About nine months ago, I was put on a heavy duty medication to help battle the constant nausea and vomiting that I experience. I also caught a case of mono. I went from being my normal peppy energetic self and turned into a kind of zombie. For months I slept 20 hours a day, with excessive fatigue, lack of energy, and weakness. I lost myself. I couldn't muster up enough energy to get dressed or wash my hair. I needed help with some of the most basic needs. I lost my motivation to cook, to eat, read, or even sing. Every single thing took more energy than I had and getting out of house was a pipe dream, other than for appointments, and I needed a ride and help to get to most of those. After about four months I started being awake a little longer, but I couldn't shake the fatigue and weakness. The mono was gone but I was left feeling the same way. Then the sweats started. My hot flashes (over four years of them) have always left me glistening ever so slightly, but all of a sudden I started drenching my clothing. I started getting hot flashes AND cold sweats, causing clammy head-to-toe pools of sweat all over. My hair would be soaked, my clothing would be drenched through up to three layers including jackets, and it felt like a burning painful cold sweat. It is hard to explain the discomfort of it all, but it took away any motivation to move. So I spent months and months in bed and on the couch, getting help with basic needs and help taking care of my puppy, struggling to get through each day and losing weight. I couldn't be myself.
About a month ago, when we could not find the reason for this downward spiral, my doctor suggested going off of this anti nausea medication. I was a little skeptical and nervous to be plagued with that severe nausea again, but I did as I was told and went off of the medication. Well now I was dealing with withdrawal on top of everything. That first week was utter hell. It has taken about a month for things to become more regulated again, but I have had a few days where I have even had the energy to go for a nice walk, curl my hair, play with my pooch, and tonight I am even going on a date. I am peppier and becoming more and more motivated, my appetite is improving, I am staying awake for 8 hours or so, sleeping better, sweating less, and able to practice piano. Things are looking up and I am SO glad that those nine months are through. It is like waking up from a haze that I had no control over. I would take nausea and vomiting daily over what that medication did to me any day.
Today I feel like myself.
Thank goodness.
