I wanted to reach out and thank all of you for stepping up over the almost 2 weeks while I've been dealing with a significant illness. Your good wishes, support, patience, and continued commitment to this community has meant everything to me.
For those wondering what's been going on, here's what I've been dealing with:
Timeline — Recent Illness and Recovery
January 12–13, 2026: Probable exposure
I went to Sam's Club on January 12th or 13th, which I believe is where I caught this bug.
January 14, 2026: First symptoms appear
I started noticing a runny nose, postnasal drip, and a productive cough—early signs that something was coming on.
January 17, 2026: Respiratory illness hits full force
By this point, what felt like RSV or a similar respiratory virus hit me hard. Intense coughing—felt like I was coughing up a lung—heavy mucus and post-nasal drip, and a raw, irritated throat. It was obvious this wasn't going to be a mild cold.
At the same time, my blood sugar started running higher than normal, even though my diet hadn't changed. Looking back, I think the high blood sugar may have been an early sign that my body was dealing with more than just a respiratory infection, and that something worse was coming.
January 18, 2026: Symptoms worsen and I crash physically
By the next day I needed extreme amounts of rest — I was sleeping around 18–20 hours a day because I was so wiped out. My throat was only slightly better, but I still had heavy mucus, coughing, and sneezing. I also had periods where I couldn't seem to get warm, even under two blankets, which was unusual for me.
I used regular symptom relief meds and throat spray just to get through it. But the cold/flu medicine also seemed to push my blood sugar even higher, which made me feel worse overall.
January 19, 2026 (morning): Near-fainting episode
That morning I had a scary episode where I suddenly felt like I was about to pass out. I had already been up for about 20 minutes, so it wasn't just sudden lightheadedness from standing up. It came on while I was in the kitchen talking to Debbie. I managed to get to bed in time, and after a few minutes it passed, but it really shook me because it wasn't something I'm used to experiencing.
By this point, my blood sugar had climbed much higher than my usual baseline, and I decided to stop the cold/flu meds because it seemed like they were contributing. Debbie had also started showing symptoms, so it was clear it had spread in the house.
January 19, 2026 (afternoon/evening): Kidney infection symptoms start
Later that day things took a turn when I started getting symptoms that matched my previous kidney infections. The pain and pressure were severe — I described it as my kidneys being "in a vise," with pain that came in repeating pulses.
This became one of the worst parts of the entire illness. Over the next few days, the kidney pain steadily reduced, to the point that the pain eventually disappeared completely, and my blood sugar returned to normal levels.
January 20, 2026: Initial improvement
By this point I started to see the first signs that I might be turning a corner. The kidney pain was easing, and the respiratory symptoms were still there, but the worst part of the acute illness felt like it was starting to loosen its grip.
January 21, 2026: Recovery continues, but I'm still run down
I continued recovering, but my body still felt strained and worn down from everything it had been through. Even once the major symptoms improved, I still felt like my system was running on empty.
Current status (late January 2026): Still not fully recovered
Even though the main infection symptoms have eased, I'm dealing with a slow return to full energy, and I'm still not back to my normal baseline. The fatigue has lingered, and I've needed extra rest as part of recovery. It has only been about five days since recovery really started, so I'm improving, but recovery has been slow.
Starting today, I'll be working to catch up on everything that's been on hold, but I'll be pacing myself as my energy levels permit. I'm not back to 100% yet, but I'm well enough to start being present again.
Thank you all for keeping this community running, for supporting each other, and for understanding during this difficult time. Susan's Place has always been built on the strength of its members, and you've proven that once again.
With gratitude,
— Susan 💜
