What's the sickest you've ever been in your life?

[u/eatmyearwaxx]

[u/SamHandwich0]

When i was 16 i could do a kickflip

[u/kkramer28 → u/SamHandwich0]

And I can ride my bike with no handle bars…

[u/Technical-Muffin9817 → u/kkramer28]

no handle baaaars....

[u/IssaThrowAway420x69 → u/Technical-Muffin9817]

no handle bars…

[u/smack4u → u/IssaThrowAway420x69]

I can keep rhythm with no metronome

[u/Somsri → u/smack4u]

I can call my friends on the telephone

[u/Treezle737 → u/IssaThrowAway420x69]

And I can split the atom of a molecule

[u/ChampionshipDry8165 → u/SamHandwich0]

sickkkkk 🤘

[u/sudsomatic → u/SamHandwich0]

That’s so sick

[u/batmanfanforever15]

Pneumonia. This was about 12 years ago and I was so freaking sick and hurting so bad I thought I was going to die. I was hallucinating from a high fever and coughing my lungs out and it was hurting to breathe. I have never been so damn sick in my life!!

EDIT: All the responses blew me away! I hope everyone got better and is doing better. Pneumonia is no joke and I never took it seriously till I got it.

[u/Far-Conflict4504 → u/batmanfanforever15]

My 5 year old daughter came down with a serious fever and she was sick and lethargic af. I took her to emerg when I couldn’t break her fever and they sent us home to “sleep it off”

That night she’s laying in bed with me with a fever of 42.5 and she asking me “mommy why is that man with red eyes behind you?” And “there are people crawling on the ceiling” really fucked up stuff. She was so hot to the touch when I touched her back it physically hurt my hand from how hot it was. Felt like I burned my fingers. I carried her back to emerg, she couldn’t even open her eyes, and I told them I wasn’t leaving until they figured out what was wrong with her. They did blood tests and X-rays and finally, it was pneumonia. She doesn’t even remember it now but I never forget the fear I had over those couple days. Every time my kids get a fever I think of that.

[u/batmanfanforever15 → u/Far-Conflict4504]

OMG that is freaking terrifying!!!! 😱 How long did it take her to get better? Those fever hallucinations are no joke. I was seeing a dark and tall black figure with red eyes when I had pneumonia.

[u/Far-Conflict4504 → u/batmanfanforever15]

Insane that the brain automatically makes the hallucinations terrifying! Honestly she started feeling better within an hour of receiving antibiotics intravenously. It was a pretty quick recovery once we actually knew what it was!

[u/ShiraCheshire → u/Far-Conflict4504]

I think part of it is that the brain knows something is wrong in that situation, and that turns into it making the assumption that something scary is happening- so all your hallucinations are nightmare demons. It's possible to have non-scary hallucinations if you can get them in a way that doesn't trigger panic mode in your body.

[u/Mousketeer666 → u/batmanfanforever15]

Same!! I was in 6th grade and sick for so long but my parents were oblivious to my complaints. It wasn't until Christmas day when my sister told them I'd been up all night shivering and throwing up that I was finally taken to the ER. I didn't even care. Admitted me and I was there for a week. Spent the entire Christmas/new year break in an isolated section of the hospital children's ward.

[u/sodabubbles1281 → u/Mousketeer666]

Oof that’s some horrific neglect by your parents

[u/MostCase6400 → u/Mousketeer666]

Stop I went to the hospital for bacterial pneumonia on Christmas too

[u/Eyrate → u/Mousketeer666]

Parents can be so clueless sometimes. I was really sick once as a little kid and I guess my parents didn't know until I started seeing naked babies and elephants with wings flying around the room and my sister went and told them so they rushed me to the ER. I swear to this day I still remember those cute little elephants. 🥰

[u/mydogrufus20 → u/Eyrate]

Took my brother’s skateboard for a minute while my mom was getting ready for a date one night. Went over a crack in the sidewalk and fell. Broke my wrist. Didn’t know it at the time of course. Came inside crying trying to tell my mom I fell and was hurt. She spanked me cuz she thought I was being naughty and obstinate then went on her date. Thank goodness my older sister was “babysitting” and saw my wrist was HUGELY swollen. When my mom returned I was sitting with my sister on the kitchen counter with my arm in a bucket of ice. We went to the hospital after that and I got a cast. Mom doesn’t remember it the same way

[u/SubjectBasic87 → u/mydogrufus20]

ah, the classic and ever-convenient “huh, i don’t remember [it like] that” line

[u/NoSleep2135 → u/batmanfanforever15]

I got the flu as a first grader that turned into pneumonia. I was sick for an entire month. Left me with lung scarring for the rest of the life, and I was sickly for years after.

Laying in bed, struggling to breathe, feeling like you're drowning on dry land, all the while having a super high fever that makes you incredibly loopy. My entire family (and myself) thought I was going to die. And this was in America, with antibiotics (that just weren't working).

My school wanted to hold me back a grade because of how many absences I had and my parents lost their minds. I was grades ahead in reading and math, and was out because I physically could not walk to the bathroom unassisted for parts of it. I will never forget being quarantined in the living room with a bucket, trying to prevent giving it to my brother with asthma.

It was literally hell on earth.

[u/Infinite-Touch5154 → u/batmanfanforever15]

I second this. Had pneumonia while also iron deficient. I can understand why people died from this in the days before modern medicine.

[u/conamo → u/batmanfanforever15]

I remember my bout of pneumonia as 1.5-2 weeks in bed. It was SIX. Two to figure out my "cold" wasn't going away, 2 on prednisone and Rx cough syrup, and 2 with extreme fatigue and sore ribs. And that was a "don't need to be in the hospital" case.

I now understand how quickly it kills people.

[u/intuitiveXX → u/batmanfanforever15]

Ugh same chest infection turned pneumonia

[u/blind-bambi → u/batmanfanforever15]

Just recovering now after 4 weeks. I had no idea how sick I was going to get. I hope you’re feeling better now.

[u/Sleepy_g1rlie]

Coming down off a multi day bender during peak addiction. Thank god those days are over.

[u/Difficult_Habit_4483 → u/Sleepy_g1rlie]

Yeah multi day puking and the sweaty shakes while puking. Happened at least once a week. I’ll be 20 years sober in December.

[u/Lynthae → u/Difficult_Habit_4483]

Boss

[u/blah7blah1blah → u/Sleepy_g1rlie]

I’m proud of you!

[u/5678go]

I almost died from Crohn’s Disease. I had my colon removed and now have a permanent ileostomy. Thankfully doing much better now! I would have died without it.

[u/eatmyearwaxx → u/5678go]

Of all the sicknesses I see in my line of work, one of them that scares me the most, is Crohn's. It must be like living hell. And ulcerative colitis too. I'm so happy you're much better now, even without your colon.

[u/Big_Steve_69 → u/eatmyearwaxx]

My friend died from UC at age 32. Never knew how bad it was.

[u/Smooth_Wasabi8433 → u/Big_Steve_69]

😭 that's so sad. I'm sorry. My brother has that and he gets injections every 8 weeks

[u/IllYellow7619 → u/eatmyearwaxx]

It really is one of those illnesses you can’t fully understand until you see what someone goes through. I’m so glad they found a way forward and that life is treating them better now.

[u/listeningunderurbed → u/eatmyearwaxx]

I have crohns , ulcerative colitis and ibs. I’m 17. I’m in for a treat

[u/bigDUB14 → u/listeningunderurbed]

Hopefully not too many treats

[u/junkyardcat99 → u/5678go]

Same, feels like finally living!

[u/FreakyOrca → u/5678go]

I’m glad you’re doing better! I have crohns and haven’t had surgery, but I’ve been battling insurance denials for medication for months now.

[u/marisaleeann → u/5678go]

Same! I was diagnosed in 2014. I haven’t been able to find any successful treatments or remission yet though. But I also almost died during one of my several hospital stays.

[u/randomlady2001]

I got strep in my heart which caused sepsis

[u/SomethingAboutUsers → u/randomlady2001]

My brother died from group B strep in the bloodstream that ended in sepsis. Went into the hospital on Friday night and was dead by Sunday afternoon. He was 39.

You're damn lucky.

[u/batsharklover1007 → u/SomethingAboutUsers]

OMG I am so sorry.

[u/SomethingAboutUsers → u/batsharklover1007]

Thanks, friend. I miss him some decade later but his impact on me lives on.

[u/OldBayOnEverything → u/randomlady2001]

I thought it was crazy when my son got strep in his butthole. Heart is terrifying.

[u/ScoutAames → u/OldBayOnEverything]

My daughter, too, had strep butt! Started on the vulva, actually, as a rash that wouldn’t clear. Pediatrician wasn’t helpful. Tried all the creams I could think of (jock itch cream, hydrocortisone, aquaphor, diaper rash cream, etc. Nothing helped. Then I got strep. And then I started googling causes of vaginosis in kids. And strep was on the list. Next day after school, the butt rash appeared. Took her to urgent care and told the doc look, I have strep, I never get strep, I read this on NIH blah blah blah and she was like no homie I got you, I think you’re right.

Poor kid was raging with so much strep that the throat swab was positive even with no throat symptoms. Doctor wrote the script for oral and topical antibiotics and said “go get these and start them NOW.” It was like 8:30pm by then.

Honestly the most triumphant ride home. I was so so glad that we had finally figured it out and could get her better. Antibiotics are such a fucking miracle. She was improving by morning.

[u/NorthernWitchy → u/ScoutAames]

That is WILD, good on you for advocating for your kiddo though! I had no idea that you could get strep anywhere outside of the mouth/throat, TIL..

[u/Infinite_Vehicle434 → u/OldBayOnEverything]

I’m glad I’m not the only one. I got strep in all my mucous membranes, it was terrible. I’ve never heard of anyone else dealing with that lol 😭

[u/JMCochransmind → u/randomlady2001]

I had strep go into my nasal cavity this year. It was so painful to swallow spit or anything. I would wince at the pain in my throat and pulled a muscle in my ribs because of it. Was totally fucked for about two weeks.

[u/annaminda → u/randomlady2001]

Oh gosh. How did they treat it

[u/Shelikestheboobs → u/annaminda]

Intravenous antibiotics. Lots of them.

[u/tonkywonkus → u/annaminda]

Big bad IV antibiotics were no doubt part of the plan

[u/Orion_Brunette-001 → u/randomlady2001]

My grandfather died from this complication. I'm sorry you went through this.

[u/OrganicSports → u/randomlady2001]

Mine was also strep. It went into my gum line and I could feel every single individual tooth in my skull 😪😪😪 white patches/shit oozing out it was actually a fucking nightmare. I didnt eat solid foods for 12 days.

[u/Different-Quality-41]

Norovirus

[u/PewpyDewpdyPantz → u/Different-Quality-41]

Worst 48 hours of my life. Couldn’t hold any food or water down. Just back and forth between the couch and the toilet. My then partner almost took me to the hospital because of how dehydrated I was.

[u/SuspiciousArtist8167 → u/PewpyDewpdyPantz]

I actually went to the ER the last time I had it. Best idea ever! They put an IV in me ASAP and pumped me full of Zofran, saline, and painkillers. They then game me scripts for Zofran and a gut anti inflammatory. I felt A MILLION times better!

[u/ermyne → u/SuspiciousArtist8167]

Same here, I felt so guilty for wasting their time, but also the saline and zofran was incredible….after about 6 hours of throwing up every 10 minutes on the dot, I can’t describe the relief

[u/Crozax → u/PewpyDewpdyPantz]

Didn't have couch energy when I had it. Just lived in the bathroom for 12 hours. The cool of the urine stained porcelain was my only light in the darkness after a round of vomiting and shitting my pants.

[u/Delanium → u/Different-Quality-41]

Mid stomach-flu is the only time in my life I've genuinely considered if death would be better lol

[u/bordermelancollie09 → u/Different-Quality-41]

I had norovirus like 6 weeks into moving in with my now-husband. The fact that he still married me after watching me go through that is mind blowing lmao

[u/Off-brand_username → u/Different-Quality-41]

I had to sit on the toilet and vomit into a bucket and the violence of the vomit caused explosive diarrhea so I spent my time ill either on the toilet or lying on the floor beside it. Too weak to twist a cap, I had to call a friend to bring me Gatorade and they opened all the bottles and left them on the floor beside me. Never been so grateful in my life.

[u/benfoldsgroupie → u/Off-brand_username]

That is an amazing friend and I hope you got them flowers or a thank you card or a few beers when you were back on your feet. Sounds truly awful, may you never have to endure that ever again.

[u/mozzabella98 → u/Off-brand_username]

Shamefully I was on my hands and knees in the bathtub vomit and diarrhea at the same exact time, about 15 times combined, just washing it all down the drain. I have never behaved so depraved in my life, nor been that type of sick in my life. My dad left Gatorade and saltine crackers on the steps, before that I would immediately vomit if I took a sip of water, also the dry heaving

[u/SassySunflower27 → u/Different-Quality-41]

I was hospitalized because they didn’t want me around my baby. And they overly pushed fluids so I wouldn’t lose my milk supply. It hit quickly too. Changing baby, to puking and popping myself. She was still laying on the changing table.

[u/EconomyTightSeat → u/SassySunflower27]

I had norovirus this Easter, together with my GF's family. GF's Grandma was not feeling well but still decided to cook Easter lunch. We all ate it, and the next day was absolute chaos. I started feeling sick while driving. Had to park the car 8 times to puke before I could arrive home. Lodged myself in my GF's family house to not contaminate my close family. Good lord. I still have it my brain, the memory of 5+ people all sick with norovirus at the same time. I was still building a relationship with her parents, there I was puking only in my underwear in a bucket in the living room. I was so dehydrated I have to take IV liquids. But that was a game changer.

[u/Complete-Bumblebee-5 → u/Different-Quality-41]

Short-lived but brutal

[u/SammieStones → u/Complete-Bumblebee-5]

Short lived my fucking ASS!! That was 12 pure hours of HELL. Both ends same time. Nest on the bathroom floor with MANY pillows and blankets shivering fingertips so cold I was shoving them under my boobs for warmth but somehow also sweating. That’s the 2 hours I contemplated calling an ambulance. Btw, pro tip, when dry heaving its is SO MUCH more comfortable to down water and have a stream come up than to have actual dry heaving. I did so many tests that evening 🥵 survived but the weird cold fingertip thing never went away. When I get cold now, my nerves are a bit different, hard to explain. Getting old is fun🤩

[u/sarmurpat6411 → u/SammieStones]

You only had it for 12 hours??? I had it for three consecutive days. I lost like 8 lbs in that time. I was so dehydrated and exhausted I was wishing for death. Literally my friend died while I was sick and I wanted to trade places with her.

[u/Other-Lobster7983 → u/Different-Quality-41]

I had to take my Firefighter practical exam while deathly ill from what I would later discover was Norovirus… 0/10 would not recommend. Even with rice.

[u/alchemyali → u/Different-Quality-41]

Norovirus hit me on a plane. It was a three hour flight. I used every barf bag around me. Everyone on that plane hated my guts. But not as much as my guts hated me.

[u/SuspiciousArtist8167 → u/alchemyali]

Omg that is my worst nightmare!! It’s literally why I travel with antiemetics everywhere I go!

[u/CyberpunkSunrise → u/Different-Quality-41]

Dude. Was looking for this reply.

It was crazy, even more so for how short the “worst of the worst” period was. It was a period of only a few hours where I can only describe it as feeling imminent doom and as if I truly might die and things were fading (and of course I couldn’t even keep water down).

Then 24 hours from that point I was fine. Truly strange experience.

[u/eatmyearwaxx → u/CyberpunkSunrise]

Sounds absolutely awful.

RUOK now?

[u/lucillebluth071621 → u/Different-Quality-41]

Caught noro from our baby shower at 7 months pregnant. First time in my life I’ve ever asked to be taken to the hospital.

[u/Cats_Meow94 → u/Different-Quality-41]

I had norovirus for the first time this year. I thought I was gonna die and was in a weird delusional fever dream state where I thought I had been poisoned and I was ready to call the police 😅😂 very wild ride and when I came out of it I was so glad I didn’t call for help because I would’ve looked insane.

[u/OddFaithlessness9189 → u/Different-Quality-41]

same... death would have been preferable

[u/Wild_Wondering → u/Different-Quality-41]

I just commented the same thing but now I'm wondering why people are saying 48 hours when I had it for 7 days straight 🫩

[u/thick_mcrunfast_26 → u/Wild_Wondering]

Same. It was unrelenting. The worst of it lasted 8 days but I didn't feel normal again for weeks.

[u/GoddessHealer]

I had a massive saddle pulmonary embolism and was on life support. All of my organs were failing. They called my family in to get permission to withdraw life support. A nurse I knew because I had been her dean came in at change of shift and told the doctors that if they had given up on me that she would like to take over my care and see what she could do. She did what outstanding expert nurses who embody nursing knowledge do: she observed my every moment-to-moment emerging and changing needs. She changed her nursing care accordingly in each moment. She looked for tiny patterns of change, and made adjustments accordingly. She took care of my whole self. I responded, and with each new response, she changed her care of me. I was able to come off life support in a few days. I recovered slowly, over the next months.

[u/batsharklover1007 → u/GoddessHealer]

Wow. I’m glad you are OK. She sounds like a fucking saint

[u/M4rshmall0wMan → u/batsharklover1007]

This is why we need to stop burning out medical personnel. Given the experience and time to really care, doctors and nurses can pull off some fucking miracles. But attrition rates are higher than ever these days

[u/Loogame123 → u/GoddessHealer]

Are you still in contact with the nurse? I feel like she would be invited to every holiday and event from there on out, lol. Amazing work on her end, and on you for pulling through. Sorry you went through that.

[u/capcityanon → u/GoddessHealer]

Wow. What an amazing nurse. Glad you recovered

[u/Neither_Quit1751 → u/GoddessHealer]

Omg I also had a massive saddle pulmonary embolism, but was not to the point where I was on life-support, thankfully. So glad you are here!
I thought I just had massive heartburn and I had just flown twice in the past week. Then I realized that when I laid flat, I couldn’t breathe. So I went into the ER and when they asked me what was wrong, I said, I am having chest pain and difficulty breathing. I literally thought I was going to suffocate doing the CT scan because I couldn’t breathe, and the technicians just thought I was afraid of the machine and kept yelling at me. When I got out, I couldn’t stop pacing. I refused to sit down. When the doctor came in, he told me that if I had waited a couple more hours, I wouldn’t be here. Spent a few days in the hospital on heparin drip and in crazy pain. Truly thought I was going to die.

I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone.

[u/Cardea81 → u/GoddessHealer]

What a saint! That must have been incredible stressful for her. How is your life now? I wonder why the doctors just gave up on you.

[u/Pricelesshydra4]

Mono fucked me up so bad. I hilucinated in bed for 3 days and took a solid 3 months to fully recover from.

[u/Cold-Guidance6433 → u/Pricelesshydra4]

Mono is so awful. I don’t think people who’ve never had it appreciate how bad it is.

[u/Pricelesshydra4 → u/Cold-Guidance6433]

I think part of the problem is that it's called the kissing disease. Makes it seem way less serious.

[u/AssistantUpbeat5862 → u/Pricelesshydra4]

I had strep and mono at the same time and it was a version of hell i wouldn’t wish on anyone. I couldn’t swallow my own saliva because i was in so much pain. It took me a super long time to recover and my immune system was destroyed for a solid year afterwards.

[u/EightiesBush → u/AssistantUpbeat5862]

I was hospitalized for the same, strep mono and bronchitis. I didn't have health insurance so I didn't go to the doctor until my tonsils were almost touching and they said it was one of the worst cases that they had ever seen. Immediately hospitalized for a solid week.

[u/doodles15 → u/AssistantUpbeat5862]

The same thing happened to me! I wanted to rip out my own throat. My dad is in healthcare and said it was the worst throat infection he’d ever seen.

[u/Ihatealltakennames → u/Pricelesshydra4]

This was also my answer.  Ended up in the hospital.  Lost 10 lbs in 7 days. I didn't have the weight to lose.

[u/Pricelesshydra4 → u/Ihatealltakennames]

I probably should've been taken to the hospital. I remember struggling to drink water and just feeling so dehydrated and in pain. I never want to feel like that again.

[u/iloveyourforeskin → u/Pricelesshydra4]

Yes. My doctor said it wasn't possible to relapse, but I absolutely did several times over a few years. 30ish years later I don't think I've ever fully recovered. I've never not been tired since then. I think it also triggered anxiety.

[u/zerofailure → u/Pricelesshydra4]

EVB in general, my wife had EVB and it was undiagnosed for a month and a half and she was bed bound. We thought she was dying. I was surprised how long it took to figure out what the heck it was.

[u/Labrabrink → u/Pricelesshydra4]

My first symptom was sleeping the entire day on my 17th birthday. The next day one of the lymph nodes in my neck was so swollen you could see it across the room. While I was waiting to get off work so I could go to the walk-in I convinced myself I must have lymphoma.

Then just a quick two months of complete endless bone-deep exhaustion in conjunction with the first few weeks of agonizing throat pain at the start there. I remember only being given three days of steroids to get through the worst of it. I wanted to knock myself out with a hammer so I could stop being conscious for it. Hell on earth.

[u/Slight_Hold_9251 → u/Pricelesshydra4]

I swear I slept for like two weeks straight.

[u/suzeerbedrol]

I got Noro virus several years ago. It was the sickest ive ever been, but was an angel in disguise because it helped me quit smoking cigarettes.

I was so sick i couldn't muster the strength to smoke, I went 6 days without a cigarette and then asked myself "if I can go 6 days, how long can I go?"

I didnt smoke for 4 years, went through a really bad breakup and picked it up again for a few days but then went back to not smoking and I haven't smoked since.

[u/slothsandmoresloths → u/suzeerbedrol]

Shit your way to a longer life, you did! That's badass.

Pun wholly intended.

[u/SchmuckoBucko]

Influenza. It’s no joke. I couldn’t get out of bed for 3 days.

[u/Federal_Orchid757 → u/SchmuckoBucko]

This. Was sick for almost two weeks. High fever. Bone crushing aching. Sores all in my mouth and throat. Was so dehydrated I had to be hospitalized.

[u/Heatherhef712 → u/SchmuckoBucko]

The flu had me down for a whole damn week. The worst I’ve ever felt in my whole life. I get the vax every year now. Literally fuck that ever happening to that degree again.

[u/bcell87 → u/SchmuckoBucko]

Same for me. I remember going to my parents house and being holed up in my old bedroom, and my dad coming in to check if I was still alive. I hadn’t left bed for over 18 hours.

[u/libbywednesday → u/SchmuckoBucko]

My 8 year old almost died from the flu last Christmas. It was horrible. She was in the hospital for days.

[u/OddgitII → u/SchmuckoBucko]

God damn do people underestimate influenza.  

I've had covid, pneumonia, broken bones, and a host of other stuff and it was "the flu" one time that felt like it came the closest to killing me.  In bed for 2 weeks straight, hallucinating from fever, can barely breathe from congestion, could barely eat, and tests at the hospital said I had what people think of these days a as just a premium cold. 

Hell nah, that shit killed millions during the Spanish flu pandemic.

[u/Easy-Photograph6316]

I went into a manic psychosis and spent three weeks in the psych ward

[u/lord-of-shalott → u/Easy-Photograph6316]

I’m so sorry. I hope you received good care and are doing much better.

[u/Emotional-Project-71 → u/Easy-Photograph6316]

How did you end up there ? Did you check yourself in or were you voluntold?

[u/Easy-Photograph6316 → u/Emotional-Project-71]

The police did a wellness check on me and ended up bringing me in! I was put on a non-voluntary hold

[u/mydogrufus20 → u/Easy-Photograph6316]

I’m so sorry

[u/InformalPhone9754]

This question made me reflect on how I've been very fortunate. Aside from a bout of food poisoning and a handful of sinus headaches and a bout of bronchitis, I've been relatively ok.

Except for hangovers. I'm an alcoholic and would drink until I was violently ill. Throwing up all day. Crying. Shaking. Praying for relief. It was a regular occurrence for a couple of decades. I just celebrated 7 years sober. I haven't barfed since June 23rd, 2019.

[u/billieirish]

OG covid strain genuinely felt like I was dying

[u/chemicalamore → u/billieirish]

I was living in Boston in 2019 and early 2020. Maybe November 2019 I caught what I thought was the flu. Couldn’t taste or smell but really what I remember most was not being able to breathe. I laid in my bed, having no idea what COVID was and put on meditative bowls. At this point I wasn’t coughing as much but still couldn’t breathe so I sort of had a moment where I expected my imminent death. Came to peace with it, even.

Didn’t eat for 11 days. Ordered a pizza eventually. Then COVID “hit” and I had to keep it to myself that I thought I had it in 2019 because everyone thought I was nuts.

Now we know it was in Boston at that time.

[u/sleepymoose88 → u/chemicalamore]

Half my extended family was sick with what they described was the sickest they’ve ever been in the weeks up to and including Christmas or 2019, that we canceled all Christmas activities that year, before the pandemic “hit” the US.

[u/pineapplebird52 → u/sleepymoose88]

This happened to a few co-workers over Christmas in 2019. They were so sick but it wasn't the flu, strep, mono, etc. Looking back, we are convinced it was COVID.

[u/sleepymoose88 → u/pineapplebird52]

Yup, mid 2020, my dad has this revelation, he was convinced it had been covid as well but he felt insane because no one in the government would admit it was here in 2019 until sometime in 2021 or 2022.

[u/sweetpotato_latte → u/sleepymoose88]

I always refer to it as being, “the most sick I’ve ever been in my adult life.” I had it basically as November hit December in 2019. When I left for a job training program that started the last week of February I was still making sure I packed DayQuil. I could only eat tomato soup at the height of the sore throat.

[u/notyourstar182 → u/chemicalamore]

That happened to me, too! I was in Boston in November 2019 for a wedding and got horribly sick. I was congested and felt like I couldn’t breathe either. I was exhausted for days and finally recovered. Your experience sounds horrible!

[u/Major-Collection-767 → u/chemicalamore]

I got what I thought was the flu in February of 2020. I’m in Colorado, and covid wasn’t believed to be in the US yet…. I was at work one night and was feeling a little off, but tho it was nerves because i was still training in my position. I spiked a really high fever and was knocking stuff over, asked to go home. Was out for almost two weeks with what I thought the most sick I’d ever been, with flu. I got better for a a couple days then bam it came back full force. I remember going to bed one night completely drained, couldn’t breathe, felt like I was going to die. When I woke up the next morning I was pleasantly surprised to be alive. After Covid was officially announced jn the US and they started the first shutdown I just remember watching the news thinking to myself- I already had that.

[u/Litmeup7x7 → u/chemicalamore]

November/ December 2019 I worked in a very small dispensary. We all thought we kept passing this upper respiratory/ sinus infection back and forth. Some of us (myself included) had fevers off and on for two weeks and most of us (again, me) could not taste or smell. We were all in and out, my GM and I were basically taking turns using PTO as I was the AGM at the time. Fast forward to March 2020 and we’re all looking at each other like “oh shit, I think we all had that.” I stopped telling people because all I got were eye rolls. I live in a VERY red part of a large state, so-makes sense lol

[u/FroggiJoy87 → u/chemicalamore]

My husband was working at BBQ joint near the Reno airport at the time and we're pretty sure he caught it in February 2020. It took out his liver and kidneys (tho alcoholism didn't help) but it took docs months to figure out that, no, his organs didn't just "give up the ghost".

He got transplants and we're going great these days :)

[u/Odd_University7723 → u/chemicalamore]

my dad has a very similar story. july 2020 he developed some eye problems and needed a blood test to confirm what the doc thought it was. asked them to do an antibody test while they were at it and the doc almost refused because we thought there was no way he could have had covid as early as he was symptomatic. dad convinced doc to do the test and he was positive!!!!

[u/Pessimistic_Penguin2 → u/billieirish]

My husband and I went undiagnosed in January 2020. We went to the drs; they didn’t know what we had but said to stay hydrated and ‘ride it out’. After about two weeks we started feeling functional again but it sure felt like death. Then Covid was announced in March and we just said ‘that makes sense now’

[u/FuglySlutt → u/Pessimistic_Penguin2]

ICU nurse at that time here. We were getting patients admitted that we’re on the brink of death and we were all so shocked when the flu swabs kept coming back negative. I have no doubt in my mind we were already unknowingly taking care of dying COVID patients.

[u/mokutou → u/FuglySlutt]

We had a few of these at my hospital too. One was the hot topic of the nursing pool because the pt was so young and otherwise healthy, but her CXR was nothing but ground glass opacities, and she was deteriorating despite everything. It was clearly viral, but despite extensive testing for damn near every disease they could test for, it was all negative. They had to transfer her to a different hospital for a higher level of care. No idea if she made it, but she was a medical mystery and the infectious disease doc was visibly worried about it. That was in January 2020. Around that time is when Covid started getting a lot more air time. Made us all wonder in hindsight when things started shutting down in March.

[u/Wuhblam → u/FuglySlutt]

I would love to watch a documentary or something that shows how confused medical professionals were when cases started coming in

[u/buttermilk_biscuit → u/Wuhblam]

Its not quite the same, but contagion is shockingly accurate epidemiologically to what it feels like to be facing a deadly, completely unknown new pathogen. After working in the ED through covid I find it really hard to watch again.

[u/Objective_Bar_1710 → u/Pessimistic_Penguin2]

I was so sick for three long weeks Dec 2019. A coworker of mine had gone to Japan and when he came back I got so sick. The sickest I had ever been. No one could figure out what it was. I call early COVID.

[u/OutrageousBathroom82 → u/Pessimistic_Penguin2]

Me too. I was 22(f) at the time. Extremely sick. Bedridden with debilitating body aches. Chills. Fever. Headache. I couldn’t move without excruciating pain. It took me out for 4 weeks. Nobody knew what I had. Not to mention Im a very healthy / active individual by nature. Within 24 hours symptoms hit me like a semi truck! January 2020 COVID was no joke

[u/Toadjokes → u/OutrageousBathroom82]

I had it that spring, after it was known. I worked at a grocery store. It was the worst suffering of my life. I had body aches so bad, my mom cleaned out a busted, old hot tub theyve had outside for ages. A bath wouldn't help because the water didnt stay hot long enough. I was maxing out Tylenol and one of us was dragging ourselves to the grocery store for contactless pick up almost daily to restock Gatorade, meds, and etc. We were getting lots of it, just going thru it so quickly with 5 deathly ill people in the house. I was only 20, my then 18 year old brother seemed to have it the worst of anyone. Horrible experience

[u/Mimyx → u/billieirish]

I don't think people will ever understand what that original strain actually felt like if you were pre-vaccine. I genuinely thought this might kill me like it did my grandad. I was in so much pain I was scared to sneeze as the feeling was like having broken glass thrown into my skin. Couldn't breathe, no sense of smell, it hurt to move my eyes. I've had it several times afterwards and they felt like a sniffle comparatively.

[u/deeljay77 → u/billieirish]

Yep that shit sucked. And people were out there saying it's just feels like the flu. The hell it did, I felt so sick it was almost like a dream state. Brain was so foggy and head and chest hurt so bad, it was like I outside of my body.

[u/AwayStudy1835 → u/billieirish]

I'd say Covid for me, too. I couldn't leave the bed at all. And I wasn't near as bad as other people.

[u/Bettysgir]

End stage liver disease caused by a very rare genetic condition. Cured by a successful transplant last year. Please be an organ donor.

[u/willowmarie27]

Just kidney stones. Nothing fancy.

[u/No-Manufacturer4672 → u/willowmarie27]

Also had kidney stones. I'd rather give birth to a baby than go through that again (I have 3 kids)

[u/ParticularArticle655 → u/willowmarie27]

I was passing kidney stones while 36 weeks pregnant and having active contractions. Worst. Pain. Ever.

[u/Odd_Attention7129 → u/willowmarie27]

Ugh worst pain of my life.

[u/Anfie22]

Anorexia. I was 70lbs and my body was actively shutting down, I was dying. Catching your parent researching your funeral expenses in the same room really hits hard.

'Lose weight and people will like you more' is among the worst pieces of advice you can give someone, and it's not even true. It's a lie. I found that out the hard way.

[u/Alarming-Sandwich-98 → u/Anfie22]

People who go say comments like that to others and feel like it’s not damaging need to fuck off. I’m glad you’re here. It shows how strong you are.

[u/Anfie22 → u/Alarming-Sandwich-98]

Thank you, enormously. Sincerely that means a lot to me

[u/Feertjeh → u/Anfie22]

Same. Currently awaiting an admission to a nearby hospital for it. To make matters worse: I also caught norovirus a couple days ago. Norovirus and the absolute depths of anorexia are a horrible combo.

[u/ExternalQuantity5771]

Cdiff was horrible. 

[u/Tall-Reaction-4069 → u/ExternalQuantity5771]

Same almost killed me postpartum. One of the only times a sickness has made me fear for my life . 2 fecal transplants saved my life.

[u/ExternalQuantity5771 → u/Tall-Reaction-4069]

It caused me to go into an adrenal crisis which caused me to code for 13 mins. Then have to be hospitalized for 2 weeks. As well i got it 5 more times that year bc of my step-dad he had a stroke and was really old and never washed his hands 

[u/kelly52182 → u/ExternalQuantity5771]

I've had this too. One of the worst experiences of my life.

[u/chineseknees69 → u/ExternalQuantity5771]

Ahhh cdif. The worst nausea, vomiting, and poops I’ve ever experienced. Oh and the pain. Felt so weak I could barely get out of bed and had to sleep on puppy potty pads due to waking up in puddles of my own rancid feces. My hair got so matted because I was too weak to brush it. Lost close to 30 lbs in a month and didn’t feel even semi close to normal for about a year after. Was left with POTS. Fun times!

[u/AnastasiaNo70]

Sepsis. I ended up in the ICU for three days. I wasn’t super aware of what was going on the first two days. They pumped me full of weapons-grade antibiotics and saved my life.

[u/ZellHathNoFury → u/AnastasiaNo70]

Same!! It was an ovarian cyst that had already ruptured, so no one knew what the cause was for 5 days. They said if I had waited any longer, I would probably be dead.

All I knew was it was 12/10 the worst pain ever

Those antibiotics fucked me up for life, though

[u/greenishbloo]

got rly bad food poisoning in cuba the day i had to fly home. i remember that plane ride like i do a fever dream

[u/woahwoahwoah28 → u/greenishbloo]

I had food poisoning from a Zaxby's salad once. And the next day I had to fly home from school.

I thought I'd be fine.

I was not. We got stuck on the tarmac for over 2 hours. I started shivering. I was having to run to the toilet every 10 minutes. I was surprised they didn't kick me off.

Flight attendant started passing out blankets to passengers. I feebly raised my hand at the same time as an elderly passenger.

I was unable to move. Shivering. Like a waif. Pale. Sunken. She looked at me disturbed, then stared at the flight attendant. Pointed. And said "give it to her. She needs it more than me."

I think of her kindness often.

[u/Low_Victory_823 → u/[deleted]]

Oh god. My workplace health and safety person was running through a list of symptoms asking me which ones I had. I said it’s probably easier for me to tell you the ones I don’t have. Definitely the sickest I’ve ever been!

[u/Bacontrails → u/Low_Victory_823]

I had a fever almost every day for three months. I suffered symptoms for over a year afterwards. Everyone was dying after they were put on the ventilator and I was terrified to go to the hospital.

[u/Sweet_Sub73 → u/[deleted]]

We caught it two years into the pandemic. Hubby caught it first and a really high fever. I came down with if e days later. I never ran a fever, but I don't think I've ever been so sick in my life. Every part of my body hurt. I mean, I think my hair even hurt. Even the god awful fatigue was somehow painful. Ugh.

[u/LovelyBones17 → u/[deleted]]

I managed to not get it until Christmas time and my fever was so high I was hallucinating the bird Christmas ornaments were real birds and needed to get out of the house so I went around in a delirium (lived by myself ) and opened every window to let the birds out and went back to bed . It was 22° outside. My stepdad came over to leave soup on my porch and was standing outside the house yelling for me to wake up . What a time to be mostly alive .

[u/SuperUltraNeat → u/[deleted]]

Same here.

My wife and I caught it a few months in to the pandemic, so it was the bad, bad strain.

My entire body ached, and muscles hurt to move or sit still. My lungs burned. I'd run out of breath walking a few feet to the bathroom. Heart rate would randomly sky rocket. Weeks of absolute hell.

It was horrible. Never caught it again, thankfully. Even after my wife caught it twice more years later. I never tested positive again.

[u/Hek_yeahh]

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome from a sulfa drug. Thankfully we caught it just before my skin started sloughing off 🙃

[u/eatmyearwaxx → u/Hek_yeahh]

I think you probably win. I don't think many people ever are much sicker than SJS's.

[u/OldInitiative3053]

Really bad bout of food poisoning in high school. I had no control of my body. Literally just vomiting and fever all night.

Tied with miscarriage. That was physical hell.

[u/DigBickEnergia]

3rd pregnancy. Water made me throw up. Just recently; ferritin was at a 7 and barely making it through the day because of adenomyosis. 3 weeks post hysterectomy and i feel so much better.

[u/EBweB76]

If it counts as “sick”… when I needed my gallbladder out.

[u/Gbchris12]

Alcohol withdrawal, survived delirium tremens. 6 years sober soon

[u/Strict-Profit7624]

COVID. My nails and lips turned blue, I became ghostly white, could not stand up without passing out, chest pain, and I have not been the same since. I should have gone to the hospital but I was so unwell I couldn't drive myself and I was not about to call an ambulance, which I now look back on and cringe. I developed dysautonomia which never went away.

There was a period of time afterwards in which I couldn't find words, form sentences, drive, or do basic shit I've always done. That went away but I still have brain fog from time to time.

Then my hands and feet got really cold, which never went away. Then came the peripheral neuropathy, pain, mast cell disorder, migraines and occipital headaches, etc etc. it's like it attacked every system in my body.

The biggest issue has been fatigue. I feel like I'm dead. There are no words to describe it. Writing this took so much effort you have no idea.

All of these issues were diagnosed within a 2 year timeframe. It has been the scariest experience of my life. I'm too young to have these issues.

Hopefully this raises awareness that this shit is real and still affecting people who were once young and healthy, people who weren't supposed to get this sick. To the people who call it a flu? I literally hope it happens to them too. That's the only way they are going to understand atp, since they are willfully ignorant.

[u/ashbertollini]

Ruptured appendix, had to stay a few days for sepsis watch and they left the main incision in my belly button open after to drain it. The stuff in your appendix is like highlighter yellow with bits, or atheist mine was lol

[u/texasdogmom]

3/24/26-large intestine rupture and sepsis. For a while I wished I were dead

[u/lord_hijinks → u/texasdogmom]

Omg same. I have Ulcerative Colitis. During my worst flare, I was going through chemo and reacted badly to it: It shut down my liver, part of it became necrotic, and I developed sepsis. I was in full liver failure, and started going into renal failure. Body systems were beginning to collapse, one after another. At the same time, while already in the hospital, part of my colon collapsed, due to the severity of the flare (fulminant), as well as the 105°+ fever from sepsis. This caused a severe blockage. Because of the weakened intestinal walls, the blockage ruptured (Toxic megacolon) and i went into septic shock as waste entered the body cavity and infection entered the blood stream.

Simply put, this was the worst pain of my life... and I even had kidney stones for months. Even kidney stone don't compare to a colon rupture and sepsis. I don't think anything can.

Anyway, I got carried away. All I really wanted to say is that I hear you. I've been through that nightmare, and I think what you went through is THE worst pain you can experience... and you're still here. Congratulations on surviving Hell, itself.

[u/Own-Lack1163]

When I was at the worst of my Hyperacusis, I spent 7 months in earplugs, also wearing earmuffs. Every sound caused me pain and distress, and I started making plans. Luckily, I’m much better now.

[u/TheFeralVulcan]

Food poisoning. I'm a grown ass adult and shat myself and my bed so many times (half of those times in my fitful sleep) that I ran out of sheets and things to put on my mattress. When I ran out of sheets, I put down towels when I ran out of towels, I put whatever I could find. When I was awake it was coming out of both ends at the same time. I live alone and had no help and would get up, pull whatever soiled thing I had on the bed, off the bed and throw it into the corner, go into the shower to hose myself off and crawl back to the bed if I wasn't on the toilet again, and I carried a 3 quart saucepan to puke in - because both ends, I'm telling you. You haven't lived until you're spewing pure liquid from both ends of your alimentary canal.

At the end I had a mountain of disgusting laundry to do and I could barely stand up I was so weak. That whole week I ate nothing and sucked water straight out of the bathroom faucet, trying to keep it down so I wouldn't get dehydrated enough to die I because I couldn't get up and down the stairs to the kitchen. I remember a couple of times thinking that I didn't want to die and be found out I'd shit myself. Multiple times. It would be too embarrassing, even though I'd be dead. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

[u/alessdespina]

I drank alcohol on BV medication one time and was violently vomiting up nothing for 5 hours.

[u/leanney88 → u/alessdespina]

Good ol metronidazole!

[u/Beneficial-You3416]

Ruptured ovarian cyst. Like this overwhelming grinding feeling in my gut. I thought it was appendicitis. It was a lot of pain. The drugs they gave me in the ER were like manna from heaven.

[u/AdmirableInternet877]

When I was in grade school, I was sick for a whole month…. My breath smelled really bad.. was in and out of the hospital and got a lot of mouth swabs.. insane chills and fever all month long… Doctors never did identify what it was. My childhood cat laid with me all day every day till I got better. She was a good nurse. I had a mountain of homework to get done afterwards hahaha

[u/snidece]

COVID in January 2020 in NYC before we knew what the hell was going on and what it was.

[u/GiftFit5425]

Alcohol dt withdrawls
Did it to myself so i deserved it

[u/Total-Option4 → u/GiftFit5425]

My sister struggles with alcohol, and I’d never want her to believe this about herself. Alcoholism isn’t typically something one sets out to intentionally acquire for themselves. I hope you are successful long term and don’t have to go through it again, but you don’t deserve punishment for an addiction!

[u/Deanoram1 → u/GiftFit5425]

My SIL had hallucinations from withdrawal’s. She lost her battle with alcohol. Hope you’re in a better place now.

[u/GiftFit5425 → u/Deanoram1]

Fuck i lost millions, mortages ended up in jail and finally after jail i have 53 days sober but had to lose everything

[u/whatwhatwhat82 → u/GiftFit5425]

Hey you don't deserve it. I think people only do that to themselves because of mental health issues, which is not something people ask for. I hope you're doing better now

[u/RubySauce]

I went overseas in the 80’s to Surabaya, Indonesia and managed to get dysentery and ddt poisoning. I had no idea where I was, I was a human fountain of human fluids. I really was worried I’d fucking die there since the guy who I was staying with was a flake and a bit of a drunk.
Long story short, I lived!

[u/missed_againn]

Stomach disorder (gastroparesis) in my early 20s. I went from a healthy, active lifestyle to being so underweight I could barely walk down the street. Vomiting every day, could hardly even look at food, etc. I once puked 17 times in 12 hours. So many nights crying and falling asleep on the bathroom floor, feeling like I was wasting away and couldn’t do anything about it.

The silver lining is, that stomach disorder turned out to be the last piece of the puzzle for my diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. All the weird things that my body had been through over the years, including a heart condition, suddenly made sense. It helped me understand my body a lot more, and even led to me getting reconstructive surgery for my ribcage.

Years later and my health is in a much better place, my quality of life has gone up dramatically from the lows of gastroparesis. Living with EDS is tough, but I’m so grateful for the support and resilience that has gotten me where I am today :)

[u/Tenb130]

Preeclampsia. 36 weeks pregnant with twins. Emergency induction and felt like I was going to die, and lasted for a week after delivery my blood pressure was so high. Being on magnesium saved my life but truly made me feel close to death

[u/Matrika]

I had cancer. Everyone I met before hand told me chemo was no joke. They didn't lie. Going through chemo was the most challenging experience of my life. I couldn't think, could hardly open my eyes and nothing would stay in my stomach. I couldn't even move on my own some days due to the dizziness and disorientation. Days on end of pain to a point where my mind was blank. It was as if my mind wanted to block it out. It all feels like a fever dream now. Glad to be on the other side of that.

[u/suknip]

Pancreatitis, caused by alcohol/drug addiction. Over 3 years clean today!

[u/Sweaty-Ad-7488]

Necrosis pancreatic

[u/Ignoble_Savage]

Dengue fever.

Went from 230lbs down to 170ish before it was done with me.

[u/greywar777]

stage 4 cancer, around my 34th round of chemo. My skin started sliding off and I felt so sick I didnt even care.

[u/Alarming-Sandwich-98]

I don’t know if this really counts but this year actually. I’m still recovering. It started last December with a near asymptomatic case of Covid. Woke up after I fully recovered to a crescent shaped ulcer on my eye. Despite an ophthalmologist putting me on drops and somewhat high dose steroids, it didn’t really go away. Proceeded to get worse in the coming months. All the while I was getting sicker. Almost any food I ate I wasn’t able to tolerate. I lost over 20 pounds from December to March. So foods I was fine eating weeks ago were giving me allergic like reactions and I had horrible GI problems.

I was finally sent to UCSF because the ophthalmologist realized he was in over his head and my eye was showing signs of corneal melting.

By the time I got to the eye specialists at UCSF, I was at 90% corneal thinning and was about hours, if not a day tops, of losing my eye. Come to find out, even though the tests can’t really confirm, I have GPA Vasculitis that happened to cause Peripheral Ulcerative Keratitis. Incidentally while in the hospital they found what they originally thought was a mass on my pancreas and a severe case of gastritis. I’ve had history with pancreatitis, of unknown origin, so it turns out what they thought was a mass turned out to be necrotic tissue that spread throughout my stomach. So now because of a barely working pancreas I am permanently diabetic.

I’m still getting over it but I’m here. March 18th, what also happens to be my sister’s birthday, is the day my life was saved. I knew if I waited any longer I would’ve lost my eye and probably would’ve suffered more complications. The worst part about it was everyone kept telling me I was fine even though I was adamant something was horribly wrong.

[u/Used_Asparagus_3749]

DKA (diabetic keto acidosis)

[u/AmeliaMight]

I simultaneously had the flu and appendicitis and had to recover from an appendectomy while nursing a flu cough. It was awful.

[u/Kind-Contact-9860]

Aspiration Pneumonia. I was in a coma for 3 days.

[u/xTiredSoulx]

Chicken pox as an adult.

[u/Cold_Entertainer9564]

I got covid in 2021. I was traveling for work and they left me behind to quarantine in a hotel for 9 days. The hotel manager would leave me a bottle of sprite by my door each morning and knock to make sure I was alive lol. Legit called my mom crying because even my hair hurt. I took showers sitting down for like 6 days, I wouldn’t have even bothered with showers but I was sweating so much. My job gave me a gift card to order food, it was a lot of money but I couldn’t stomach anything. I ate nothing but Panera veggie soup the entire time lol.

[u/Throwaway332679431]

I went psychotic for like 2-3 weeks & ended up in the psych ward. I had undiagnosed Bipolar.

[u/figsslave]

Had meningitis after catching West Nile virus. The next summer I caught tick fever.7years later I had a stroke . I could go on 😂

[u/froggychair1]

Effexor withdrawal - I missed one dose and felt the worst I’ve ever felt within a matter of hours. Nausea, migraine, fatigue, not to mention the brain zaps

[u/SammyySweetheartt]

I got Covid in 2021 and my whole family was vaccinated but me because I was too scared. We all caught it. To them, it was like a mild cold. To me, I almost died. I was supposed to be hospitalized but I refused to stay. I had to sign a paper saying if I died nobody could sue them because they told me I needed to be admitted. Mind you, I’m the youngest and the healthiest of the bunch too.

It was a long process. I’ve never had fevers that high in my life. They were over 104. I’d get so hot I’d start hallucinating. Couldn’t sleep. My entire body hurt. But once all that was gone, the real aftermath was the lingering mucus that was now stuck in my sinuses and lungs. I developed severe pneumonia. I couldn’t breathe. Nothing was working. I’d make loud popping/wheezing sounds with every breath. The mucus coming out of my sinuses was like rubber. It would come out in rubberized strands as thick as a pencil. I then developed a severe sinus infection and had to take 3 rounds of antibiotics to clear it up for months after.

It took about 5 months to actually feel okay again. Almost 9 months to even have energy again. I’m pretty sure it caused lasting damage to my lungs because I still deal with bouts of shortness of breath often which I never had before.

I fully understood why so many people died from it.

[u/Ok_Following_7794]

I was wearing Air Force 1s, Mike Amiri jeans, a white Tshit, and a Bugs Bunny bomber jacket

[u/AdvantageEmergency94]

When I was breastfeeding I developed mastitis in my right breast. My whole body felt like it was on fire and in pain.

[u/MedicalDisscharge]

Food poisoning so bad i had hallucinations from being so dehydrated/sleep deprived, I really should have went to the hospital looking back