Hi everyone,
I contracted COVID-19 around the end of February/ early March and haven’t been anything like my old self since – far bloody from it, actually. Recovery has often felt more like degeneration and it’s only been recently that I’ve stopped receiving the hypochondriac/ hysterical diagnosis thanks to a critical mass of studies making it clear this condition is far more chronic than anyone had expected.
Unsurprisingly, I’ve been spending a lot more time on YouTube lately and I noticed that no one was posting about their experiences as a Long-Hauler except those featured on doom and gloom newscasts. I thought I’d open myself up for questions and document my changing health status for you all to provide some companionship in a really isolating time. Also as a formerly fit/healthy 26-year-old, I think it’s vital I do my bit to raise awareness for the complications this disease can create for those who might think they aren’t at risk.
I recorded this completely unscripted/ unprepared so I could be as raw and (*shudder*) authentic for you guys as possible here so please be kind and forgive the stops and starts! Apparently I say y’all when I’m nervous… Anyway, if this kind of thing proves helpful then I promise my future videos won’t be so free flow and will instead focus them around any questions you might have – just leave me a comment and I’ll either reply directly or incorporate them into my next upload.
I didn’t really get into it much here but just to give you an idea of what the last 4 months have looked like for me:
• Shadowing on lungs/ B Lines
• Shortness of breath/ asthma
• Visual snow
• Fevers
• Sore throat
• Headaches/ Migraines
• Severe muscle aches
• Major sensitivity to light and sound
• Post-nasal drip
• Nausea
• Chronic fatigue
• Bradycardia (often as low as 35-40 bpm)
• Jaundice
• Vitamin deficiencies (mainly D and Calcium)
• Hypersensitive allergic reactions
• Inability to exercise
• Brain fog
I think all of the above would be manageable if I had certainty that I will get better at some point – not having a timeline or prognosis makes every change in your body feel like the start of something critical. So please keep yourselves, your loved ones and your community safe by following public health guidelines to the letter – yes, sometimes guidance changes to keep up with new findings, but that is *not* an indication of any deceit or malice on the part of those who want this pandemic to be over just as desperately as you do.
Finally, just because you swabbed positive / are certain in yourself that you have HAD COVID, please don’t take any risks with your health at this time. Though there is no robust evidence for genuine re-infections as of yet (and not just dead viral fragments rearing their ugly head), having this once does guarantee immunity. Even on the days I feel like I might finally be coming out of the woods, I’m still masked up, socially distancing and washing my hands any time I’ve come into contact with something that could be contaminated. It’s a chore, sure, but given that relapses mimic COVID symptoms, it’s better to be over-cautious than panicked for the two weeks that follow a bump in the road.
Resources:
– Body Politic Slack Channel
– COVID-19 Long Haulers News Aggregator
– Message in a bottle (Long Covid)
Studies referenced:
Loss of antibodies after 2-3 months
– COVID-19 and impact on kidneys
– Vitamin D involvement in COVID-19 prevention (note – not treatment and correlational only)
Follow my journey on Instagram: @merri_by_name
