Hello, gracegrey2021 (@gracegrey2021)

As I'm late in joining this discussion, others may have already mentioned the somewhat inexplicable avoidance of friends and its presence as one of the oddest symptoms of post-sepsis syndrome, or PSS. I'd never been an eager partygoer, but I went to my share and almost always had a good time. And I may not have had dozens and dozens of friends, but I did have what I regarded as my golden dozen. I was diagnosed with sepsis this past April, and between the hospital and the rehabilitation facility, I was socially 'out of sight' until mid-May. Since then, friends have phoned, suggesting all sorts of get-togethers, including the simplest: they'll drop by my place, saying they 'only want to see me' and not to stay 'too long.' Time and again, I'll say 'Great!' only to cancel the date a day or two before it's to happen. This isn't like me––or it never was. This 'new' standoffishness has left me, frankly, puzzled and dismayed.

Best wishes,
Ray (@ray666)