Long Covid Update 2024
My new normal, whatever that is...
Hey ya'll, with a new year upon us, I figured it was a good time to give a little update on the long COVID situation. I know many of you have been walking with me since I was hospitalized and scared everybody a few years ago. You can see the whole journey in this post, but I want to update you now that we are a few years out.
So I would love to say everything's back to normal and everything's fine, but the reality is it's not. It's been hard, but I think firmly saying that I have COVID is not debilitating like many others, but I continue to do blood tests for a few numbers that are a little weird. Doctors are not concerned, but we are monitoring some things for me. Most of my long COVID is about needing to be discerning about the energy I put into the world. Whether it's exercise or whether it's work or family or whatever. And so I have dived into a bit of spoon theory, for those of you who know what that is and are trying to tend to my time.
Now, of course, we should all do that, and I hope that people don't need to wait until something kind of life-shattering happens to make that kind of change. But for me, this is beyond just, I think, getting older and needing to rest and slow down. Every day, there is a point where my body just kind of shuts down. And so I used just to think, Oh, I just need to nap every day. But I really sleep every day in the middle of the day deeply. So usually an hour to an hour and a half that I just need to do. Occasionally I can skip it, but it really doesn't. And so I think my numbers and things that are a little strange for me manifest themselves and need to really take that rest.
One, you probably do know other people besides me who have long COVID. Two, let them figure it out. One of the least helpful things though, I know it's offered in such good intention is unsolicited advice about long COVID because there are so many ways that it manifests itself, there's really no one thing. So everybody's trying to figure it out. Three, I would say hold in deep, tender prayer those for whom long COVID really is debilitating. There are groups that I'm in that people still have headaches and weakness and really have chronic fatigue in a way that does not allow them to do some of the things that I'm able to do. And fourth, any chance you can fight for a living wage and healthcare that is not tied to employment and health care for everyone because I have the luxury and the privilege to deal with the things that I do because I have health care and because I'm in a position where I can take time off and away and not have to work 10 hours a day and not have to do all those things that only exacerbate long COVID symptoms.
So, I'm doing as well as can be; I hesitate again to say it's back to normal. As my doctors say to me every time I meet with them, how are you feeling? And I say I'm feeling fine. And she's like, great. And then, as my numbers still have not changed, she just says, well, Maybe this is just your new normal, and we go on from here, and that's kind of where we are. So I am tending to myself. I am, you know, living into whatever this new thing is and exercising a lot, trying to really tend to my body, getting a lot of writing and working done, back in the church part-time, trying to tend to family and house and really, living a life of harmony. Again, not because my body told me to, but because I need to, otherwise I'm not good for anyone.
So there's a long COVID story without any peaks and valleys, but I think for most people who have it. You have to deal with this kind of silent reality every day. So, if you have it, I hear you, I see you, and if you need to reach out and want to talk more, please do. If you are wondering about others, just check in on them. Don't try to fix them, don't try to offer too many, Um, uh, ideas about how they can get better, but just check on folks, acknowledge that maybe they're going through something that they aren't letting other people see or, or don't feel it's appropriate to have other people see. So again, I appreciate everybody who has walked with me over the years on this.
Again, thanks for the support here on substack and in other places over the years. I'm looking forward to doing some really good stuff and this 2024, and I'm glad you are with me.
Peace.
This post was recorded with Descript and edited with Grammarly.
The four things to do you list, Bruce, are WONDERFUL. Thank you!
Peace be with you, my friend. You are one of several clergy colleagues / friends of mine who are walking that journey. I’m honored to be a part of your corner of the world.