When you come home from the hospital,
your journey to recovery has only just begun.
Everyone likes coming home from
hospital, but patience, this is only a start to your recovery. It can take
weeks, if not months to feel well again. During recovery, you’ll need to honour
follow-up appointments to your doctor/specialist, you may need some form of
nursing care (wound dressings, injections, blood tests, physiotherapy) and report
problems (take pictures with your cell phone and send these to your doctor)
e.g., swelling, rashes, bleeding or signs of inflammation or infection.
There may be more recovery challenges
than you realise. You may be experiencing some or all of the following.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
While it’s normal to feel ‘worn-out’ after an illness, trauma or surgery, feeling ‘tired all the time’ can be frustrating and disheartening. This may be caused by:
ü
What you’re eating: Look up convalescent
diets for your condition on the internet.
ü
If you’re anaemic, your doctor has probably prescribed
a supplement. Try debittered Molasses. The natural sugar content will also help
to boost energy levels.
ü
‘Power-naps’ during the day are great revivers.
ü
Stress wears you out. Remember that a problem
shared is a problem halved.
Breathlessness:
It’s not only Covid that can take
your breath away. Respiratory infections, lung diseases and inflammation can leave
you feeling exhausted and out of breath. Learn to slow down. Physiotherapist, Sam
Holtzhuizen, currently specialising in helping Covid patients to recover, says
that because prolonged coughing can be exhausting, it’s important to learn to
breathe properly and control coughing spasms. Sam teaches cough suppression
techniques like sipping water, reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, sucking
ice and cough lozenges, using distraction and relaxation. It also helps to sleep
in a semi-upright position.
Sleeplessness:
Exhaustion doesn’t enhance sleep. Sleeplessness
can be exaggerated by stress and worry. Make sure you’re comfortable, don’t
watch TV before turning in, try herbal supplements like zinc and magnesium,
Rescue Remedy and herbal tea like Camomile – or a cup of warmed milk sweetened
with honey.
No appetite?
Food = energy. If you’re not
eating, you’re running on empty. When food has lost its taste, and you’re not
hungry (maybe feeling nauseous) try eating small, nourishing snacks more often.
Depression:
This is the number one enemy of
recovery. It’s a misunderstood symptom that you simply can’t ‘snap’ out of on a
whim! It takes time, work and determination to find those happiness hormones
again. Choose to do the things you enjoy, reach out to family and friends –
there’s no shame in being honest and telling them how you’re feeling. Start by
venturing outdoors and spending more time in the sunshine. Gradually add
walking (ideally barefoot) to this schedule.
Constipation:
All the above can contribute to
‘blocking up’ your system adding to recovery blues. Circumstances are different.
Speak to your pharmacist about a treatment plan. If this does not help, do
speak to your doctor.
Top tips:
ü Boost
your immune system
ü Treasure
every day (the good, the bad, and the ugly)
ü Take
up a hobby – read, listen to music, handcrafts
ü Meditate
and pray
ü Start a project.
Photography: Aloise Ireland
