post-glandular 4 months (but who's counting :P)

This post is going to sound like a broken record :P In Jan, I got struck down- I had chills, high temperatures, brain fog, couldn't move- I never felt that sick before. A week later, the temperature finally broke and feeling elated I went to the kitchen... and collapsed (cue ambos). Later that day, the doctor told me he suspected that I had glandular fever (was confirmed two weeks later). I didn't 100% know what that was, but I knew it wasn't great news. Unfortunately, I treated it like the flu and after 2 weeks of feeling like death, I went back to work. I've had a lot of illnesses in the past and recovered pretty quickly after each one, so I thought this would be no different (a mistake!). It was such a push to go to work, even putting shoes on in the morning was a struggle. Then, I collapsed again at work (in the CBD) and it really scared me. I thought how can I run this store solo, if I coudn't even control myself? By the end of Feb, I quit work and ended up moving back home as I was getting worse and didn't have the energy to shop, cook or do anything.

I thought the worst was over as I could now rest. I tried to go to the library to borrow some books, and I started going through that same "dizzy/collapsing" feeling (ringing in the ears, not able to focus, blurred vision and the-feeling-of-wanting-to-collapse-on-the-floor). It took three individual attempts spanning a week, before I borrowed book. I thought I was going crazy as I'd never been sensitive to crowds, music, media before. I found that listening to songs from my childhood (cue HSM playlists, hey whatever works!) helped build myself to doing the above things again (e.g. watching the news).

Slowly, I eased myself back to gym group fitness classes (which I did daily before glandular). If I went too hard, I would pay for it- my body would start shaking afterwards and I would need a whole hour to regroup. It's April now, and I'm still working out the balance of going too far/not pushing enough (and still have the shakes, but to a lesser extent). I have also included more yoga/meditation/pilates into my sessions, rather than cardio/strength classes.

Sleep quality has been affected since glandular. If I exercised too much (particularly cardio/strength classes), I found that it significantly reduced sleep quality. Most days, I can barely make it to 8pm without falling asleep.

I went on a gluten-free, sugar-free (basically the anti-candida, limited vegetables and no fruit) diet in March as I read some posts saying that has helped some people with their recovery. I haven't been drinking alcohol since glandular, and coffee was eliminated at the same time as the diet. Towards the end of March, I was getting really depressed- whether it was the diet, glandular or the frustration of "not being yourself"- that I went to seek GP advice again. His motto was "to eat what makes you happy", which I used as permission to start eating fruit again. Looking back maybe the diet wasn't a good idea, but when you're desperate to stop feeling terrible, you'll give anything a go!

My blood tests came back and my iron levels were really low, so I have started to take Ferrograd. I was also vegetarian but I have started to include meat in a desperate attempt to get better. I have found that my mood swings have been reduced, crying episodes are less frequent, and I have better control mentally since these changes. Glandular is apparenty notorious for depression, but an iron deficiency can also produce similar symptoms to depression- something to note!

Even though it sucks at times and you feel like a shadow of your former self, I am glad I got glandular fever. It has made me re-evaluate a lot of my decisions, what I want out of life, and the relationships I have with my friends and family. It has been a wake-up call to take better care of myself and I have learnt to listen to my body; things I never did in the past. It will test your patience, your determination and your capacity to change. Sometimes it is hard to stay sane when you get random pains, swollen glands (again) or try to do something you used to and just can't. Take up another hobby if you can (mine has been cooking), eat well, rest up, exercise when you can, and just ride it out, because really that's all you can do.

You have to get through the rain if you're ever going to see a rainbow.

-Karen White

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