Cher

1 year since diagnosis

Age at interview: 46

Cher had COVID in March 2021 and continued to suffer from severe on-going headaches, fatigue, hair loss, hoarse voice and shortness of breath. Eventually she would be diagnosed with a syndrome that increases her heart rate above normal every time she stands up and chronic fatigue that has left her spending all of her time in bed. Cher has had to come to terms with her situation and the fact that she might never fully recover, but her short term goal is to be able to sit so that she can interact more with her family and have the ability to get around in a wheelchair. One of the hardest parts of this experience is having to go on disability and leave her job not knowing when she will return. She really enjoys the work that she does and it was difficult for Cher to make the decision to focus on her health in the hopes of some kind of a recovery. She has found support in a long-COVID clinic with a holistic focus, but has not always had full support and validation from her care team. She hopes for others living with long-COVID that care providers become more informed and believe their patients. Cher also thinks it would be helpful if more lay language documents could be created for people living with long-COVID to share with their support systems.

 

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