Greetings Tired friends!
It's been a little while since I last wrote so here's a quick update...
In the last week I have packed up my things and moved into my new university flat ready to begin my second year studying medical sciences. I am incredibly lucky to have a place at one of the country's leading universities and I have never been under any other illusion. So, preparing to go back when I'm not at my personal best feels almost fraudulent, as if I'll somehow be letting down the institution itself. Equally, making the decision to take a year off without even trying to go back feels fraudulent, as I've never been one to slow down or take a break. (I am not a plan B kind of person, there is only plan A and plan A does not include taking a year off)!
The new term begins on Monday, which is exciting and daunting. It's difficult to imagine what my second year at Exeter is going to look like but one thing I know for sure is that it isn't going to be like my first! I am not going back as the same person that I was last year, but I am going back and that in itself is something to be grateful for.
After being discharged from the hospital, I had three visits to the Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit (AECU) and one to the on-call hospital GP for a viral tonsillitis infection (that I caught because my immune system was virtually non-existent). On my last visit to AECU I finally got my confirmed diagnosis of glandular fever, on the 7th August, one month after I first became unwell.
Glandular fever is caused by the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), which is so common that most of the population contracts it without ever knowing they have. Once you have the virus, you remain a carrier for the rest of your life and can easily pass it on to anyone who has not yet been exposed to the virus. Most people who contract EBV will not get glandular fever but those of us who are really lucky do.
This diagnosis came as a shock to the consultants working on my case because I'd had such an extreme reaction to a common virus. I was told, by more than one healthcare professional, that I had the worst case of glandular fever they had ever seen - I have always been too competitive for my own good. It's still not understood why I became so unwell or why my blood test results had been so poor, and I've had to accept that there is unlikely to be an answer on that front.
I wish I could write that I got miraculously better from here and I am ready to head back to uni all bright, feeling brand-new. Unfortunately, that is not my reality. That is not the reality for thousands of people who have been affected by glandular fever. Around 1 in 10 people go on to experience prolonged fatigue and many of those eventually develop myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Speaking as someone who wants to go into the field of medical research (so knows how to use Dr. Google pretty professionally) there is very limited research into CFS/ME and it is still poorly understood. Anyone can be affected by this, at any age, although it is largely thought to be triggered by a virus and the majority of people diagnosed with CFS/ME were found to have previously had glandular fever.
It's been ten weeks since I returned from Greece and I am slowly rebuilding my strength. A few days ago, I was told by my GP that he is concerned I may have developed chronic fatigue syndrome as a result of the severe reaction my body had to EBV. Unfortunately, there is currently no diagnostic test to confirm whether a person does or does not have this and so a process of elimination begins, which usually takes months.
I have decided that I will be going back to university but I have also realised that if I can't continue, it doesn't mean I failed. It just means that I am taking responsibility for what my body needs to give myself the best chance of regaining full health. So I guess there is room for a plan B after all.
Thank you for your continued love and support, it's been amazing to hear from so many of you and to hear your own stories as you follow mine!
Charlotte x
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