Lumbar puncture nightmare + possible virus, please give advice.

Female, 25, history of multiple autoimmune diseases (which are extremely rare and would be identifying to disclose), POTS, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic UTIs, being evaluated for immunodeficiency. No current meds other than Tylenol and Zofran.

TL;DR: I received a lumbar puncture, it was a nightmare, and now I’m concerned that I’m getting sick from the nurse who cared for me. If I run a fever from an unrelated virus, will they do another lumbar puncture to evaluate for meningitis? What do I do?

Full situation: After absolutely refusing for two years due to a myriad of other health concerns (and the fact that I always get stuck with the rarest side effects), a team of doctors talked me into getting a diagnostic lumbar puncture last Tuesday to check for IIH. I felt in my bones that I was a bad idea for me, but I did it.

It has been hell ever since.

Chills and shaking (no fever), severe nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness, sensations of running water down my lower back, significant soreness and back pain, an allergy to the bandage adhesive, electric shock sensations in my head, and the famous positional headache that gradually came on, peaked yesterday, and seems to be improving somewhat today (hopefully). I’ve been bedridden since it was done.

And today, I woke up with a sore throat.

The nurse who discharged me was visibly sick (sniffling, sneezing, just very visibly unwell) and was not wearing a mask. I was lightheaded and dizzy when discharged, and she was frequently in my face talking to me and touching me. When I first went into the hospital, I asked everyone to wear a mask (I wore one as well), and they did—but I was too sick after the procedure to ask my new nurse to do it too (and due to the lightheadedness, my mask was removed).

If I caught a virus, and I begin running a fever (as I typically do, my immune system is all or nothing), will I have to go through this entire nightmare again for a meningitis eval? Will they do another lumbar puncture?

If it’s something bacterial like strep throat, could I get meningitis from the fact that I still have a spinal CSF leak? Would bacteria from strep throat be in my blood, to possibly cause meningitis if it has contact with my CSF, since the dura hasn’t fully sealed? How does that work?

If I get sick, will the coughing and sneezing prevent recovery from this nightmarish headache, and if so, can I even get a blood patch in those conditions?

I am honestly at the end of my rope. I just can’t imagine going through this again. I can’t imagine even imagine going back to that hospital. I’m traumatized, to be honest. Please tell me there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.