It Begins

I took 8 cipro pills in early March, 2017. At that time, I started to feel absolutely horrible, so I stopped after 8 pills. The cipro damaged my connective tissue. It seems to have affected my ligaments more than my tendons. I felt it throughout my legs, arms, and shoulder. I could barely walk, even from one room to another within my own home. Standing, sitting, and even lying down were all painful. It was scary.

(I had some other minor issues as well, that ended up to be not as serious, such as brain fog and muscle weakness.)

I was worried that I was not going to get better. Because my connective tissue problem simply would NOT improve for weeks. I was homebound and depressed and stressed. Very much so.

Recovery

Finally, I started to notice improvement. It was SO slow. And not obvious on a daily basis. But it was happening, I could tell, week by week.

Now, after only 3 months, I am driving again, walking again, and back to work. I am still recovering, but I still notice I continue to get better.

Perspective

It seems as though the vast majority of people get better, you just have to be patient. Everyone has their own timeline. Thankfully, mine was only about 3 months. And I was pretty bad.

Keep in mind that on the internet, you are always going to hear the WORST stories. That’s just because people with mild or temporary symptoms don’t take the time to express their non-existent horror stories. Point is, hang in there, and do NOT assume the worst.

My best days early on happened when I was distracted and laughing about something or otherwise thinking positive. In these moments, my physical body was literally healing itself best. It is amazing to look back on. The mind is POWERFUL. Use it. It isn’t always easy, but there are always at least some blessings to be grateful for.

You have food. You have shelter. You have friends, or if not, then you have friends-in-waiting in online support groups, such as: https://www.facebook.com/groups/floxies/. Not every one has such items. Did you know that millions of people die every year from basic under-nutrition and hunger?

Figure out what can be “fun” or meaningful for you in your current state, and find a way to do it. My biggest single-day improvement came on a day I pushed myself to have a friend drive me to a farm animal sanctuary. By the time I was about to head back home, I suddenly noticed how well I was walking. I couldn’t believe it.

Conclusion

This has been and continues to be a humbling learning experience for me. “Bad” things are just a part of life. Don’t get too caught up in what you don’t have. Just accept. Be depressed sometimes. But be happy other times.

I’ve learned a lot and grown into a better person. I hope the same for you.

Personal Tips

As far as strategies for improvement, in my particular case I would say, in order of importance:

  • time and patience;
  • positive attitude and gratefulness;
  • a basic, healthy diet, avoiding inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, sugar, and processed items, and eating lots of vegetables in smoothie or salad form, anti-inflammatory foods such as sardines, fish oil, and turmeric, and a multi-vitamin (my personal one being: https://www.drfuhrman.com/shop/222/multivitamins);
  • bone broth soup https://wellnessmama.com/5888/how-to-make-bone-broth/ and/or collagen https://www.amazon.com/Zint-Beef-Collagen-Powder-10oz/dp/B01LME7MTY/ and/or grass-fed beef all POSSIBLY helped in moderation;
  • warm baths get the blood flowing into areas so that they can be repaired; and ice can relieve pain as needed;
  • physical therapy was also helpful to regain movement and strength that I lost, but only after I felt well enough to do it. I don’t think this would have been smart to dive into immediately. PT lessened my pain and improved my range of motion. Just be sure to let them know to be very very gentle on you at first and to work very slowly. Then there’s no way you can get hurt as long as they do follow this instruction. Always take things slowly. Stop early. Rest. You are getting better. Be patient and don’t overdo it;
  • read “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl and/or “The Power of Meaning” by Emily Esfahani Smith.
I took a variety of supplements but think I overdid that, and didn’t see any obvious improvement. I think it’s best to stick with basics, and all of what I listed above is pretty solid advice for general health. At least in my opinion. Feel free to try something else as well, but don’t do 100 things at once in a panic 🙂 Try things out slowly.
Don’t do everything I did. Do what makes sense for you. And don’t do anything if it just causes you additional stress.

Most important is time, patience, and positivity.

All the best,

Thomas

 

** The story above is truthful, accurate and told to the best of the ability of the writer. It is not intended as medical advice. No person who submits his or her story, nor the people associated with Floxie Hope, diagnoses or treats any illness. The story above should not be substituted for professionally provided medical advice. Please consult your doctor before trying anything that has been mentioned in this story, or in any other story on this site. Please also note that people have varying responses to the treatments mentioned in each story. What helps one person may not help, and may even hurt, another person. It is important that you understand that supplements, IVs, essential oils, and all other treatments, effect people differently depending on the millions of variables that make each of us unique. Please use appropriate caution and prudence, and get professional medical advice.