Shelby

Be kind; you never know what someone else is going through

On April 20, 2020, I tested positive for Covid-19. 

4 weeks in, I was not getting better. I knew something was wrong. In May, I lost feeling in my legs and was admitted to the hospital. All tests came back negative, but I was scared. I realized that Covid was much more serious than I anticipated.

Later, I went to the ER 3 times but they sent me home because I was young and healthy. At night, my oxygen level dropped to 87% and my heart raced to 135. I had difficulty breathing and the fatigue didn’t go away.

Still, I kept working. But, 6 months in, my heart rate took off and I was back in the hospital. This time, they diagnosed me with ventricular tachycardia.

My autonomic nervous system is haywire and my brain, lungs, chest and spleen are damaged. All this bad news was devastating. 

10 months in, I was diagnosed with dysautonomia.

This has been a tough pill to swallow. I was a fitness trainer, in great shape and full of energy. Now, I’m constantly fatigued, have difficulty focusing, and wonder if this will ever end. My body hurts every day. There are no treatments for my symptoms. I just deal with them as they come up.

Fortunately, I can still work from home. I need to pay bills and do the best I can with my limitations. 

I started a non-profit, Blooming Magnolia, committed to providing a mental health platform for those struggling and supporting those afflicted with Long-Covid through education and funding of therapeutic research.

I accept that long Covid is a chronic disease but we need more research to learn how to deal with this condition effectively. I’m afraid that, like other chronic illnesses, long Covid sufferers will be swept under the rug.

Long Covid can happen to anyone, and millions of people all over the world are suffering from this chronic illness. Nobody should suffer in silence, and through Blooming Magnolia, I want to give those suffering from long Covid and mental health issues a voice and support.