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Do other long haulers suffer with brain changes? Seen any improvement?
Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 | Last Active: May 15, 2023 | Replies (173)Comment receiving replies
Hello. I was sick with Covid in 12/2020 for 1 month. I returned to work 3 half days a week and progressed to 30hrs a week. I had long hauler shortness of breath, episodes of tachycardia, insomnia and brain fog. I still wear oxygen at bedtime, take a prescription sleep aid and continue with brain fog. In November I had a new wave of brain fog and anxiousness with episodes that made me multi-task. I resigned from my job but they didn't "accept" my request and said they would reduce my hrs to 24/week and limit my duties so I could focus on a few areas. I so appreciate my employers working to keep me at work, but I decided to retire early at age 61. I am a nurse and feel that the services I provide are hindered by too many long hauler effects. I also had two sisters pass from cancer within 6 weeks of each other. This made me look at my mortality and life goals. I will officially be retired at the end of 3/2022. LIfe is too short and I plan to focus on improving my brain health, diet, physical exercise, and pursuing income options that allow me to be creative, work at my own pace, and I can still feel that I'm contributing to our household income and "job" satisfaction. It is hard to explain to others the mental changes that you experience, because they too say they are experiencing forgetfulness, etc. But, this is different because, for me, there was a distinct change and intensification after Covid illness. I too had been experiencing some of these changes, but it is different, now. At first, I thought Covid put me into early Alzheimer's, but those things I couldn't immediately recall would pop into my head shortly, when I wasn't expecting it. It was as if the thought signals were lost and then the synapses connected and I found the answer. With Alzheimer's the thought is lost and not found. These after-effects do bother me but then I find a way to combat them with the hope of getting off the oxygen, sleep aid, etc. I have found a sight to help exercise my brain, Luminosityom, and now that I will stop working I plan to read much more for pleasure. I hope this was helpful. - Kim
Replies to "Hello. I was sick with Covid in 12/2020 for 1 month. I returned to work 3..."
I very much identify with your post. I am/was a ER RN, sick a month before you. In April 2021 I tried returning to work in a vaccine clinic, 4 hr shifts, 4 days a week. The effort it took to remember to cover just 5 things before giving the shot was overwhelming, I needed a sticky note for reference, and still had difficulty remembering to ask about allergies-something that is nursing school basic. In addition to the overwhelming intractable exhaustion, I was terribly afraid of making an error in such a simple task as giving a shot as compared to ER critical/life saving/trauma nursing where every second mattered and there was no room for second guessing. I lasted 5 shifts and haven't worked since.
I too thought I had Alzheimers or a stroke when I couldn't figure out how to release my seatbelt; emergent cardioversion or rapid sequence intubation was out of the question. I wouldn't want me for a nurse.
Despite multiple Dr reports, workmans comp concluded there was nothing wrong with me & stopped medical coverage, then my hospital 'separated' me from employment because of the same Dr reports. Also at 61, I am living off retirement savings with over 4 times my previous expense for COBRA. The world has changed since covid, but insurance/workmans comp/job protection/corporate policy has not caught up with the impact of the pandemic.
In the meantime I have PT to work on endurance and Speech Therapy & OT for pacing and memory/brain fog. I work puzzles daily for my 'brain work out'-Sudoku. Word Cookies, crossword, block puzzle, free flow, Visuospatial games and, OMG at 61?, senior puzzles. Per Speech Therapy, reading is good too.
Message me privately if you would like to keep in touch. Contact with other health professionals is very helpful to me.
Rina
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Thank you for sharing. It must be hard to be suddenly unable to multitask after a lifetime of handling complex situations! Please continue to share your progress. I totally agree with your decision to retire and enjoy life - I did so at 57 because I had a couple of fatigue-inducing conditions. I have never regretted it, and had such an improved quality of life.
Sue