The Grey Area of Recovery
This significant void of recovery following a battle with Sepsis has many names, but it is commonly referred to as “The Grey Area.” This term aptly describes the experience of navigating a recovery path that the medical community often seems reluctant to acknowledge as a legitimate medical condition—at least not in the way it truly affects the lives of patients. For those who have been fortunate enough to survive sepsis but have been unfortunate enough to find themselves traversing this vast grey area of recovery, there are few guiding benchmarks to follow. In fact, the only advice typically provided is simply to rest and recover, which feels exceedingly vague and unhelpful during such a challenging time.
So where does this grey area of recovery fit in? Well, it seems to land right slap bang in the middle of the experience of “you survived” and the seemingly vague “see how you get on," I suppose. For me, it represented a challenging transition between the familiarity of the hospital environment and the delicate return of your cognitive skills, all while grappling with the fearful thought of trying not to die again at home—a daunting reality with no clear step-by-step process for you to follow. And that is really the essence of the grey area in a nutshell. This grey area is incredibly individual, as none of us are created equal, and most of us inevitably experience a variety of different outcomes during recovery. However, we all share one crucial element in common: we survived our ordeal and now face the ongoing journey of recovery. And that path to recovery is, without a doubt, inevitable for each of us.
The significant problem with “The Grey Area” is that there exists a certain understanding of this grey area within the realm of medicine. However, the crucial question is: how do you effectively treat this nebulous grey area? Furthermore, why is it not classified as an official medical term? The simple answer lies in the fact that, at this moment, it remains untreatable; there is no one specific medication that addresses this shortfall. Instead, it presents itself as a complex spiders' web of confusion and a distorted perception of reality that requires attention from various medical approaches. Essentially, it's akin to a spiders' web: when you tug on one side, it affects another area of the web on the opposite side, and subsequently, the adjacent web connected to that one, and so on. Soon enough, you find yourself descending down a rabbit hole.
Sure, you may receive prescribed medications to alleviate the immediate problems arising from the aftereffects and devastation of sepsis. However, it is the aspects in-between that remain shrouded in uncertainty. The sudden aches and pains, the cramps that appear and disappear even when you are not dehydrated, and the brain fog that suddenly causes you to forget the basics yet, at times, allows you to complete complex functions—it is all part of the intricate mind games played with you. The doubt instilled in your mind, the uncertainty about your progress, and the unexpected wave of emotions that can wash over you for seemingly no reason whatsoever all contribute to the overwhelming experience. Additionally, the feelings of weakness and the sudden exhaustion that materialize for no apparent reason can be incredibly challenging. They linger and take what feels like an eternity to recover from even the simplest of tasks, such as taking a short walk with a beloved companion or navigating the stairs to reach your bed. This begs the question: how exactly do you treat such an elusive phenomenon? It often feels almost impossible.
But I found a straightforward way to minimize the grey area and all its associated issues by simply creating a well-thought-out plan, complete with a process to effectively reach my goal. It's certainly a challenging walk that requires unwavering dedication to both the process and the plan. However, if you have this structured approach in place, you will begin to see improvements, and it will ultimately pay off, significantly shortening the time frame of the recovery process. I detail the seven-step plan that I developed for myself in my blog, aptly titled "The 7 Step Plan," where I discuss each step in much greater detail.
The most important step to take out of all is undoubtedly to make a start and get the momentum going. It is simply not going to work if you don’t take action right away; you have to get up and get started, because that’s truly the key to success. So, keep pushing forward, stay focused on your goals, and remember to never, ever give up.
Keep Going.
