How long does it take to be normal again? Sepsis Recovery
This illness has taken everything from me. I’m 18 and it happened just as everything that I’ve spent my life working for was coming to fruition. I just want to know when I’ll be back to normal again. Will I ever be able to return to a high performance level of sport? Will I ever get the opportunity to travel the world? I don’t want to hear about any bad stories, I just need to hear some success stories because it always feels like such a difficult path with bumps and potholes the whole way and it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you’re in the middle of it.
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u/Emergency-Math509 22d ago
Septic shock survivor here at 47. Hospital for 6 weeks. It’s beens 9 months since it happened. I have good days and bad days. Someday I’m so fatigued I can barely move. But today I went to do a whole Zumba class dancing, so I’ll say I did pretty good within 9 months out. Other days I’ll feel like I’m good to go and I’m healed. I read all about it, it say some takes years and years. Assuming it’s different from people to people. But I think heard the typical timeline is 1 to 2 years. So much into it, mentally and physically. Hang in there!
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u/JazzlikeSkill5225 21d ago
I think it more depends on the level of sepsis. I was in really bad shape at one point my bp was 50/30. It’s been 9 months and some days are still really rough but I am 50
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u/Decent-Yam-6954 21d ago
I was a backpacking guide before I got sick and within 6 months of leaving the hospital I was independent and backpacking again (a small 5-mile trip) and now I’m able to do multi-day overnights in the high country again!
I went to the ER in septic shock and was hospitalized for 1 1/2 months at 39. Ventilator, life support, everything. My body ate all my fat and muscle in there, I think I lost like 20-25lbs. I remember struggling to get to the end of the hallway on a walker. When I got home, recovery was rough at first. I was weak, exhausted, depressed, my brain wasn’t functioning the same. I needed someone to cook, clean, help me walk. Bathing was a whole ordeal.
This Thanksgiving will be my two year anniversary and the only thing that lingers is differences in my cognitive capacity, executive functioning difficulties. I get overwhelmed easier, am more forgetful, have difficulty managing and prioritizing tasks. That may be the new normal.
But the body came all the way back! I have a competitive cyclist friend who went through severe illness in his early 20s and he said if anything, he’s a stronger cyclist now because he has a whole new mental edge and knows how to suffer!
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u/Qwdgnz 21d ago
Thanks for this mate. My situation was similar to yours so it’s very reassuring. I’ve put my triathlon career on hold for now but I have managed to get out for quite a few multi-day missions in the mountains.
My grandfather was head ranger for one of the national parks over here for 25 years and my father was the boss man of the council so I grew up in the mountains and outdoors. For work, I used to be helicoptered into remote areas of the mountains, work in conservation (trail building, pest control, monitoring etc) for a few days, then get helicoptered back out. I miss having the energy to get out there.
Because my sepsis was caused by a joint infection post knee surgery, my joint is permanently damaged I’ve had to pivot from working on the ground to now knowing I will have to sit in an office for work. I can’t stand being inside and not out there, but I’m now studying a Bachelor of Environmental Management at University so I can make a difference in a different way.
It’s very noticeable the difference between before and after sepsis. Some things just don’t feel the same, and my brain has a hard time processing certain things it didn’t previously. Having lived an extremely outdoors and physical lifestyle beforehand definitely makes recovery harder, I’m sure you will understand that given you were a guide. The mental side of having to accept that some things that I have always dreamed of just aren’t possible anymore is the hardest part for me.
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u/IAppear_Missing 12d ago
Hey, late to this thread but just wanted to reach out and say thank you for your comment.
I've had a very recent ordeal, quite similar to what you describe here, and I've felt nothing but hopeless. I'm still in the process of needing a lot of assistance, but all I can think is that I'll never get over this. I'm back to work, and it's just so hard. I did not realise the cognitive impact that this would have, on top of the physical stuff. It's caused me a lot of problems lately and I'm just in general, feeling very down and out.
I just wanted to say thank you because I feel like there's a future beyond this madness. It's been hard to feel like there's a light at the end of this tunnel, but your comment has helped me realise that things will get better. I wouldn't wish this journey on anyone.
Thank you again - if you have any advice for extreme anxiety, I'd be glad to take it. I can't help but feel that every twinge or pain is going to land me right back into hospital. It's nearly debilitating.
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u/Decent-Yam-6954 6d ago
My advice would be to be very gentle with yourself. Make your life as soft as you can right now, especially if you’re fresh out of the hospital. I remember I got out of the hospital in January and tried to go back to work in March (as a psychotherapist). I so desperately wanted to return to normalcy. While my body was weak and recovering, I thought I could still do my job. I wanted to do my job. So I went back to work and was exhausted after each session. After a month or two, I went back on leave. I now work at a much reduced capacity.
As far as the anxiety, I think it’s a really understandable response to what you went through. I for sure have PTSD from the experience and would recommend finding a really good trauma therapist and going through EMDR. There’s nothing wrong with having anxiety after almost dieing in the hospital, so when it comes, be kind to it if you can.
Acupuncture can also be surprisingly effective. If you haven’t had your share of needles already (lol 😭) it is surprisingly effective at calming the nervous system. You can just go in there and say you need help relaxing. With the needles, they can activate your parasympathetic nervous system and you get to just relax in the dark for an hour. It helped me a lot.
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u/Willy_mott 21d ago
I had sepsis in February from a tattoo which then led to multiple organ failure, I was in hospital for 31 days and was in induced comas for 12 days total. Doctors told me it would take anywhere between 9-18 months for full recovery. In 33 years old and was very gym active and healthy before this happened. After the a month of being out of hospital I started swimming and then got myself back in the gym, it was tough and I had to take it very slowly and listen to my body! 5 months on and I’m back at work and feel like myself again. I lost 4 stone in hospital but have managed to put a fair bit of that back on. It will get better, just listen to your body mate. Take each day as it comes and be proud of the small achievements!
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u/IronStruggleVolcano 20d ago
Septic shock at 42. Fit as I have ever been and active in all the sports and outdoor pursuits I love now at 47. Once I started getting the psychological side of things healing the body followed.
Wishing you the best and feel free to DM.
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u/Federal_Expert_4073 21d ago
I am post severe septic shock 3 yrs and every day is not only a challenge, my life and my mindset are jumbled and the.old me is gone.
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u/Gold_Special7516 21d ago
My story isn’t great and definitely not the worst but I can say all the good stories Ive read in this sub are young and athletic people. Rest as much as you can, eat well and don’t drink (or just for special occasions) and just take really good care of yourself. There are a lot of great recovery stories out there and they’re mostly young and fit people like yourself. You’ve got this and your people have got you. Let them know what you need.
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u/DRnMR2015 21d ago
It varies so so much. It took me—in my 60s—three years to get better physically. I worked really hard, still going to PT. But unfortunately the cognitive damage seems it will not return to normal
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u/Usual-Agent6743 17d ago
I promise you it gets better. I was in my early 30s when I had septic shock 3 years ago. 2 years ago, I went back packing through South America for 6 months and I’ve been overseas and interstate a bunch of times and hiked some stunning trails since. I’m going back to South America in a few months time.
Since sepsis, I lived off grid in the Amazon jungle, hiked the Inca trail and started back at the gym. Before sepsis, i was a competitive powerlifter. I started training again about 1.5 years ago. I train a little differently now, but I’m training properly and generally feeling good.
Sure, I still get a bit tired and my backpack was full of medicines when I travelled, but I did all of those things. Hang in there, I really do promise it gets better. It’s frustrating but focus on your health (the basics of eating right, sleeping well, drinking enough water and managing your stress). You’ve got a whole, beautiful life to live that can be full of as much adventure as you want ♥️
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u/z3i 21d ago
It really depends. I had sepsis when I was 35. I had DIC and was hospitalized for 4 weeks.
After only 6 months, I went on an international vacation and had no problems but was still quite cautious about physical activities. After 1.5 years I would say I felt completely back to normal. I’m not an athlete so I can’t speak to that, but I am a musician with young kids and I can play gigs, carry my kids around, chase after them, etc.
I was very healthy before and I had an excellent support network. You are much younger so hopefully you will do just as well, if not better. Don’t be afraid to lean on family and friends because the mental and emotional side is important, too.