Participant 19
Key
Body Posture: On two strong feet with arm over head for strength
Color:
Red for Love
Purple for Strength
Blue for Peace
Shapes:
Heart for love
Personal Symbol: A smiley face with eyes closed, extending a heart. This is to show love for myself and accepting my difficulties.
Personal Slogan:
When I accept/forgive myself, I will be strong, find peace, love and turn it into my new normal.
Marks on or under the skin: Under the skin - brain broken, confusion, why me, feeling stupid
Future:
Continue to rewire my brain with exercises and experiences to become stronger. Find ways to understand and mitigate situations that cause stress and confusion. Accept my new normal.
Future is my new normal where I can multitask and comprehend without having to think about how to do it. My new normal just works.
Message to others:
My message to others is that COVID long haul is real. I know what I was like before COVID and how I feel now.
Story
“I tested positive for Covid 19 in Dec 2020 and experienced headaches, exhaustion and low grade fever. During the course of the virus, I passed out in the shower and my husband took me to the ER. While in the ER, it was as if I was underwater. It was hard to hear and to react to instructions. My movement, speech and comprehension slowed down. I was diagnosed as dehydrated, given an IV and sent home. After I recovered from the fever, lethargy and headaches associated with COVID-19, I was still having trouble focusing on words and conversations. It felt as if words were just washing over me and I couldn't catch them. My doctor prescribed heart function tests and an examination by a neurologist. The heart function tests didn't show any abnormalities. The neurologist conducted MRIs of my brain and neck and a basic cognition test. All were normal. He recommended contacting Henry Ford for support and further study groups. Since December 2020, I no longer feel like words are washing over me but I still have a hard time with focusing and comprehending. Not all the time, but when I am distracted, or tired or overwhelmed, I struggle. I struggle with following the conversation or finding a word or focusing on what I want to say. I struggle with following the voice directions on my nav system and have had to make many,many "course corrections". I feel like my brain is broken. I'm sad and embarrassed that people will think I'm stupid. I've always prided myself on my intellect and it feels like it's cracked. I've had to forgive myself for still having issues with comprehension and understanding. With forgiving myself, I found peace and love for a new normal. I am learning coping skills such as closing my eyes when talking so I can focus. If I can't follow the conversation or comprehend paperwork, I sit quietly or walk away and try again. My family gives me unconditional love which helps me find peace and strength. The Henry Ford support group (PFAC) also gives me strength because they get it. My message to others is that the effects of COVID are real. They can't be measured but they are there. I feel them. I experience them. I know that I am different” -COVID Long Hauler