A Full Recovery

Several of the recovery stories on floxiehope.com describe people who are mostly, but not fully, recovered. A lot of the recovery stories are from people who can see the light at the end of the fluoroquinolone toxicity tunnel, but they’re not completely out of the tunnel yet. Even though these recovery stories are not of complete recoveries, I think that they’re still valuable. The show that life can go on through and after fluoroquinolone toxicity, and they describe the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual journey while it is still vivid and raw. Many of the people with partial recovery stories on floxiehope.com continue to improve. Life goes on–sometimes with bumps in the road/setbacks–but often toward continued recovery.

Some people who have read these partial recovery stories have asked, quite reasonably, if there are any people who FULLY recover, and return to their pre-flox capabilities. To this, I answer, “YES, I have fully recovered.” Me – Lisa – the author of the majority of the posts on this site. I have fully recovered.

When I wrote my recovery story in 2013 I was 90-something-percent recovered. I still had some autonomic nervous system issues and the fear and anger that came with getting poisoned by ciprofloxacin lingered. I wrote an update in 2014 that noted some features of my continued recovery.

Since 2014, I have continued to improve. I was physically completely healed in 2014, but the emotional journey has continued. I have worked through a lot of fear and anger since 2014. Both the fear, and most of the anger, have largely gone away.

I have healed.

I write this not to brag, or to diminish the experiences of those who don’t recover (there are some people who don’t recover, and they deserve our sympathy and support), but, as always, to give others hope. A full recovery is possible. I have fully recovered. I hope for the same for all who read this.

I recently (I got home day before yesterday at the time of writing this) visited Australia on vacation and was able to do all the things that I wanted to with ease. I went on a tour of Tasmania with a bunch of 20-something year olds and was able to keep up with them. We hiked to waterfalls and jumped off sand-dunes. It was fun! My feet didn’t hurt and I had plenty of energy to keep up with them. I was able to eat whatever I wanted. I slept decently–even on couches and in hostels. It was a good vacation. It was exactly what it would have been if I had never gotten floxed. I have recovered.

I hope that my recovery, and these pics of my vacation, give you hope that recovery, and a life that is full of activity and adventure, are possible. I posted these pictures, and others, on my facebook wall as I was touring Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmania. Several people thanked me for sharing the photos because they gave them hope that this type of travel is possible post-flox. It is possible. I had a fantastic time, and I hope that you are each able to take a similar journey, or whatever else you desire that indicates a full recovery.

All aspects of my journey through fluoroquinolone toxicity took time. I encourage you all to be patient with yourselves. I couldn’t have traveled through Australia like I did earlier this month when I was first floxed. I can do it now though, and that feels really, really, really good.