After or Because? Which do you use?

[miyuminz]

Although I was very surprised at their advice:"Maybe you should go out and see the world rather than stay in this country.", I thought it was a good chance to prove that I was okay. ( I had to stay at home for about two years to recover from my illness.)

Which one of the following sentences should be followed in this case?
1. I had already become healthy again, and taken on different challenges to change my life.
2. Until then, I had become healthy again, and I had taken on different challenges to change my life.
3 After I had become healthy again, I had taken on different challenges to change my life.
4. Because I had become healthy again, I had taken on different challenges to change my life.

[Joe]

1. I had already become healthy again, and taken on different challenges to change my life.
2. Until then, I had become healthy again, and I had taken on different challenges to change my life.
3. After I had become healthy again, I had taken on different challenges to change my life.
4. Because I had become healthy again, I had taken on different challenges to change my life.

I think 3 is the one you want but it's a difficult question because it's rather subjective and only you understand the whole story (even though I appreciate you have tried to explain it ).

2 is definitely not right (it's not really English)