Swollen lymph nodes? Just feeling very defeated

God Bless You! I had enlarged tender lymph nodes with COVID last year. It took them awhile to go back to normal and not be tender. I just got over COVID again and this time I did not have enlarged lymph nodes. Praying yours get better soon.

I have had long COVID for almost 2 years and feel like there’s no end in sight. I’ve been in research trials and to several specialists/different hospitals. I believe there are caring providers that want to help but they get frustrated that they don’t understand what’s going on or how to help and that gets communicated as brushing me off/or like they don’t believe in it. I won’t go through all of my symptoms now but the past few months a new symptom emerged. I felt very full/pain in my ears, neck swollen like I felt suffocated constantly. I had a biopsy in my neck which was benign. Long story short a massage therapist started lymphatic drainage. If you get someone trained well in this it makes a world of difference. I also notice the biggest difference if I eat nearly 100% “clean” - no processed foods, hardly any dairy, no white bread/products, less red meat, absolutely nothing deep fried, etc. Look up “anti-inflammatory diet” and if that is followed strictly, that always affects how much lymphatic fluid builds up. The days I eat poorly my neck is so swollen with lymph that I feel like I can’t breath and my throat is shutting. I also started red light therapy and infrared heat (yoga). I’ve noticed these types of workouts in infrared heat don’t knock me down like anything else (even walking). I still am short of breath doing stairs, walking even short distances, etc. but for some reason can do yoga in infrared heat. Hope this helps.

Also, you talk about depression/anxiety. I had not experienced it like I do now. And I feel like everyone around me thinks I’m crazy. My chart now says “Major Depressive Disorder” and I feel things are brushed off in clinic as “she’s just anxious again”. To answer your question - I take medicine to sleep because stupid long COVID gave me insomnia and I notice getting 8+ hours affects my symptoms. Find a sleeping pill or something that actually works for you. Keep looking until you find the right thing. They tried trazadone and I hated it so they switched. Be an advocate for yourself and don’t be afraid to speak up. I find what helps with depression and try to do that. I’m in bed and inside a lot. I feel like life and family is just moving forward without me. To help with this I force myself to find things I can modify and still get out of bed. At least sit outside or drive with windows down/favorite song, tried to move focus from “what’s wrong with me” to “what will make me stronger for the future” - which is something I can control. I started following a bunch of fitness influencers on social media instead of following post-COVID research, etc (I was becoming obsessed with it) and aim for at least 1 short session at the gym per week to start increasing as I can and follow what they do. The commitment to going is all you need. Even if you just walk in, do a lap, check out the locker room/go to bathroom or fill your water and walk back out, the commitment was still fulfilled! Next time I’d commit to staying 5 min., the. 10, etc. I find any sort of exercise is medicine for my mental health.