Long Covid has ruined my life and marriage

@lkirnbauer I'm putting my wife through hell because of my undiagnosed symptoms. Emergency room are equipped for those whom have easily diagnosed systems spotted in Cat Scans/MRIs/standard blood and urine tests. Insurance companies like to use hospital groups which deny admissions to hospitals. Specialists drs. are located outside the hospitol system, and specialists are booked for months. One must wait almost a year for treatment. I feel your pain as it is rough for good marriages also. I've been in the emergency room 12 times in the past two years. You can follow all the directions, return if condition worsens. I have no answers for you just keep plugging along. the entire system is broke as hospitals no longer care for the patients and many good doctors are not allowed to admit you because you do not meet their criteria for admission. the system is not like the 60s and 70s when the doctor was allowed to have you admitted for collaborated team evaluations to find the problem. I'm sorry for you, and others in pain. I find seeking help outside the system is the only way to find comfort and treatment. If you're lucky you can find a dr. who will admit you for observation. Medicine for profit is the norm now. I find creative accounting to make it appear not-for-profit very interesting. Mayo is a class hospital if you can get admitted. Cutting edge medicines are available. Take care friend.

@suecedar1028

I suffered from similar pain and have gotten a lot of relief from low-dose naltrexone. I am using 3 mg per day. It has made a huge difference.

@glennradliff

Oh, no! What is landing you in the ER?

That is abusive behavior. Don't stand for it. It's bad enough dealing with chronic illness. You don't need an asshat making you feel worse. One word, two syllables: divorce. I have been there and it took me 25 years, but I got out. Wishing you strength to take action to protect yourself from treatment you do not deserve.

I came down with COVID in the afternoon of the morning in which I received a booster in November 2021. I have a list a page and a half long of things that I have dealt with and are dealing with. I understand what it is like to not be believed. My primary doctor was almost in tears a year and a half ago when he looked at me and said, I have no idea what else to do for you. It was helpful to know that he cared. I think our spouses care also, but they are like our doctors, and ourselves if we are honest, they don't know what to do either. I don't think it is helpful to call them idiots or claim they don't care. If you think about it you are not the person you used to be and this doesn't only impact yourself, it impacts them also. My wife and I have put things on hold or canceled future plans because of me. This isn't fair to either of us, but understand that they are not married to the same person they used to be. You may not feel like being as intimate as they would like to receive or need to receive from you. I know I've had to decline things when my head is spinning like or top, or I can't keep food down, etc. Just saying it maybe good to have a sit down honest and open conversation regarding how this is impacting the other person as well, and then pray together afterwards.

The first 6 trips was migraine and cluster headaches. the other four trips was a broken tail bone and UTI infection. Following directions did not help for admission. It's just the system here. I have a pain specialist and a GP whom are angels with souls; as they drilling down into my problem now after two years of pain. Looking forward with medications changes and Brain Restore therapy. Hope you're improving friend. Thanks for asking.

@drbf thank you for the advice. I wil certainly look into it. I have resisted any type of drug that is in the class of an opioid, but don'tknow how much longer I can grin and bare this horrible pain.

@suecedar1028

LDN is not an opiod. It is an opiod antagonist.

A lot of people start out with an even lower dose of it, like 0.5 mg.

I can't guarantee it will help with pain. It has worked for me.

Thank you for explainng. I did a google search to get more information. I am seeing a pain mgmt dr on the 20th as well and will mention the small dose Naltrexone.

Good luck with your healing. I'm so glad you found something that is helping and it is encouraging that their may be some relief.

@suecedar1028

I hope you get relief from your pain!

I've got bone on phone in my knees, too, one hip replacement, and the other one not that great.

I also have post-herpetic neuralgia from previously uncontrolled reactivations of internal shingles (ZSH). I also have osteoarthritis in multiple joints.

I saw on your profile that you were having neuropathy in your feet. I went through a time where I had something like that. I couldn't bear weight on my feet. It felt like I was walking on sharp rocks. When my doctor ran a pin-like tool across the bottom of my feet, I couldn't even feel it. We never got it figured out, but it finally went away. I did not have plantar fasciitis! Did you experience something like this?