I probably have a milder version of post-infection fatigue, it's not as bad as mentioned in the article (like having run a marathon), but it means that I never feel fully well slept no matter how many hours I've slept, maybe once or twice a month. Those days I almost cry from joy and don't really want to waste them by working, just want to exist and take in the moment. I can still work fairly well when I'm tired and I'm not physically exhausted, but this is enough to have essentially caused my divorce, because I don't have the mental energy to put into fixing and maintaining our relationship after a workday, and on top of taking care of our kid.
It's sad to see my productivity drop as well compared to my past self, and I'm very worried that I won't be able to handle the grueling interviewing process when I need a new job. Self conscious that they will see the dark rings under my eyes and realize I won't be able to pull the hours they need.
Sorry to hear about your divorce. I found the brain fog to be one of the worst factors in day to day life, especially with work. Thoughts of "did I miss this bug because of brain fog or was this something anyone would have missed" often run through my mind. Its hard to get people that havent experienced anything like this to really understand and the self doubt can cause a lot of stress. Sometimes its akin to early signs of dementia.
I cant offer much support but youre not alone in suffering this
I'm thankful it's not worse, I have a friend who gets a fever from taking a short walk. In fact, since opening up it seems that many people are battling some form of fatigue or sleep issue.
It does feel like dementia, you're right. In the past year I've lost my reading tablet, a $300 pair of head phones, a jacket, two pairs of gloves and a hat, two towels at the gym etc. I just keep losing stuff. What's weird is I can still solve complex programming problems, but it's definitely impacting my memory.
It's sad to see my productivity drop as well compared to my past self, and I'm very worried that I won't be able to handle the grueling interviewing process when I need a new job. Self conscious that they will see the dark rings under my eyes and realize I won't be able to pull the hours they need.