The Doctor said that it could take up to six weeks to recover from Chikungunya but I was optimistically thinking that meant that I’d be at 70% and improving for most of that time. That has not been the case and I’m still not at 100% eight weeks later. I am getting closer to ‘normal’ but I still have this lingering weakness and fatigue. Dengue was more painful but this recovery has been challenging in it’s own ways. One of my friends told me that it took her a whole three months to fully recover from Chikungunya…so that put my experience in perspective.
The first few weeks I was barely functional. My physical stamina was extremely shallow, to the point where just walking to the bathroom and back had me wheezing. Chikungunya had a similar effect on my mental stamina. Just writing an email wiped me out and left my mind clouded and with a terrible headache. The same would happen after short conversations. I have never experienced something mentally like this before.
Then there was the lingering pain. Chikungunya gave me a clear preview of what arthritis is like. Actually, in 14% of cases Chikungunya can leave a person with permeant chronic arthritis…so yikes! I had expected the joint pain from when Crystal had Chikungunya but there was bizarre pain too. For instance, the skin between my fingers felt like large popped blusters rubbing together but when I checked – of my course – my skin was still intact. There were similarly bizarre and unpleasant sensations across my body but I don’t have the words to describe all of them. And then was the random itching.
My physical regulation was completely thrown off from Chikungunya. I found myself awake and asleep at weird hours, shivering in the heat, and sweating in the cold. One day, I needed to present on the impact of climate change on rural farmers in Cambodia so I rallied by drinking coffee for the first time since getting sick…and then I was awake until 3:30AM. I was able to use melatonin tablets to regulate my sleep cycle a bit but it did nothing that day I had caffeine. Needless to say, I’ve cut coffee out of my daily routine. Which is a shame given how delicious grown in Cambodia coffee is.
I’ve been doing better the last few weeks but still dealing with lingering waves of fatigue and my body still figuring out how to regulate itself.
While I’ve been sick, it’s been a fantastic month for Mennonite Central Committee in Cambodia. A lot of the work that we’ve been doing over the last year has come to fruition with MCC being awarded that grant we applied for, signing a new broader MoU with the Ministry of Rural Development, moving ahead on some exciting new projects, and taking some steps forward on the environmental front. So that’s been a strong reminder of the grace of God.
So sorry Charles, to hear of your lingering sickness. We pray for continuing progress and recovery!
Rooting for you, Charles!
Thanks Susie! I think this might be my punishment for joking that I didn’t have any major illnesses, just had food poisoning, during my first term. It’s certainly been an experience but – all in all – it’s actually been better physically than my first term.
Having food poisoning every two-three weeks for two years during my first term was absolutely horrible. I’m still strangely grateful for Sophal for pressuring me to eat that duck head at the end of year two – it made me sicker than anything else had up to then but afterwards my body was like “oh, I get it now – that’s what bad food is” and stopped freaking out over every little microbe.
So sorry to hear about this challenge Charles! Praying for your complete healing and getting back to full strength again.
Thanks Dawn! I think I’m finally there but, whew, it took a long time.
This sounds so incredibly challenging. Sorry to hear that you’re still dealing with the lingering effects. Praying that all will clear up soon.
I am sorry to hear the last 8 weeks have been so rough! Some of the fatigue and mental exhaustion sound a lot like what I live with on a daily basis and it sucks!! I hope you keep improving and get back to yourself soon!
Oh, Charles, it is so hard to hear of these health challenges. I read Psalm 6 this morning. It seems quite apropos! But it is also good to hear of the success of these initiatives. Yes, praise God! Greetings to all your precious girls!!
Wow, Charles, so sorry to hear. Thanks for sharing the specifics of your ordeal and praying you continue to feel stronger and closer to 100% everyday. God bless and grateful that you continue to see signs of God’s work in your midst!
I am so sorry for the difficulty you are experiencing health wise! However, I am thankful that you can rejoice at progress in your work with MCC. Blessings to you and the family.
Charles – it’s good to hear from you via this post – but I’m sorry to hear that you are not recovering as quickly as hoped. That is a hard road. But so glad that the grant has worked out. I’m remembering our visit to Women’s Peacemakers which was a wonderful day.
We’ll be taking a visit out to the Cambodian Rural Development Team side of the project with Rattanak from Women Peace Makers in late April. I’ll get some photos for another post on the work being made possible by the grant then.
Well Charles this slow recovery is just awful. Been praying for your healing and will continue. How frustrating when our bodies betray us!🙏🙏
Omg Charles I hope you get well soon. Don’t know how you do it. You and your family are so special.
Thank you! It took a long time but I am, finally, back to normal. Thank God.
I hope that you’re doing well. I hope that the community is safe and welcoming again, after two years of lock-downs.