Long covid

[Pumpikini]

It's been 21/2 years now since my first infection. I feel like there'll be nothing left of me soon. I'm losing more and more capacity and today's activity which has wiped me out is making kids a sandwich. I've never had more than a mild version of covid, but the impacts have been huge. I feel like a dimmer switch that's been turned to the lowest setting. Can anyone relate?

There seems such a lack of will to acknowledge how many people are getting floored on a daily basis, how many lives are getting ruined, even though the effects are showing up everywhere. Govt/health just accepts that thousands and thousands of kids a year are ending up with long covid, or that patients can be treated by contagious staff, or that careworkers can work with extremely vulnerable people whilst positive.

If it helps to reframe this I have long covid from 2021 but I also had 'long covid' 2003-2017 from a live flu vaccine.
Have you looked at Dr Myhill for treating post viral fatigue?
I would suggest starting with a simple at home vitamin D test, around £30 privately from the NHS lab in Birmingham.

The ME Association is looking out for long covid patients as well now. Because in a lot of cases long covid IS ME, or at least very similar. It's worth joining but many of their factsheets are freely available on their website. Stabilisation and hopefully improvement is helped by getting enough rest (which is way more than you think you need!) and learning to pace. Even if you don't fully meet the diagnostic criteria for ME, if you have fatigue, pacing and enough rest will likely help.

Fighting Fatigue by Sue Pemberton or Classic Pacing for a Better Life With ME by (I think) Inge Midselm Dahl are basic books that will get you started safely and won't tell you its all in your head.

If you get plugged in to the ME communities online you can learn about a wide range of more speculative approaches which work for some.

You will not like what you read. Its a horrible illness with no real treatments, let alone cures. But many folks do recover or improve, from both LC and ME, especially if they are able to rest and pace enough, or find the alternative treatment that works for them.

All the best.

Solidarity- LC totally sucks.

The above advice about pacing and ME is good.

There are some useful podcasts and videos about which can help with pacing - there's a lot more to it than siting down occasionally, it's about learning how to chunk up every task so you don't over exert, and getting really good quality rest breaks (preferably lying down). It's boring and frustrating but it really helps.

https://open.spotify.com/show/7D3qAhd9MoeRNuIE51YAXV?si=O2FlzA9gQLGBUBjmZLpmgA

https://open.spotify.com/show/6fR2LMATwFR1fyuhEOJOPj?si=JNzVX3UtSxaP3usFXhu84Q

https://www.youtube.com/live/TK-z-D91TIc?si=qHCtZNc6b0JwrAu5

Can your GP refer you to a long covid clinic? They can provide pacing support.

Beware of anyone suggesting graded exercise therapy (like the Nuffield long covid course) - that can make ME/CFS/LC worse. You really can't just push through it or you'll end up worse.