I was working as a senior carer in a dementia home all through the pandemic and didn’t contract COVID all through it.
In January 2023, my partner (who worked at the same care home) felt unwell and a couple of days later I went to work as normal. Half way through the day I started to feel unwell. I did a COVID test at work and it immediately came up straight away as positive. I left work and went straight home.
That day, I was starting to feel worse and worse. The following morning I couldn’t move. It was like my body had been paralyzed or like Rigor mortis had set in. My partner had to come and help me get up and out of bed. In the following days, I was having spasms going through my spine.
When I was finally negative, I went back to work but due to muscle weakness and brain fog I was unable to continue with my job as I dealt with medication on a daily basis. I got signed off at work and over time I ended up being diagnosed with Long Covid.
My symptoms are muscle weakness, brain fog, severe pain 24/7 in my back and joints, poor mobility, so I now use crutches and I wear knee braces. I have been diagnosed as having CKD stage 3 and only have one kidney. I have liver disease, fatigue, Arthritis in knees, shoulders and hip, I now have Long QT which basically means my heart isn’t beating as it should., I’m on lots of pain relief and supplements to try and help me with the symptoms I have developed. I get severe headaches and when I crash I have anything from 3 days to 2 weeks of pure hell, like a bad hangover but with no alcohol.
I can’t do anything myself. My partner or my two adult children have to help me with appointments and day to day living. I can’t leave the house on my own. I feel like a prisoner. I’m not living my life I’m just existing.
This is the start of my 3rd year with this illness and I struggle every day. Sometimes I cry all day every day. I really struggle. I miss the old me and how I used to be and what I used to be able to do.
At the moment I don’t see a light in my very dark tunnel that it just getting darker and darker each day.
