Who Am I To Write About Long Covid?
I'm in the queue to see specialists at Northwestern Medicine's Comprehensive Covid-19 Center, hoping to understand the long-term impact of Covid-19 on my body. This might get very interesting.
I almost didn’t write this post for the very reason that I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY about long Covid.
All I know is, I’m now working with specialists at Northwestern Medicine’s Comprehensive Covid-19 Center, hoping to understand the long-term impact of Covid-19 on my body.
Since long-Covid is still so new and misunderstood, I’m writing this post to explain the symptoms I’ve been experiencing. It’s my hope that, by sharing details of what I’m going through, others who experience them (as well as those working with long-Covid patients) might, in some way, find this perspective useful.
Long-Covid Symptoms
According to its website, “Northwestern Medicine’s Comprehensive COVID-19 Center welcomes patients who have COVID-19 symptoms that last 30 days from the beginning of their COVID-19 illness or their last positive COVID-19 test.”
It goes on to say that symptoms may include:
Fevers
Tiredness
Brain fog
Headache
Dizziness
Trouble sleeping
Cough
Shortness of breath
Heart conditions, such as inflammation of the heart, irregular heartbeat, or fast or slow heart rate
Sweating
Anxiety
Bladder issues
Blood clots in the lung or veins, or blood-clotting issues
Kidney damage
Nausea
Diarrhea
New prediabetes or diabetes
New thyroid disorder”
Since I still have several of these symptoms after contracting an acute case of Covid-19 more than 6 months ago in January 2022, my primary doctor referred me for evaluation. My symptoms include tiredness, brain fog, dizziness, trouble sleeping, cough, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, and increased anxiety.
One symptom I didn’t see on Northwestern’s list that shows up a lot in the news is histamine intolerance — something I’ve also experienced. Four months after I contracted Covid, I broke out into a full-body case of hives, something I’ve never done before in my life. My whole body itched from the inside out, and for 48 hours, I struggled to understand what triggered the itching and how to get it under control. I itched on my hands, feet, eyes, torso — everywhere. This wasn’t just an annoying itch, either. It felt like a systemic, stop-everything-you’re-doing-and-try-to-find-relief-before-it-drives-you-mad kind of itch. It kept me up all night, and I itched in some spots until I bled. And then, after two days, it all just stopped. I’m working to find a specialist in the clinic who’ll address the questions I have about this, issue, as well.
Let me explain how tiredness has impacted me. Over the years, I’ve trained for and participated in 4 Chicago Marathons — and crossed the finish line three times these past 3 years. This year, after having recovered from Covid (or so I thought), I began training for the 2022 Chicago Marathon (my 5th) but had to stop when I couldn’t finish a 6-mile training session. That was in July —six months after I contracted Covid. Since then, I haven’t been able to walk more than 3 miles at a time. The disappointment of not doing the race is real, but I know my body isn’t able to handle it this year.
As far as shortness of breath, recently, after about 25 minutes of playing ping-pong with friends, I was so out of breath that I braced myself with one hand on the ping-pong table so I could steady myself. Yes, you read that right. I’m getting winded playing ping-pong.
My heart issues have come and gone over these past six months. Sometimes my heart races, and other times I have an irregular heart beat. Naturally, I’m curious if my racing heart has anything to do with having anxiety (which has significantly increased since having Covid), but the irregular heart beats? That’s when it became clear I need to get things checked out.
Moreover, almost immediately after I contracted Covid, dizziness set in (in the form of vertigo), and while things have improved dramatically, the dizziness still lingers.
I’ll be sure to keep you posted on what I learn from the specialists. I’m eager to speak with them not only about my own symptoms but about all the ones they see.
If you have questions you’d like me to look into about long-Covid, please feel free to share them in the comments. I’ll do my best to find out what I can from knowledgeable professionals.
Thanks, as always, for reading. Wishing you good health. I’m grateful you’re here.
Resources
New York Times (Scroll down to the heading marked “Long Covid and Mental Health”): https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/briefing/cdc-rules-long-covid-mental-health.html
Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acn3.51210
JAMA Cardiology:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/article-abstract/2768915
The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/11/health/covid-survivors.html
Scientific American:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-problem-of-long-haul-covid/
Wall Street Journal:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-covid-19-symptoms-linger-demand-for-specialized-clinics-surges-11597925200
Northwestern Medicine Research: https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/research/news/podcast/neurological-complications-of-covid-19-with-igor-koralnik-md.html