Long Covid is the ‘Gift’ That Keeps on Giving
Another clinic visit, another twist in the long Covid story — equal parts exhaustion, irony, and quiet hope.
Today I visited a clinic at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge to get fitted for a CPAP machine. For those who are unaware of this therapy, it’s a mask and machine designed to open the airways and prevent sleep apnoea. I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea about six weeks ago, and since then I’ve had a flurry of impressively quick appointments that have led me to this point.
I joked on the podcast recently that Covid is the “gift” that keeps on giving! So far, it’s had an awful effect on my health, spawning several secondary conditions over the past few years.
Being overweight and unable to exercise has by far been the biggest catalyst. No matter how much I try to restrict what goes into my mouth, I’ve continued to put on weight during this period, and I’m now the heaviest I’ve ever been. In addition to sleep apnoea, it has caused high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and probably makes me even more fatigued. I pleaded my case to my doctor, asking for consideration for the weight-loss injection programme, but apparently, I don’t fit the criteria. I need to put on more weight to unlock this treatment!
For me, it’s further confirmation that the medical profession isn’t taking long Covid seriously enough as an illness. In addition to the immediate symptoms, it must have had an impact on healthcare services here in the United Kingdom, as it causes people’s health to spiral downwards.
After this flurry of recent appointments, I’m now officially “partied out” and fed up with feeling ill! You probably know what I mean by this. I sometimes go through long periods of being annoyed at the fatigue and mobility limitations but not having the energy to try anything else that might help. I might need to hibernate for a while to recover.
It’s been wonderful recently to hear from so many of you, although I’m saddened by the number of people who’ve been affected this way by Covid. Our community is growing, and I’ve been so encouraged to receive messages from members around the world. If you haven’t been in touch yet, do comment or email just to say hello.
Life with Long Covid is more than a few articles; it is also:
A community which you can find at www.lifewithlongcovid.co.uk
A podcast which you can access through the website or through Apple and Spotify, just search for ‘Life with Long Covid’.
I have also produced a short book that details some of my podcasts in short, easily digestible chapters. You can read it when you have the energy. It’s available on Amazon here.
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