Lyse
Recently diagnosed
Age at interview: 63
Lyse has been experiencing symptoms since she got COVID in January 2022. Breathlessness, fatigue and dizziness are some of the symptoms that make it impossible for her to return to her daily activities. She now spends many days in the tranquility of her house. Unable to engage in the long walks, reconstruction and physical work which she once did so easily. Previous attempts to go back to work for a few days have resulted in experiencing more intense symptoms. She worries about the financial impact and what will happen to them if they won’t be any longer able to pay the mortgage. Lyse continues to seek medical help but so far all the tests have not found anything unusual. Her lung capacity was even measured to be higher than the average yet she is breathless when she walks a short distance. Despite the challenging situation she has found ways to cope with the situation. A key moment for her was when she realized that her old self is no longer there and that she now has to learn to live with her new self.
More content
- Getting Care for Long COVID – LyseLyse finds it exhausting to have to tell her story over and over again.
- Tests and Investigations – LyseLyse had extensive testing that failed to provide any answers.
- Loss of Income and Need for Financial Support – LyseLyse gave up her car to help make ends meet.
- Recovery and Thoughts About the Future – LyseLyse's family remains optimistic but she says she would be happy with a partial recovery.
- Advice to Policy Makers – LyseLyse doesn't know what will happen when her employment insurance runs out.
- Coping Strategies and Self Care – LyseLyse builds rest into every stage of her day.
- Loss of Income and Need for Financial Support – LyseLyse says you never know how long financial support will last.
- Psychosocial Impacts – LyseLyse finds herself crying for no reason other than fatigue.
- Impacts on Self and Daily Life – LyseLyse now finds daily chores unbearable.
- Impacts on Self and Daily Life – LyseLyse used to walk two hours a day. Now she struggles to walk to the corner store and back.