I never expected to suffer from leptospirosis, although I know that it is a risk. A comment I sometimes hear from passers-by while swimming in the river is “you know you can get Weil’s Disease, don’t you?” My internal response, never spoken, is “Yes, but…” it is so rare that it is hardly on my swimmer’s radar. In retrospect I am surprised by how it took me by surprise when I got it, even though I thought I knew what it looks like. The lived experience of a disease is always very different to what it says in the textbook, although the textbook is essential to knowing how to treat it. So, despite knowing the symptoms of leptospirosis (through reading and talking with other open water swimmers) it surprised me how quickly it took hold of me, how quickly it became distressing, and how quickly I started to lose my mind while at the same time thinking that I was holding it together. This podcast is about that experience, back in 2020.
