Week 7 and barely any improvement, about to lose job

[Cloxs]

I’m on week 7 post 3rd infection. I had 2 weeks recovered from 2 to 3 and then caught it again. This time it’s hit me the worst out of any of them and at week 7 I am still feeling incredibly unwell.

I know it’s technically long Covid now, which scares me witless. My work are being so incredibly crap and I’ve worked mostly through it. I WFH and they’ve said some pretty not nice things. Can’t go into it but it’s an NHS role and they aren’t being understanding. There’s some history there with me having some issues with PPD which meant I had more time off previously.

I have a LO who’s nearly 2 and this is all putting a huge strain on me to get well. The possible loss of job, mortgage doubling in a few months, dependent on DPs to help but they’re also elderly. Am getting LO in childcare which hurts a lot but he needs to be taken care of.

can anyone tell me they got better if they were still sick at 7weeks? Other times have taken 4-8 weeks for me but I’ve never felt so ill for so long. Had all sorts of bloods checked, my IgG has come up so GP said that shows my immune system is working. Have had every test including mri of my brain cause of the dizziness I’m getting.

im so exhausted. I feel dizzy, spacey, nauseous, tearful, anxious, sore throat and body aches and times where I feel as bad as day 1.

just really hoping for any light from people that may have been sick at 7 weeks but still got better.

Different circumstances but I was given ill health retirement from the NHS. There's lots of policy and procedures for the NHS to follow. Definitely contact your union if your in one (mine were invaluable, they also put me forward for a hardship grant), ask for a copy of the sickness policy, its a long process I became ill in 2014 and was dismissed on ill health grounds in 2018. Make sure you keep a copy of every correspondence (if over phone email after), request occupational health assessments, make sure everything is documented with gp, show your trying everything in order to get better (eg request referral for long covid clinic). Above all try not to worry and do not resign if they ask, being dismissed on ill health grounds is not getting sacked and it will support claims for disability benefits if needed. Have you got any cover for your mortgage in times of ill health if so keep a copy of sick notes, any evidence as you may need it to claim.
Best wishes for a good recovery.

How are you feeling today @Cloxs ?

The unfortunate bottom line is that no-one knows how long it can go on for.

If it lasts beyond 12 weeks, then I'm afraid you could be looking at months. I know that's not what you want to hear, but perhaps if you brace yourself now, you can get things in place (as per Bowl 's excellent advice) and hope for spontaneous improvement sooner rather than later.

We are still finding out about the long-term effects of this virus, and unfortunately it can have an adverse effect on just about any body system.

I really hope you turn a corner soon.

And that masking becomes the norm again in healthcare settings and investment is made in ventilation and air filtration systems - as they are the things that reduce spread regardless of what variant comes trotting along next

7 weeks is still early days but it is really really important that you rest as much as you possibly can. I can't emphasise this enough, it's important to be in deep rest to help your body heal. You've done the right thing putting your LO into childcare, well done, use the time you have to really deeply rest, not resting while scrolling on internet, but doing breathing and relaxation.

There are lots of great yoga nidras (relaxation) on Insight Timer here. I really like Ally Boothroyd. I hope that helps . Yoga Nidra: Guided Meditations for Deep Relaxation | Insight Timer

Sorry I just read that you are still WFH. I know it's not what you want to hear, but you probably do need some time off to recover as much as you can. Getting rest now will reduce the risk of you having a very long long covid recovery.

@Almahart

I’ve taken 2 weeks off annual leave but I just can’t deal with how I feel in my head. My other symptoms like nausea, feeling unwell in general has dissipated now in the last week. But the head fog is terrifying. I feel like I’m on another planet and clawing to get back to reality. I’ve never felt like this after a virus but my step dad still has similar symptoms as well.

ive just had such a hard couple years and to be feeling much better then to be hit with this is just sending me to a dark place. I don’t know if I should try and distract myself with doing things and working. I honestly haven’t ever felt such visceral anxiety like it.

I think it’s really hard to know the answer here, but yes if they are unhappy with you they may follow the processes for dismissal. Are you a member of a union? Speak to your union rep and ask for support through the process.

It’s grim, I’m sorry.