oh, no...this person wasn't a friend. I read this in an article. The fellow was given steroids to combat the swelling then was given a CAT scan and 2 MRI scans. Docs saw a large 'mass' on his brain. They opened up his skull and found a huge deposit of eggs. That's what was causing his immune system to act so aggresively.
BTW, it was 'Mekong River' in Laos and Cambodia.
It says the centimetre long worm can live for 20 or 30 years (of course it damages liver, bladder, small intestines etc.).

This guy also received a few rounds of Praziquantel (a drug which causes the worms and eggs to disintigrate). He was also given corticosteroids for a few months to reduce inflammation in his brain.

Has your friend rec'd CAT or MRI? maybe they missed something the first testing.