Alabama

Hello my name is Michael Springer I have been going through rehabilitation and therapy test after test from recovering from Covid since June 3. I’m still experiencing and suffering from major side effects like shortness of breath, tingling in my left arm when taking a deep breath, chest pain, depression and anxiety, irritation, angry, little sleep at night. Before Covid I was very active boxing, exercising, track, mentals was right.

I was working at major grocery store where I caught covid 19. It was the week of thanksgiving when I started coughing and wheezing, but I just thought I was having an Asthma attack. The Saturday before Thanksgiving the week went by but in going to work, dealing with customers shopping it didn’t dawn on me that all the wheezing and coughing was covid. The day after Thanksgiving I asked my son to take me to the ER because I had problems breathing and I was admitted in the hospital with covid. It kept on getting worse and at the same time I was worried about my kids and my mom because it turned out they were positive also. So while I was in the hospital fighting for my life I had to worry about my mom and children and then things took a turn for the worst where I almost got to the point where I was almost placed on a ventilator. I was getting medicine and plasma – why I am here today, but since I got out i have lost my hair, experienced shortness of breath, hearing loss in one ear, and having my heart valve replaced. I now am having issues maintaining and remembering stuff, still having difficulty breathing, my joints are hurting, and I’m having problems going up and down stairs. Walking long distances and my asthma triggers very often it just feels like I am in a constant nightmare. I miss the old me before covid for the past two years have been hell. Go to the doctors no one is listening they are telling me it’s all in my head. I lost income because of me getting sick so often and have lost some of my teeth. I want to know when I am going to wake up from this nightmare

I had covid pneumonia in November 2021 started to have severe breathing. The day I entered the hospital is the only thing i remember. Family told me I was on the ventilator for 5 weeks my heart stopped and started again. When I woke up it was January 2022 and I was told I had neuropathy in my feet ,and im learning to walk again. Everyday I am battling mentally and physically.

I was 37 weeks pregnant when I tested positive for COVID. I went in to the emergency room on August 31, and was told that I had to have an emergency c section, and be put on the ventilator. After the c section, I was transported to Vanderbilt ICU. I was on the ventilator for 3 days, and hospitalized for 10 days. After I came home, I had to do physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy to get me all back up on my feet. I had an MRI and it showed that I had a stroke. I am currently seeing an neurologist, stroke doctor, pulmonologist for my long term affects. I am only 25 years old and I have never had any health issues before all of this. I was not vaccinated, but 90 days after I tested positive, I got vaccinated. My whole care team from Vanderbilt said it is a miracle I am alive today.

I lost my dad, Bob Dahl, to COVID-19 on November 21, 2020. He contracted COVID-19 in a skilled rehab facility where he was recovering from hip surgery. We found out he was positive only on November 15 when he had to take a COVID-19 test to enter the nursing facility he was supposed to transition to for longer-term rehabilitation. We were not allowed to see my dad once he tested positive—neither in rehab nor the nursing home or even during his transfer. We felt kept in the dark about what was going on with him and how he was doing. I could only imagine whether my dad felt as helpless as we did. It still breaks my heart to say that he died alone just three days after arriving at the nursing facility and five days before Thanksgiving (his favorite holiday). While some of you may have been cooking turkey and eating stuffing for Thanksgiving, my family spent our holiday collecting my dad’s ashes. My family suffered in silence, unable to have a funeral or grieve with others. The collective grief of 2020 was magnified when your loved one died in a pandemic from the virus that caused it. The trauma was lived out over and over again each time you heard about COVID-19 in the news or learned about friends and family contracting the virus, trying to show up for life each day with the fear that you might again lose another. Please do not forget all that you, your families, and the nation have endured so that we may never have to live through this extended tragedy again.

July 21 I began experiencing a cough and runny nose. By the 24th a fever. I went to the urgent care and my test results were positive for Covid-19. Within hours I was experiencing severe fatigue, body pain and anosmia (no taste or smell) . Despite medications I was severely ill. Chills and fever up to 103.9, excruciating pain while sleeping. Uncontrollable coughing day and night. Unable to eat only drink fluids. I began hallucinating. I begged to live and begged to die. Prepared farewell videos to my 3 children. It dramatically changed my life. This went on for 2 solid weeks. Two hospital emergency visits. Hospital emergency room X-ray showed trauma to my lungs. But I chose to return home. After 27 days I began recovering. But it’s been over two months and I’m still struggling to gain my normalcy. Breathing is challenging. Deep breathing helps. Brain fog and concentration is daily. Fatigue and restless nights continue. But daily walking helps and strengths my lungs. Taste and smell returned. But taste is a bit off with sweet and sour foods. Still little to no appetite. Be mindful Covid-19 is a potentially fatal disease not to be taken lightly. Those whom lost their love ones are grieving and need kindness. Those of us that survived, long haulers, we too need kindness. Most of all we must have patience. Patience with ourselves, it takes time to heal. And from others. As a “long hauler” we need others to understand we are no longer severely ill, but we are still recovering. And it isn’t easy. Overall, we must do what ever it takes to protect our society and annihilate this deadly disease. None one should suffer needlessly.

I was diagnosed with Covid 11/24/20 Never recovered with constant long Covid – sinuses/allergy response constant 11 months now. Brain fog, systemic neurological issues, gi issues – diagnosed with Celuac disease 6/2/21. History of gastric bypass surgery and suffering from severe malnutrition. Pfizer vaccines March and April 2021 after waiting 90 days from positive pcr. I spiraled downward in health after vaccines and had to take Fmla at work. I have been unemployed since July 2021 and have depleted our cash and living paycheck to paycheck thanks to my husband. We still have to borrow money for my health visits due to cash pay and I have no insurance now. I have been bounced around from dr to specialist to dr. After months and 2 referrals to Baylor S&W Temple finally called with a virtual appointment in Early September and a team was to discuss my case. November 1, still no word or update to my pcp. Frustrated, tired, depressed, and malnourished. Trying to go back to work 2 days a week at a hospital next week. – Covid fighting Respiratory Therapist