For #LongCovidAwarenessDay I hope everyone focuses on the people who are *really* struggling, and that's not me. I am, however, going to share a story about how easy it is to miss what's going on in your own life.
I've read hundreds, maybe thousands, of COVID studies and articles. I've gone deeply into the science and I've learned an awful lot over the last three years. I'm going to guess that I know more about COVID and long COVID than 99% of people on the planet, which really isn't all that hard given how little the average person knows...if they even know anything.
I probably had COVID in the very early days, before there were even tests invented yet. More than likely I'll never know for sure. It's very likely, though.
I struggled quite a bit in 2020, with no real idea what was going on at all, and by 2021, thankfully, I considered myself to be over the day to day issues. However, I have had a few things that lingered.
Now, I want to make clear again that I manage just fine in my daily life, unlike so many others.
So, in a Telehealth appointment recently I'm describing some things; purple feet when sitting, chest pains despite heart testing being fine, occasional "skipping" of a beat or a fluttering feeling in my heart(thankfully way less than 2020, they can be really scary)...and the woman I'm talking with starts to list some other things. Shaking and sweating, dizzy spells and I'm nodding along. Yes. Occasional fatigue. Yeah, sure, but I'm getting older. Happens, right?
She, literally, starts snickering. I look at her quizzically, I imagine, and she tells me "You taught me about this and you aren't recognizing it in yourself."
I am still suffering some symptoms of POTS. I check my Apple Watch heart rate data....and wouldn't you know it, every time I go from laying to standing my heart rate jumps 40 beats.
I have spent countless hours over the last 3 years teaching people about things *just like this* and I never looked at myself. Now I have a name, beyond just long COVID, that I can look at, learn, and work on.
Anyway, please boost people sharing info about #LongCovidAwarenessDay and whatnot today and be kind except to the continuing minimizers and deniers. The whole world's going through this together.
