Long hauler symptoms

 The strange thing with this journey so far it is predictably unpredictable.  There are certain things I have learned from others, web sites colleagues around symptoms, around PEM(see other post), around how it can be very cyclical.  There are some patterns and then there aren't.  There are symptoms I had early on and new ones arriving this week...which I wasn't expecting the end of my week 4 being off.

Early on relapses mimicked by COVId days...fatigue, headaches, no energy, some cold symptoms.  After 2 relapses the biggest things sticking with me were the fatigue(whole body heavy, shaking fatigue and brain fog (driving to work I had to REALLY focus).


Over the summer this cycled in extremes with the main constants being fatigue and brain fog.  End of summer into fall, maybe due to things getting busier and having less rest....new ones popped up.  Nausea with my fatigue, after having a cold, the cough has stuck with me and more labile (emotional and teary). I was also crashing harder at night..more frustrated.


Since being off, I am not crashing as much but noticing newer things.  IS this because I am still more, not pushing and racing around so I am in tune more, or is this just the process of the disease.  I started noticing my HR fluctuating up and down quickly, heart palpitations, ringing in my ears and some night trouble sleeping.   More recently the past few days my muscles are achy, my rear deltoids and back specifically....so strange.  I thought symptoms were maybe related to not enough sleep, being run down... but after 4 weeks..shouldn't they be improving???

Here is a list from the Mayo Clinic website with different symtoms...it is by no means exhaustive but gives you an idea of how huge this illness is


What are the symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome?

The most commonly reported symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome include:

  • Fatigue
  • Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental effort
  • Fever
  • Lung (respiratory) symptoms, including difficulty breathing or shortness of breath and cough

Other possible symptoms include:

  • Neurological symptoms or mental health conditions, including difficulty thinking or concentrating, headache, sleep problems, dizziness when you stand, pins-and-needles feeling, loss of smell or taste, and depression or anxiety
  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Heart symptoms or conditions, including chest pain and fast or pounding heartbeat
  • Digestive symptoms, including diarrhea and stomach pain
  • Blood clots and blood vessel (vascular) issues, including a blood clot that travels to the lungs from deep veins in the legs and blocks blood flow to the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
  • Other symptoms, such as a rash and changes in the menstrual cycle

Keep in mind that it can be hard to tell if you are having symptoms due to COVID-19 or another cause, such as a preexisting medical condition.

It's also not clear if post-COVID-19 syndrome is new and unique to COVID-19. Some symptoms are similar to those caused by chronic fatigue syndrome and other chronic illnesses that develop after infections. Chronic fatigue syndrome involves extreme fatigue that worsens with physical or mental activity, but doesn't improve with rest.


Anyway, it continues to be a journey and I keep trying to the do the best I can and listen to my body the best I can.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Accepting help...

Many think since I am off, I must be getting SO much done....sadly no.    When I do have energy I use it to focus on some self care and to get some things done that I normally used to do after 8pm :).  When working things like laundry, paying bills either fell through the cracks or I had to force myself to stay up later and then paid for it later with PEM. I don't mind asking for help typically. I think what's been hard to ask or accept help this time has been that these are things I could do, that I want to do, that ..... My parents have been asking what they could do....  I finally accepted some help with outdoor work.  It feels wrong that my parents were cutting back things, pulling weeds, and cleaning up the outside while I did a bit.  That day I puttered and probably did too much but it felt so weird not to help, not to do very basic thing I could do before.  The guilt is all mine, not from my parents.  They wanted help, offered to help....I ...
Read more

Am I crazy?:) Don't answer that:)

 Some days I think I am going crazy, I wonder how can I feel better yet worse than I was working? How can a morning of tai chi, virutal appointments and watching TV tire me out.  I just went for a short walk to pick up a game at the local library....like 15 minutes round trip and I am tired...like whole body, breathing hard, head pounding and ears ringing with my eyes closed tired.  Some say I am just deconditioned and I probably am...but it's more than that.  I push to what I can but if I over do it (like I may have the past few days/ evenings) I pay for it. How was I working for 7 months like this?? Great question...I was "managing", I was "surviving" but barely. I would get through the day by having an energy drink (that I used to use pre workout) to give me a boost to start, I would get scalp acupuncture from colleagues to help with my brain fog and headaches and fatigue.  I wouldn't go for walks at lunch, or get up and workout in the am like I did befor...
Read more

Post Exertional Malaise (PEM)

Image
 It's been a busy-ish couple of days both emotionally and physically.   Therapy sessions one day, riding a golf cart another, kids home, sick kid, hockey.  These weren't all in one day but spread out over 4 or 5.  A few naps, a few not great sleeps....trying to pace, sometime successfully, sometimes not. I am sitting outside in the sun watching the boys play hockey, wishing I could join them.  Someone walking by would think I am all good, maybe lazy and on my computer.  Really, I am tired, my hands and insides feel shaky, head is pounding, stomach is upset.  If I close my eyes, I spin.  I need to lie down soon.  I have over done it.     I am experiencing PEM or post exertional malaise.  This is common with long haulers....   PEM is defined by the CDC as:  Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is the worsening of symptoms following even minor physical or mental exertion, with symptoms typically worsening 12 to 4...
Read more