Longcovid Lymphatic Dysfunction

I'm thinking I'm doomed by a rural healthcare 'desert' I retired to, because, 'Long Covid'.

After at least one but likely two cases of COVID beginning December 2021, I have 'a list of symptoms' - the most bothersome and disconcerting to me being, 'LYMPHATIC SYSTEM INFLAMMATION' that cycles on 'a continuous sinewave' of 'expand and contract' for a minimum of the past 10 months (today is June 23, 2023). I'll use a scale of 1-10 to describe a range of severity of inflammation in my 'under jaw lymph nodes' with '1' being 'no inflammation' to '10' being 'maximum expansion possible' (meaning to me, they all seem to be distinguishable by touch, very firm/hard, and maximum inflammation experienced 'during my lifetime' from any cause including strep throat, etc.). So, every daily 24-hour cycle my neck nodes expand and contract from a '2 to 8' with '10' maybe every 36-48 hour cycle-period. They are never, a '1', anymore Early on, I thought it was 'only' my neck nodes that were swelling (accompanied by my 'other symptoms' which included and continue, still: chronic fatigue, vertigo, brainfog, runny nose, heart palpitations/arrythmia, general malaise and severe insomnia (since improved after experimentation with various methods ending in mega-dosing with OTC melatonin)). After a few months and efforts at trying to be attuned to everything going on with me regarding the variety of 'issues' I seemed to be experiencing, I noticed that a few other 'bodily discomforts' just happened to be 'adjacent' other lymph nodes of my complete lymphatic system. For example, I found myself having to 'adjust my testicles' when 'sitting' because they seemed to be 'getting in the way' and 'I could not kneel on my knees without using special kneepads' due to 'excruciating pain' that felt like needles being jammed into my knees if I tried to kneel - and so I began monitoring how 'those' synchronized with my neck nodes expansion and contraction and found 'synchronicity'. Research on 'inflammation' led me to try using 'NSAIDS' (mega-dosing) for a few days in an attempt to reduce 'inflammation' - and see if that helped 'anything'. It seemed to, but luckily I also read that if continued, 'it'll kill you' if you overdo ingesting NSAIDS/Aspirin, so cannot continue that regimen. After being pretty much 'housebound' by it all, I finally got to a 2nd appt with a primary care doc, who (to be understated), seems incapable of helping me, whatsoever, to-date. I did have 'lab tests/bloodwork' which came back normal, including the addition of a 'cancer screen', due the 'chronic inflammation' of lymph nodes. I intend to continue persuing, which is requiring me being 'assertive' and also finding another 'primary' I will visit in a couple of weeks. I would love to know if anyone else has experienced a similar issue with their 'holistic lymphatic system'. ALSO, from my own research of medical research, investigations and literature including from 'numerous respected sources', it all has me wondering if my 'BRAINFOG' might be attributed perhaps to 'lymph nodes' within in my skull, possibly 'inflamed and pressing on brain' during this 'continuous ongoing sine wave of expansion/contraction'. Anyone? Also, at this point, I am considering selling my home and relocating back to 'some metropolitan region' where I previously had access to 'good healthcare infrastructures', because I do not have that 'luxury', where I currently reside.

I live in top Sulicon Valley medical community and my docs have no ideas what’s wrong with me! I have arthritis and thus a challenge d immune system- but I’m the only one so far who thinks that’s relevant! The Orthopedic docs treat sore knee joints it have little interest in my all over aching joints and total exhaustion. I’m 80+ and they imply I’m lucky to be alive! Stanford Med Center has just opened a “Post Acute Covid clinic and I’m trying to get accepted there… so far NA!
God bless us all!😇

Get your lactic acid levels checked. They’re finding with some people that resting lactic acid levels are through the roof contributing to extreme fatigue and joint pain. We just found this out a few days ago.

So. An Update...

Today, my NEW REPLACEMENT Doctor showed me and gave me a copy of 'THE ALGORITHM' we are now on ( and for those unaware, 'your medical problems are now managed by algorithms' directing your doctors actions in response to YOUR SYMPTOMS - so - you really need to find the right doctor for you and on top of that must ensure he will be following the algorithm most-likely to have a positive impact on YOUR CONDITION. Disclaimer: I am not a medically-trained person nor am I selling anything. So SEARCH TERM, NO QUOTES ----> ' algorithm for the evaluation of clonal cell disorder ' Now, I repeatedly noticed 'EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS (EBV)' ~ aka ~ 'MONONUCLEOSIS' scattered throughout medical literature found in my search results related to ' THIS THING '. I did have 'mono' back in, like, 1970. I decided to mention it in the notes I gave my new doc first visit ( 'Executive Brief' ) about what I hoped to accomplish - my primary 2 'conditions' hoping to find root casue, of ; 1) Fatigue 2) Chronic Inflammation of Lymph Nodes, 'Throughout' Now, some of the specifically-related terms and phrases related to this, include; MGUS, SMOULDERING MYELOMA and MULTIPLE MYELOMA and 'EPSTEIN–BARR VIRUS–ASSOCIATED LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE DISEASES' Because, like, I don't even understand how I couldn't find this on my own using search terms I'd been using but I'ma guess 'algorithms' determined what I was able to find via internet, as well. For those of you who KNOW you've had 'MONO / Epstein-Barr' and 'on this board and have swollen lymph nodes persisting - maybe waxing and waning - #1 - you might not even notice the ones in your groin and behind your knees are also 'swollen' (because I didn't, for months, until I figured out why my kneecaps were tender and 'nuts' were being 'extended' and interfering with my sitting). Who knew?? Too painful to kneel - happened when my lymph nodes were 'pumped' - 'nuts' get in my way sitting down, oddly and unusually - and... when my lymph nodes are swollen - which FINALLY caused me to consider maybe nodes I never really even considered for 60+ years. It was always about Strep Throat, for me, vice 'LYMPHADENOPATHY' ( one of the applicable terms used to describe this condition ). So back to the top - if any of this rings true with you, I recommend 'Googling' the pages with THAT PHRASE to get 'Medical Algorithm' then 'Wikipedia' for 'Smouldering Myeloma' and 'Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Lymphoproliferative Diseases' POINT BEING for ME ---> Mutual Goal is 'Stopping The Inflammation' and per 'Smouldering Myeloma' they do that by stopping the dividing of 'cloned defects' running amok (my translation) which are pumping up the holistic lymph system. And by the way, my brainfog seems to ebb and flow with the most profound stages on the 'perpetual expansion/contraction cycle' of 'The Nodes'. Past 3 days I've been 'Walking Dead' (and driving dead to and fro the doc today). My own private lobotomy comes and goes - with lizard brain and abstract reasoning functions seemingly fine. It's those periods where I'm, like, responsibilities ?! Family ?! Demands of others ?! Shower ?! Who cares ! I'm just gonna die anyway ! So anyway I'm kind of stoked about this new direction, for multiple reasons most of which have to do with working hard at identifying as many little things 'going on within' as I can - researching by words/terms/links - finding patterns emerge - not finding anything I felt I could personally 'align with' (yet) in a way I might use to benefit me - then having these presented to me, today. Shocked I missed them prior to today - excited by what I find in them all. THAT'S THE NEWS FROM LAKE WOBEGON.....