- Messages
- 38,140
- Location
- Funk & Wagnalls
Some of you might know I have a Cousin that was an early Covid patient, she is still experiencing debilitating issues some 2 years later.
This is a recent update.
COVID Update:
It's been a while since I've given an update on my battle to get past this gnarly case of Long-COVID.
I'm fighting it with all I've got. I was admitted into the University Long COVID program and have been approved by my insurance to participate in the Physical Therapy and Cognitive Therapy programs offered there. The starting point for both programs is the protocol established for recovery from a major concussion. The similarities between Long-COVID and a major concussion are many, so it seems like a logical place to begin creating a protocol for this new affliction.
The physical therapy emphasizes identifying my current activity limits and ...this is the interesting part ... NOT pressing beyond it. Every fitness coach I've ever had has encouraged me to "push harder" to build my strength and stamina. Not this one. I've wondered why, and now I know:
Pushing beyond my body's current limits has terrible repercussions and can actually reverse progress I've made.
I found that out the hard way. Last week I had two days in a row where I needed to get up way before I normally rise. Thursday I had to take Mom in for an early morning blood transfusion and iron infusion. It was a 5 hour process, and I was pretty wiped out the rest of the day. Friday morning, I got up about 8:30am and baked two scratch cakes (a cheese cake and a flourless chocolate cake) in preparation for a birthday celebration that night with three wonderful friends. I cleaned the loft, walked across the street to the store to pick up something lovely to grill, etc. The first guest arrived at about 5:45 and left about 10:30. And by the time I got the place mostly cleaned up, it was 11pm ... and I thought I was dying.
Literally.
Throwing a dinner party where I've been prepping all day used to be as easy for me as floating on my back on a crystal lake. It's been over two years since the last time I did that, though. And I don't ever remember hurting so much ... not ever, for anything. I was sore from the soles of my feet to my scalp. It wasn't like I'd pulled a muscle. It was more like a 104 degree fever. I was exhausted and hurt all over. I went to bed and slept hard. But every time I needed to turn, the pain woke me up, but the exhaustion would put me right back asleep. I slept until 2:30pm on Saturday, and then forced myself to get up because I had another friend coming over at 5:00pm.
It has been nearly a week, and I'm still not right. I am experiencing a shortness of breath, nightly elevated temps of 99.5 and up, fatigue like two years ago when I first got infected.
I need to listen to my therapists!
Both my PT and CT have told me EVERY SINGLE ONE of the patients they see with Long-COVID contracted COVID before getting double vaccinated. Their case load is filled with people like me who got sick before a vaccine was available or before they could get both vaccines (or who decided they didn't need to be vaccinated).
No one knows yet if the new strains out there will result in Long-COVID like the early one did. But it seems like a good idea to play it safe and do all you can to avoid getting it.
Stay well, my friends!
This is a recent update.
COVID Update:
It's been a while since I've given an update on my battle to get past this gnarly case of Long-COVID.
I'm fighting it with all I've got. I was admitted into the University Long COVID program and have been approved by my insurance to participate in the Physical Therapy and Cognitive Therapy programs offered there. The starting point for both programs is the protocol established for recovery from a major concussion. The similarities between Long-COVID and a major concussion are many, so it seems like a logical place to begin creating a protocol for this new affliction.
The physical therapy emphasizes identifying my current activity limits and ...this is the interesting part ... NOT pressing beyond it. Every fitness coach I've ever had has encouraged me to "push harder" to build my strength and stamina. Not this one. I've wondered why, and now I know:
Pushing beyond my body's current limits has terrible repercussions and can actually reverse progress I've made.
I found that out the hard way. Last week I had two days in a row where I needed to get up way before I normally rise. Thursday I had to take Mom in for an early morning blood transfusion and iron infusion. It was a 5 hour process, and I was pretty wiped out the rest of the day. Friday morning, I got up about 8:30am and baked two scratch cakes (a cheese cake and a flourless chocolate cake) in preparation for a birthday celebration that night with three wonderful friends. I cleaned the loft, walked across the street to the store to pick up something lovely to grill, etc. The first guest arrived at about 5:45 and left about 10:30. And by the time I got the place mostly cleaned up, it was 11pm ... and I thought I was dying.
Literally.
Throwing a dinner party where I've been prepping all day used to be as easy for me as floating on my back on a crystal lake. It's been over two years since the last time I did that, though. And I don't ever remember hurting so much ... not ever, for anything. I was sore from the soles of my feet to my scalp. It wasn't like I'd pulled a muscle. It was more like a 104 degree fever. I was exhausted and hurt all over. I went to bed and slept hard. But every time I needed to turn, the pain woke me up, but the exhaustion would put me right back asleep. I slept until 2:30pm on Saturday, and then forced myself to get up because I had another friend coming over at 5:00pm.
It has been nearly a week, and I'm still not right. I am experiencing a shortness of breath, nightly elevated temps of 99.5 and up, fatigue like two years ago when I first got infected.
I need to listen to my therapists!
Both my PT and CT have told me EVERY SINGLE ONE of the patients they see with Long-COVID contracted COVID before getting double vaccinated. Their case load is filled with people like me who got sick before a vaccine was available or before they could get both vaccines (or who decided they didn't need to be vaccinated).
No one knows yet if the new strains out there will result in Long-COVID like the early one did. But it seems like a good idea to play it safe and do all you can to avoid getting it.
Stay well, my friends!