1 year post recovery update
Posted , 12 users are following.
If anyone is interested in my story in more details, you should check out my earlier post. Long story short, I got very sick in March 2017, and couldn't recover until at least July/August 2018. I had sore throat for around 9-10 months, extreme fatigue for 6-7 months, my gallbladder became deformed because of enlarged spline because of enlarged liver, and that brought extreme pain for around 12 months as well, my lymph nodes hurt like hell. But slowly every symptom went away(swollen lymph nodes were the last to go, it hurt like hell right until the August 2018), and now I'm back to normal life. I got back into university, and this whole year I've been finishing my last year of bachelors degree and working remotely at the same time(I'm a computer science major), I make good money and I have a girlfriend now. This experience made me a completely different person, I can't describe all the horror I went through in that year, my family refused to believe that I was sick, because doctors told them that it was nothing serious, all my friends abandoned me as well, I was basically lying alone in my room for a year, in extreme pain, not knowing if I will ever recover. This forum was my only source of hope and comfort pretty much. But for all those who are suffering right now, I want to assure you that you WILL get better. It might take 1 or 2 years, but you will be fine.
1 like, 25 replies
catchthebus
Posted
I will be glad to answer any questions.
craig07920 catchthebus
Posted
Hey Catch the Bus,
It is really good to see a message from you and so great to hear that you have been doing much better! It's always a precious and special thing when someone who has been through a horrible time for a long period with this virus but has recovered comes on to support and encourage others - I believe your story and message will offer hope to anyone coming onto this thread who is struggling with the virus right now.
The virus was life changing for me too, I was just so grateful to be feeling better and out of that horrible time I went through too, I know it was only down to God I was able to get through it and still grateful for that today even though it was a number of years ago.
It's so hard when people don't take you seriously or try to minimise or trivialise how awful and intense it is to go through mono - especially when it's loved ones closest to you and doctors, it can make you feel so alone I can only imagine, I was very fortunate to have a good support network around me and grateful for that. This virus is 'invisible', because you look might look okay outwardly people assume it's not that bad. If only they knew how horrible the symptoms and experience of living day on day with this thing for an extended period can be.
Anyway it's great to hear from you and thanks again for posting - wishing you good health and happiness and joy going forward with your girlfriend and everything in your life!
Craig
catchthebus craig07920
Posted
Thank you, Craig, for all the good you've done to me and to this community. Hope you are doing well.
craig07920 catchthebus
Posted
Thanks catchthebus, I do appreciate your kind words. I've been having a bit of a tough time with back pain and how it's made me feel emotionally lately, just praying for the Lord to help me through and get me back on track again.
So pleased you are doing well and grateful for your encouragement and best wishes. Do keep in touch.
Craig
josh46287 catchthebus
Posted
Did you ever have chest pain and feel our of breath and when did that go away if you did.
catchthebus josh46287
Posted
Yes, I felt pain in my chest all the time because of deformed gall bladder. You might have it as well, it can easily happen during the stage of mono when your liver is enlarged.
ashley44325 catchthebus
Posted
how was your deformed gallbladder diagnosed and how long did the pain last?
katelyn09436 catchthebus
Posted
hello, the end of this month makes 7 months of being sick with this virus...did you experience dizziness, eye floaters, bad anxiety with it? all of my symptoms have gotten better since the beginning but are still lingering ive had alot of other crazy stuff like heart flutters, shakiness, tingling and numbness off and on and tight feeling in my spine. was just curious if you had any of those...also when you got better was it all of a sudden or did it just gradually keep getting better over time? there was a period where i felt like it was getting slightly better but now the bad anxiety and some of the other symptoms have returned
craig07920 katelyn09436
Posted
Hi Katelyn,
I definitely had some shakiness and tingling when I was going through the virus and felt at times my heart was racing with the low grade fever too. These are all horrible things, but they will get better truly they will.
One thing I've come to learn from my own experience and reading that of others on the site is that it can be quite different the rate at which people recover - some people it can be a gradual thing over a longer period - but within that and for others it can be more sudden like feeling stuck at the same level for a long time and then a big jump forward all at once. My recovery was a bit of a mix of the two, I did feel at one stage a big step forward but then it was still gradual getting back to 100% after that still, which I think is very normal for people going through this.
And not to panic also Katelyn because another common thing with the virus can be you feel like you make a little progress and then it can feel like it's being undone or going back the way for a spell too, and that can be very frightening and discouraging - recovery with this thing is often zig-zag, with ups and downs - but be assured you will get back on track again, I truly believe that given everything I know about this dreaded virus and that after 7 months I was still struggling but thanks to God only was able to recover thereafter.
Take care and thinking about you - message any time of course!
Craig
catchthebus katelyn09436
Posted
Hey, yeah, I had all of the symptoms that you've described, and unfortunately eye floaters have stayed with me till this day, although they are much less visible now. My anxiety was extremely bad too, I would say that it has gotten better now, but overall I'm a much more anxious person now. It feels like it would take at least another 2 years to completely recover from that illness.
katelyn09436 catchthebus
Posted
thank you for your reply its just crazy to think all of this is just from mono
katelyn09436 craig07920
Posted
thank you for your reply craig i have heard some people saying it just went away all at once for them so i was curious if it was like that for everyone i cant even imagine just waking up and feeling normal one day
josh46287 catchthebus
Posted
Today is the 8th month for me since my body just crashed. I still have chest pain shortness of breath muscle aches pain fatigue stomach pain dizziness but i am better than i was in jan.-feb. but everyday is a struggle it seems to just go in a cycle of symptoms and there isnt much i can do to help or stop them. I try to be calm and stay stress free thats about it. It has made sleeping sitting working and anything else a person does difficult. I am trying to keep hope and be optimistic but i am just tired at this point. It has really brought me down in all aspects of life. At this point i am just hoping that it is mono since they have done so many test and not actually found anything.
katelyn09436 josh46287
Posted
josh i feel the same exact way its horrible its like your just trying to survive each day
katelyn09436 josh46287
Posted
i had trouble sleeping for the longest time then a couple months ago i tried white noise and it definitely helps i stay asleep all night maybe trying a soothing sound could at least help you get some sleep josh it sure has helped me
josh46287 katelyn09436
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Mine sleep issues tend to be spuratic and bot constant
katelyn09436 josh46287
Posted
oh well good that its not a constant thing its normal to have some nights where you cant seem to sleep good expecially when your mind cant stop thinking about things i have those nights sometimes still
craig07920 katelyn09436
Posted
You're welcome Katelyn, it does seem to be quite different for everyone and everyone's recovery story is very unique to them, so if you can take the positives out of other people's recovery stories but don't panic or worry if yours is different to theirs because it can be very different for everyone. And it can happen that a big step forward happens in a short space of time, but it's not always that way for many it's a more gradual recovery over a period of time, so just take it day by day and don't think too far ahead, I know that's not always easy. Still thinking about you and rooting for you.
Craig
craig07920 josh46287
Posted
It's totally understandable you would be weary and tired after 8 months of this Josh. I felt exactly the same after that length of time, just drained by the whole experience and finding it hard to stay optimistic. But one thing perhaps to hold onto is that in all the time I've been on the forum here, I've seen a pattern of 9-15 months being a 'moving' period for the biggest percentage of people, where things really change for the better and start to move forward. So hang in there Josh, there is recovery ahead for you, I remain convinced of that. Thinking about you and hang in there.
Craig
katelyn09436 craig07920
Posted
thanks for the encouragement today! you have helped calm me down numerous times i appreciate your concern for everyone struggling
josh46287 craig07920
Posted
Thank you craig. I am just trying to stay optimistic. I just have a lot on my plate which is way less than i used to do but this sickness has made it hard to work and hard to relax and like you all have said all you can do is rest and give it time. I am thankful for all of your help through this sickness. Everyone here seems to be genuine and caring more so than some of my so called friends i guess because yall have been through it. All i can do is my best and keep trying better or worse it is all any of us can do in life period.
craig07920 katelyn09436
Posted
You're welcome Katelyn, I needed so much encouragement myself when going through because as you say it's just like a battle every day to get through it when feeling so horrible with it all - but it will get better truly it will, I know that's hard to see now but you're getting through this I feel sure of that.
Craig
craig07920 josh46287
Posted
Too right Josh I'm amazed how you've been able to cope with work and everything you've written that you've had going on the past few months, I think you've shown tremendous courage and should be proud of yourself. It's so hard when you can't get the rest that your body really needs, remember where you need to to put your health first even if it means things don't get done or others are left waiting a little longer, you are a priority too remember!
It must be hard too when you have friends who don't understand or show the compassion or care you need right now. I was lucky to have good friends but for sure it is very hard for those who don't know what this is like to go through to comprehend and not everyone gets it unfortunately - but this community here does which is good and for sure I'm still believing you have much healthier and happiers times ahead - hang in there.
Craig