Stephen

 I find it amazing that the medical community has not taken Covid long haulers seriously. for god’s sake, believe us!

BOISE, IDAHO: I’m a maritime lawyer and most of my clients are in Asia. In January 2020, these clients became concerned about a virus outbreak in China. I was on a ship at the time and worried that, if the virus spread, my team and I might be stranded aboard if countries closed down their ports.

Many of my clients' ships had multinational crews and I began to work on the problem of how to get them off their ships to make crew exchanges if countries imposed quarantine. I think I was infected with Covid on my trips to the western Pacific. I didn’t feel well when I returned to Boise but put it down to jet lag. 

I developed intense digestive problems and contacted my doctor. I was wondering if I had Covid, even though there were no reported Covid cases yet in Idaho. My doctor called the state health department and found out they wouldn’t test me because the entire state of Idaho only had 15 Covid tests at the time. It was later revealed that digestive problems were common among Covid patients.

I was knocked down for more than 2 weeks with a high fever and fatigue. I suffered through this with no medical support as doctors had no idea of how to treat Covid patients and hospitals didn’t want to admit them. There were no protocols in place for Covid patients.

I made it through and, although fatigued, went back to work. Then, long-haul covid symptoms hit me like body tremors, complications with vision, and my left foot turned purple. This last issue was likely related to blood clots. I have horrible brain fog and wonder if I’m imagining all these things. But, as I connect with research and support groups, I find that many Covid sufferers have similar strange, unexplainable symptoms. I think some medical professionals still don’t think these symptoms are real, think that people are making them up.

When Covid exploded in Idaho. Our largest hospital was overrun with Covid patients, the staff was exhausted and there were no replacements.  Yet many Idahoans refused to admit that Covid was real.

The majority of Idahoans think Covid is a hoax and don’t want the government telling them what to do. They won’t wear masks even though science proves that masks stop the spread of the virus. 

Why are we making this so hard? Perhaps when more people start dying, more people will begin to accept the Covid reality.

I feel a bit better after several months. Brain fog persists and this is causing problems with my work. Still, compared to Covid patients whose bodies have broken down, I’m doing fairly well. But I’m not recovered, there are many unanswered questions and I’m still seeking answers.. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get the medical help I need locally and traveling to other parts of the country for advanced medical support.

Long haul Covid sucks, I just won’t be rid of it but no one seems to have the answers I need.

I am concerned that many long-haul Covid patients have been blown off by the medical establishment and don’t have the resources to get help on their own. The resultant suffering is immeasurable. I find it amazing that the medical community has not taken Covid long haulers seriously.

I want to be an advocate for all those long-haul Covid sufferers who don’t have a voice to advocate for themselves.

Covid long haul is real. For God’s sake, believe us!