Swollen lymph node after 12 weeks - is this normal?

Hi dominika,

At what point in your recovery did the anxiety go? I am almost 16 mos in and still suffer with anxiety though it has reduced alot. I just want it to be gone for good. I am 39 years old and never experience anxiety/depression prior to contracting this virus. I do hope I am not stuck with it for life!

Absolutely you won't be stuck with the anxiety / depression forever Kay - my experience was that this thing really knocked my confidence and brought on depression and anxiety, but this cloud did lift as things gradually got better and life returned to normal Kay. It takes time Kay, remember you've been through a traumatic experience, your confidence and peace of mind definitely will come back again, stay with it Kay hang in there and things will come together bit by bit over time.

Craig

thank you for your kind words Dominika. I'll see how I get on over the next few days. I tried some relaxation techniques last night & had a much better sleep, will try it again tonight. Stress really does play havoc with your body, I've started suffering from upper abdominal pains which i've never had before, think its excess acid! Convinced stress has brought this on!

How long did you suffer with mono for?

hi Kaymono,

I am still recovering actually, but for the most part much better and have been back at my regular routine since september now. I still get a little anxiety from time to time but the worst has gone now. I would say the anxiety really started to die down for me since the end of august, which was around 4-6 months into the experience (its hard to tell exactly when it started) I'm sure you wont suffer with this for the rest of your life, it just seems everyone has different recovery timelines. the anxiety is defintely caused by the virus so i see no reason why it should linger once you feel 100% recovered!

hi Gill,

no problem 😃 I know even the smallest words of reassurance helped me through my worst moments.

I am still not 100% recovered, but much, much better. Hard to tell exactly when this started but I would say around March of this year is when the sudden anxiety came and i knew something was wrong. the physical symptoms didnt catch up to me until may, so it has been a while.

I'm glad to hear you slept a bit better last night, it can be so up and down. i know in the moment the stress and the anxiety make you feel so horrible and even more sick, and i know it felt like forever to me, but i am here now and can reassure you that once your body starts to feel better the anxiety will go away. the anxiety is just a byproduct of this virus and so many people go through it, you are not alone!

hang in there and take care

how long were you sick for ?

HI Dominika,

Hoping that you are feeling okay and settled at the moment, and remember as you say any anxiety / panic episodes are temporary and will pass. It takes time Dominika, you've been through a lot this year and things will God willing continue to in the right direction, you have really made a lot of progress this past few months and definitely have shown real heart and courage through such a hard time.

Thinking about you still and still seeing great wisdom beyond your years in your great advice and kind words for others!! Hoping for a good weekend ahead for you!

Craig

Thank God for that Craig. I am not sure I could live with anxiety and depression forever. I do sympathise with people who have these delibitating conditions. It really is scary. For me, the most part of it is like having an out of body experience.

I think the fact I didn't know what was wrong with me for 13 mos didn't help with this.

Thanks very much dominika. I am so looking forward to a full reovery.

The anxiety, depression, fatigue and insomnia I could really do without at the moment.

so glad you are feeling much much better. gives us all hope ...im at month 8 and just cant wait for this to be over

Oh Kay and Lori,

I do empathise depression and anxiety are the worst of the worst, I wouldn't wish these things on anyone in the world.

Definitely hoping and praying and believing these burdens will lift and God will touch you and renew your minds and strength in amazing ways. Definitely hoping and praying for that!

Craig

Amen Craig

Thanks for your advice dodge. I am struggling with my doctor to be honest, she told me that my mono has gone & it's just a bit of post viral fatigue but I'm still displaying symptoms so not sure. She also told me I'm not contagious but been told by others that I could be shedding this for a year!

The fatigue is awful, I returned to work after 6 weeks, I'm lucky I have a job where I can work from home 3 days a week so I'm just about getting through the 2 days I go into work.

Anxiety wise, I've never struggled before but I am now. The constant blood tests etc before I was diagnosed have created some health anxiety for me. I am trying to stop over thinking but it's hard not to with this horrendous virus & the odd symptoms that come with it xx

well the fact you can do 2 days at work is amazing ! many of us can barely make it out of the house . just dont overdo it and rest as much as possible ... try to limit stress and yes this virus does take a long time to go but youll start seeing little improvements every week .

Definitely some great advice Dodge! Hoping you are feeling okay today and that everything goes fine with the blood tests and you can get the results back fairly quickly. Hoping for a good and settled weekend - stay strong, God is on our side.

Craig

Hi gill,

Post viral symptoms are real...

That is my struggle at the moment too. I didn't get test done until 13 mos after symptoms started, by which time the virus was no longer active however my doc also concluded what I was experiencing was post viral which can take sometime to leave the system.

Like you I have never had anxiety before this virus.

I do understand the overthinking issue. This also is a challenge for me. I do find meditation does help.

this virus messes with your whole nervous system and no wonder we feel so panicky when you feel awful and trying to run errands ... hanging on literally for dear life .

praying that we all get some relief soon ...its just so slow and long ....

So true Lori.....it really is hanging on and just getting through each day with this thing and just hoping and praying for better times ahead and not to always feel how have been feeling lately.

God is good though grateful for that - remember in the Bible when people came to Jesus is often said 'and He healed them all'. Not just some of them, but everyone who came to Him. And the same applies today as He is the same yesterday today and always. Amazing Lori something good to keep remembering!!

Craig

When the anxiety first started it scared the living daylight out of me. It's a horrible condition to have to live with.

If I learned one thing from this whole experience it is that mental illness should never be ignored.

It's just the worst thing Kay, anxiety and depression, hoping and praying God can lift anything like that affecting any of us on the site, I know we have all been through our fair share of that this last while.

Craig

Thanks for your kind words Craig. Let's continue to pray.

Hope you are having a fabulous Sunday.

Thanks Kay, had a settled weekend thanks to God, still making many mistakes and need to improve a lot of my attitude and actions, just grateful for God's mercy and forgiveness.

Hoping you are enjoying your week off, that things are settled today, and are looking forward to the theatre later in the week. Absolutely let's continue to pray and trust in God!

Craig

Thanks Craig. So far to good. Bn watching telly so far. It was also amazing to sleep until about 9am this morning. The sleep is definitely better knowing I don't have to go to work.

Great stuff Kay you deserve that extra rest for sure - take it easy mind and hoping that today can be a good and settled day for you too. My week has been stable so far and grateful for that too, still messing lots of things up need God's help and forgiveness so much.

Thinking of you today Kay!

Craig

Thanks Craig. You are not messing things up. This is just a little blip. Hang in there and go easy on yourself.

Thanks for the encouragement Kay, really grateful for that and need it for sure! Hoping very much you are still taking it easy and had a good sleep last night and feeling well today.

Craig

Yea I am still taking it easy though today I feel abit drained - don't know why. I think the sleep was disturbed lastnight so it does affect today. Hoping tomorrow will be alot better.

Hope so Kay remember look after yourself and get extra rest / sleep when you feel you need it and are able to - just about listening to your body really I guess.

Craig

I so wish I could sleep in the daytime but that is something I have always struggled with.

Yeah it's a tricky balance finding a nap during the day Kay, in a way that is healthy and doesn't further interrupt sleep at night either. Most days around 6pm I have a rest just for an hour or two even, sometimes I doze sometimes I'm just lying resting listening to radio for a while.

Craig

ohok. I was never a napper - even before mono

Yeah everyone's different with these kind of things Kay, just finding a balance that suits you best really I guess.

Absolutely! I just got back from chiro. Apparently my neck and back were really stiff.

Hope that the chiro has helped Kay and you are feeling more in alignment and with less pain today.

Craig

Still abit stiff and achy today but i will live. Maybe laying on the sofa so much last week didn't do my posture any favours haha. Doing my stretches so hopefully it will settle in a few days.

Oh I know what that's like Kay, my posture is not great and spend a lot of time lying down resting which I know can't always be a good thing in that respect. Still though we are keeping going with stretches which is a good thing and hoping it can be of benefit to us and God can show us the right exercises to do that will help with the things we most need help with physically right now and in the future.

Craig

Absolutely Craig! I managed to do 20 mins of yoga this morning before work. It's been almost 3 weeks since I did any. Initially I was doing it about 3 or 4 times a week.

Oh that's great you did 20 minutes yoga Kay, it's not easy to start up doing that again after you stop for a few weeks for sure. I was thinking about pilates or body balance or something but don't think I could manage to keep up with it just myself in the house, I try to do some basic and general stretches / exercises each morning, but some of the yoga type ones can be quite intense I should really look into trying a class, just want to find the right thing that is going to help with my back and strengthening core and everything and that I can be bold and brave and applying enough to take that step towards doing it.

Hope you are not too tired today after being back at work Kay and that today can be a good one with God's hand on us!

Craig

Hi Craig,

unfortunately I am really knackered today. Didn't go to sleep until close to midnight and so sleep wasn't as restful, woke up multiple times in the night and got up this morning feeling more tired than when I went to bed. I will try to have an early night tonight if I can.

I do have another Xmas party tonight but not sure I will bother going. This one will be my running club's party. In fact I haven't been active in the club for about 18 mos or so. At the moment I am just a social member. The issue I have is that the party starts at 8 so I am sure the earliest I would get out of there is about 10.30 or 11. It will involve eating late and possibly a couple drinks. My dilemma is when I am out so late and eating so late I need time to wind down when I go home. It's funny how last week when I was off work I was going to bed midnight and later but I was sleeping until about 9am so I felt marvelous.

So after the night I had lastnight, I am unsure if I want to sacrifice another night of good sleep!

I do enjoy the stretching exercises. I use to do a pilates class in my old gym but at the time I found it rather boring. It was one hour long. Now I do yoga with youtube videos. There are some brilliant ones. I am using some beginners one at the moment but every now and then I throw in a more intense one.

I plan to have a little test jog in the new year to see how I get on.

Hi Kay,

Hoping that your day yesterday went well despite not getting such a good sleep the night before. It's understandable to be knackered after just being back at work after a week off, and this time of year with different type of activities / feel / parties can put your body out of sync of its normal routine for sure. Probably just having that stress that you knew you didn't have work to get up for the next morning helped with the relaxation and sleep last week, things will settle again with this Kay try not to worry or panic, I know it's not easy.

Oh it's really good you are in the running club, some of the best days of my life were when I was in running club in my 20s too. I enjoyed it so much met some really good friends, and even though it was many years ago now, we are still friends - so even if you've not been there running for 18 months (or more like 12 years in my case haha), you are still part of that club and once a member always a member!! Hope that you had a nice time if you went and weren't too tired, and if you didn't go that's cool too you just have to listen to your body right now.

That's really great you're doing the yoga videos on You Tube Kay, I will need to take a leaf out of your book for sure, grateful for people like you to encourage and inspire me with this, I know I need to take a step and do something positive like that and hope I can soon.

Hoping you had a better sleep last night and are feeling okay today - remember keep calm if still feeling tired, it's normal after being off and straight back into it again, and you still have that spa to look forward to.

Craig

Hi Craig,

Hope things are well your end.

I actually didn't go to the party lastnight. i was too tired. I got home abt 6pm as I left work early but also due to rain on top of the tiredness I decided to stay in. In fact I was in bed by 9pm.

I don't regret not going as I was able to catch up on some sleep. I still feel abit tired today though so I am assuming it is just taking some time for my bottle to get settled in the work routine again.

I loved being a part of the running club as it is not just about the running but also the social side. As you say, you make lots of friends there.

you should try those yoga videos. they are very good.

Hi Kay,

Not too bad, still a bit frustrated at being up so often during the night for the toilet with my bladder right now but just hoping God can help things improve with that and my back.

You did the right thing staying in and catching up on extra rest - don't blame you at all it's very cold and wet for going out in the evenings at the moment anyway for sure.

Hoping you are feeling well today and you can also catch up on rest / sleep at the weekend!

Craig

Thanks very much Craig. I will definitely be making resting and sleep a priority this weekend. I feel abit drained at the moment. Lastnight was not the best night for me again so will aim for an early one tonight.

Hoping you had a good sleep Kay and are glad that it's nearly the end of the working week. Definitely get as much rest as you can and hoping that spa can be something very relaxing indeed!

Thanks very much Craig. Definitely will do.

Happy Friday Kay - hoping it's a good one and that you had a good sleep last night. Remember that things are going to get better for you and to continue to be kind to yourself and remember all the progress and steps forward you've made this past few months - I think you've shown great courage and strength to keep working and all the positive things you've been doing to help yourself 😃

Craig

Thanks very much Craig. I learned from you 😃

It's amazing the impact you and being on this forum has done for me over the past 3 months since I found this forum. Wishing you a lovely holiday season and the very best of health.

Lastnight sleep was better than the night before. I was in bed from shortly after 9pm but like you I also wake multiple times in the night. Maybe I have the female version of what you have as I seem to have an overactive bladder. Have had it checked in the past by ultrasound in the hospital but they didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Happy Friday indeed 😃

Oh thank you for your heartfelt and kind words Kay, it really is appreciated - I have learned from you and others on the forum too, it might not sound much but just reading yours and everyone's messages and seeing how folks have shown dignity and courage and hope and faith in some of the hardest of circumstances is something I have been learning from too, as I know I need to do much better in these areas and my managing my own circumstances for sure.

I do empathise with that over active bladder thing, it is frustrating for sure when having to be up for the toilet a number of times during the night. Hoping so much God can help us with these things and for improvement and steps forward over the coming period with these issues.

And of course wishing you all the very best for the Christmas week and holiday period too, hoping you can take it easy for a few days and that new hope and strength can fill us with God's help and guidance.

Thanks again Kay stay strong and hang in there - you are going to get stronger and better over the next while I do believe that.

Craig

Hi Craig,

Apologies for the delayed relay. Was trying to have a few screen free days.

I had a nice little break over Christmas at the spa. Would definitely go there again.

How have you been and how was your Christmas?

In fact today was my first day back in office since 21st Dec. I had worked from home on Christmas even and though I was suppose to be back in office on Friday 28th, one of my colleague had called me on the Thursday night and said I didn't need to come in - he would cover and I could cover for him today so I agreed.

Wishing you a very happy new year!

No need whatsoever to apologise Kay, it's good to have time away from the computer and it's not always possible to be on here replying to everything all of the time, I know that too and at times need to step away from it also.

That was great you had a good time at the spa, hoping that you are feeling well and remember just take things slowly regarding getting back into work again - a day at a time that's all it is and all I'm doing too. Still thinking about you and rooting for you and believing in your recovery Kay.

I had a nice Christmas with family, I found the Christmas period a good distraction from a lot of what's been going on for me this year, a bit of reality is setting in again and my attitude not so good the last few days, just hoping I can find my way again and not give in and that God can bless us with good health and good things in 2019 - wishing you and your family Happy New Year when it comes!

Just wondering how many people on the site are familiar with 'Hogmanay'! I'm sure you will be Kay, perhaps not everyone from outside of the UK though!

Craig

Hi Craig,

Happy new year again. Abit of a hectif day at the office today (this always happens after a bank holiday), but I am taking your advice and taking it slowly. Not pushing myself too much.

I didn't know what Hogmanay was but have looked it up since you mentioned it 😃

I ended up at a running friend's NYE house party on Monday night and didn't make it home until about 2.30am. It was good fun and I managed to have a relaxing day yesterday.

Hi Kay,

Happy New Year also and glad to hear you have been taking it easy and not pushing yourself too much. Glad to hear that you know what Hogmanay is now!! Also great you were at friend's house for New Year, it's really good and healthy to do these things and of course just get plenty of rest when you need to also.

I'm finding this week much tougher than recent weeks, I think Christmas kind of was a good distraction for me this year and took my mind off the wider circumstances of my work and health situation a little, I think the reality is starting to hit home again and just a bit worried about the emptiness of January / February and how I will cope and manage. Hoping that I can keep trying and not give up somehow.

Hoping your week is going well Kay and still thinking about you.

Craig

Thanks very much Craig. I am sure you will find the strength to get through this difficult time. Afterall, we are now experts at digging deep to get through the days after what we have been through.

I am also not feeling my sharpest today. Maybe it is something to do with being back at work after a few days off or just like you I find this time just after Xmas/New Year abit depressing.

Thank you Kay - your support and kind words continue to mean a lot to me -all sorts going through my head right now just hoping things can settle and feel a bit more positive and be willing to keep trying and not give in.

Craig

Hang in there Craig. You will be fine.

Thanks Kay, still finding it hard at the moment. Grateful for your words. Hope you're week is a settled one.

Craig

Thanks Craig.

I will keep you in my prayers as always.

I am having a so so day today as my sleep was not as great lastnight. It's partly my fault for going out after work and not getting home until almost midnight.

Will make rest my priority this weekend.

Thanks for keeping me in your prayers Kay, that really means a lot! And I will keep you in mine too of course.

Hoping you managed to get a better sleep last night Kay and are able to rest and enable your body to take it a bit easier this weekend as you say. It's a tough time of year this, I see it as a bit of a red flag time for me as my motivation / mood has not been too great and hoping I can find my way past that right now with God's help.

Thinking about you Kay and hoping you have a much better and more settled weekend.

Craig

Hi Craig,

Hope you are doing well and had a great weekend. I am feeling abit tired today as sleep was abit messy the last couple of nights. Will try to see if I can make up for it tonight.

Hi Kay,

Hoping that your sleep pattern can settle down again, so frustrating when you are out of sync and I know it can be quite unsettling indeed especially when trying to cope with work and commitments, etc. Still thinking about you Kay and still believing that God is working and bringing about positive change and healing in your life and that the manifestations are going to be seen over the coming period even if not fully able to see them yet.

I have been a bit more settled the last few days, weekend was better than the middle of last week and just trying to keep taking things a day at a time, trying to get back into some kind of positive routine but I know I have a long way to go and just praying for God's help with that.

Hoping for a good day for you today Kay.

Craig

Thanks very much Craig. The sleep was alot better lastnight but feel like I am stuck in a phase of tiredness so even though I had decent sleep lastnight I am still feeling abit drained today.

Glad to hear that things are more settled for you these days. That is really good news. Wishing you a great day too.

Hi Kay,

That was good that your sleep was better, hoping last night's sleep was also a good one. Yeah it can be frustrating that sometimes you still feel tired even after getting a good sleep! Hoping you are feeling not quite as tired today and able to find the right balance with the sleep / work / relax / rest pattern - I know it can be easier said than done.

Hoping today is a good day Kay, my week so far has been settled and not too bad at all and grateful for that. It's just a day at a time still for each of us. Remember Kay things are still going to keep getting better for you - your body is still in the recovery phase from this awful virus and everything will settle down with sleep, energy levels, general health as time goes on - it just takes time but absolutely you are getting there and will fully get there I still really do have complete belief and faith in that for you Kay.

Craig

Thanks very much Craig. That is so nice to hear. Things just feel so up and down at the moment. Lastnight could have been alot better. I will try and get out of the office abt an hour early today.

I do understand Kay, it's hard when things are up and down, when you think one minute things are doing well and then a kind of reality hits and then again you realise that you are doing better, and all these emotional highs and lows. It's been the same for me, feeling a bit more shaky this morning as my back pain bothering me more again, just praying God can settle and strengthen and heal us today Kay.

Still thinking about you and hoping very much that you had a better sleep last night and feeling calmer and better today.

Craig

Thanks very much Craig. I will keep you in my prayers too. Seems like we are both having a challenging time a the moment. I am quite confident this is just a blip and this too shall pass.

Let us both hang in there. We can beat this.

Really love those words Kay that we can both beat this and it's just a blip we are going through - yes for sure with God on our side we can overcome our challenges for sure, I really do believe that. Just need to keep trying and not give in and hold onto hope and faith strongly, noone has the right to take those precious things God has given us away from us.

January is a tough time of year too, it's not easy ploughing through that sometimes for many people I know Kay, especially when under pressure at work and everything. Hoping very much you had a better sleep last night and are able to catch up on some rest over the weekend - definitely still believing things are going to get better for us.

Craig

Absolutely Craig. We have to remain positive at all times. We can do this.

Still feeling abit weary but hopefully having some rest this weekend will help on that front.

wishing you a lovely weekend.

Thanks Kay wishing you a lovely weekend too. Yes we must do what we can to remain positive, it's not always possible I know but if deep down we keep believing and don't give up and trust God that is the only way. Hoping you get good rest this weekend Kay, still thinking about you!

Craig

Hi Craig,

Hope you are well. Apologies for my delayed response. Bn having a few not so great days unfortunately. Fatigue has hit me for six again. The work days feel so long at the moment.

At least the weekend is not too far away - so I can have some rest.

Hi Kay,

So sorry to hear that you've been having such a tough week. It's such a frustrating virus, remember it can be normal to have these kind of mini-setbacks during recovery - things will settle down again and you will feel more energetic again soon I really do hope and pray Kay.

Yes definitely give yourself some extra rest this weekend, working is tiring at the best of times but when recovering from this illness it can be so hard. So just look after yourself and remember you have made a lot of progress recently and being doing a lot, and you will get back on track again with things.

Craig