Phone: 616-217-9489 | eMail: jude@midlifetoolsforliving.com
JD's Midlife Tools For Living Practices, LLC
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It has been two very long challenging years… goodness not one but two whole years….and over 80,863,512 cases of Covid-19 thus far in the US. We have lost over 982,576 people to the disease in the US…and worldwide over 5,986,829 people lost life from Covid-19. Staggering numbers and so much loss and change for so many of us.
A year ago, today on 3/7/21 I was hit with the worst headache I’ve ever had—woke up at 3 AM with it and intense muscle pain in my neck and back. I ended up soaking and falling asleep in an Epson salt bath to get some relief and spent the better part of 3 days in bed. Soon after fatigue began to set in along with excessive thirst and cravings for protein and carrots and apples as well. I felt like my body was starving.
Because of where I was working I had the Pfizer vaccine in December 2020 and January 2021…earlier than most people. It never occurred to me that I might have Covid-19 and I did not even think of or get tested. I didn’t have what I thought were the more common symptoms talked about at that time. Besides I was being extra careful masking up and social distancing myself appropriately. And there was not talk yet of break through infections either.
Ten days later, on 3/17/21 I left work due to the multitude of symptoms I was experiencing and have not been able yet to return to working. I still have fatigue and other symptoms that interfere with my daily functioning. I have improved greatly from where I was in the summer after 3 rounds of shingles. But I still have a way yet to go till I can start with part time work…getting closer and keeping fingers crossed that time will be soon.
On 4/1/21 I had a positive antibody test but the results were inconclusive because I had the vaccine in my system. After having seemingly every test in the book and not much being discovered as the culprit of my aliments I was diagnosed with long haul Covid-19 in February 2022 nearly a year after the initial start of my illness. That was a huge relief and validation.
For years I’ve known that every stinking part of our body has a separate specialist attached to treat it. Now I know what that feels like to experience the hurry up and wait for appointments and tests. And I learned that even within specialists there are those who specialize even more keenly in certain aspects of that part of our body’s functioning.
Meanwhile you sit and wonder and feel ill and don’t know why and try to get better as best you can. Some moments the uncertainty is easier to cope with than others. And time just marches on and life goes on around you.
Fortunately, as Covid-19 has lingered on we know more and more about the illness and more is being studied and coming to light about long haul Covid-19 as well. And there are resources now for people with long haul Covid-19.
Information is power I’ve always thought and it has helped me to search for information as I’ve been recovering.
A few gems I found are:
Survivor Corps was founded by a woman who had Covid-19 and developed long haul early in the pandemic. There is lots of information available at:
https://www.survivorcorps.com/
Recover, from the National Institutes of Health is doing a study you can opt to participate in and has resources on their site as well:
https://recovercovid.org
Mt. Sinai has a clinic for long haul Covid-19 and information on their website:
https://www.mountsinai.org/about/covid19/information-resources/center-post-covid-care
John Hopkins has a post Covid-19 care clinic and information on their website:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/pact/
NPR had an interview recently with Meghan O’rouke who discusses long haul and other chronic illnesses in a book she wrote. I found the interview helpful and validating as well:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/02/28/1083458296/long-covid-autoimmune-meghan-orourke-invisible-kingdom
It’s important if you find yourself dealing with a chronic illness that lingers and confounds you and the medical professionals around you to have people who believe in you and support you through what is a lonely time.
I’ve been fortunate to have a PCP, therapist, family members and friends surrounding me with hearts full of care the last year. For each one of them I am most grateful!
My heart goes out to all those who have experienced or have had a loved one experience Covid-19. I know my condition has been very painful for my husband to witness and care takers get worn out and worry too.
Check out our Grief Therapy page. Do Contact Me if you would like to begin therapy.
