and had cut his hand while removing an old toilet.
He recovered but after that his health went down hill dramatically.
Removing a toilet at 72? Hats off to your Father.