First and foremost, it is difficult for me to ask for help.  Those who know me know that I'm an extremely generous person, to a fault.  I never really ask for anything in return.

I went out and got the Covid:
In Dec 2019 and January 2020, I had "the worst flu ever" according to my old text messages.  I didn't think much of it, and had traveled internationally for work.  In March 2020, I had a terrible respiratory illness, and didn't go the hospital because it was known to be a death sentence (lockdown had started).   Every night, I couldn't breathe, and I told my Dad if I texted him in the middle of the night, he needed to drop me off at the ER.

I got slightly better over the summer, but the 50 miles/weekend bike riding quickly turned into a few walks with the dogs.  I thought I was getting better in the fall, and in November, I was once again sick with Covid.

Flash forward to today, and I've never fully recovered from being sick in November.  After almost a year of trying to work through it, I went on disability in March 2021.

While I'm fortunate enough to have health coverage, I'm finding out what the limits are for my coverage.  I've had CTs, MRIs, Xrays, and had to drink weird stuff so they can do better scans.

I'm seeing so many doctors and specialists: pulmonology, neurology, otorhinolaryngology, neuropsychology, sleep study, immunology, and am on the waitlist to get into one of the top rheumatologists in the region.

I've been diagnosed with Long Haul Covid, which is also known as post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC).  I also have a host of other issues that were either directly or indirectly caused by PASC, including neuropathy & myalgia, intracranial hypertension, POTS, hiatial hernia, Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), sleep apnea, brain fog, cognitive and memory issues, tinnitus (9+ months of 24x7 ringing), bronchiectasis (although my breathing is better after inhaled steroids), new/severe allergies, and too much more to list.  Some of these may seem unrelated, but are present in many long haulers.

The worst of these is ME/CFS which is Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.  My ability to do anything at all has been dwindling.  I went from bike riding to walking, to not being able to walk much at all.  I have a very small "battery" and doing anything like minor household tasks saps my energy quickly.  I could have this for 1-5 years, or life.  It goes beyond a disability, and may become completely debilitating.  This is thought to be a post-viral thing (SARS, Covid, etc.) and doctors know very little about it.  There are no cures or treatments.  Some people magically get better.

What's life like for me now?:
The next tests I'm taking include a spinal tap, and they're going to see if Covid crossed the blood-brain barrier.  Some Long Haulers get better after getting their vax, but I haven't seen any changes since my second vax two weeks ago.  I'm worse off than I was when I started the disability time off.   I'm may also need surgery for a potentially cancerous growth in my throat, and luckily insurance and Aflac will cover that.

I'm living on state disability money, indefinitely.  I barely have enough to pay my monthly bills, and help with my medical bills will get me going until I can work again.  In addition to medical bills, I'm trying to work with compassionate care and alternative therapy.  The best way to describe my daily hell is like having flu-like body aches that never go away.  I'm taking Gabapentin but it frequently feels like it's not doing anything.

How can you help?:
If you can't donate, there are other ways you can help.  My parents drive me to most of my doctors appointments, and I could use rides.  If we haven't talked in a while, I've been extremely isolated for over a year now, and could use company.  Even if you can't help, I encourage you to read more about Long Haul Covid, or PASC.  10% of people who get Covid will have it, and maybe 10% of those people will be sick for longer than a year.

If you know someone who had Covid early on, they may have been sick before tests were available.  There's a test called incellKine (tests for 13 cytokine/immune-related blood levels) from a company called IncellDx.  They may have been mildly sick or asymptomatic, and then had a long period of being sick with many of the same symptoms as other long haulers.  Luckily, these new tests can not only tell if someone had previously had Covid: they are tied to a network of doctors who can also prescribe treatments. 

You can find out more at this website - please spread the word: Covid Long Haulers