Recovering from COVID-19 with a Chronic Health Condition.
(Updated February 2022)
It can be scary to think of the implications of contracting COVID-19 if you have underlying health issues and that’s especially so for those of us with poorly understood conditions, who receive minimal support (and often even acknowledgement) from our healthcare systems at the best of times.
I’m extremely glad to be able to write this piece, to be sharing some insights with you, and hopefully offering some level of reassurance to those of you who are fearful about the implications of catching the virus.
(Updated February 2022)
It can be scary to think of the implications of contracting COVID-19 if you have underlying health issues and that’s especially so for those of us with poorly understood conditions, who receive minimal support (and often even acknowledgement) from our healthcare systems at the best of times.
I’m extremely glad to be able to write this piece, to be sharing some insights with you, and hopefully offering some level of reassurance to those of you who are fearful about the implications of catching the virus.
I have Chronic Lyme and Coinfections as well as hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and I now consider myself lucky to have had Covid early on (March 2020), because we were already on the mend when the fear and hysteria were reaching their fever pitch. We didn't have time to worry about getting Covid because we were half way through it before we even realised what it was.
Part of the challenge for us was becoming ill almost as soon as lockdown was announced and therefore having two very bored kids at home at the same time. Covid plus homeschooling?! Please, take me to hell for a holiday.
The Recovery Strategy:
1. Resting
I can’t emphasise this enough. My husband went back to work on day three when he felt better, then got hit a whole lot harder by the double-dip.
Expect to rest completely for two weeks and mostly rest for three. If you feel like you can work from home, don’t. If the Prime Minister can take a few weeks off to recover from Covid, then so can you. Or in my case, if the kids are trashing the house, there’s no proper dinners and homeschooling consists of an iPad, that’s ok. Let it happen. Now is the time to relax your standards.
Sleep as much as you can, napping once or twice a day was essential for me. Melatonin is anti-inflammatory to the brain and helps sleep. I used 10mg a night and kept to a sleep/waking routine to keep my sleep stable.
2. Temperature
Once you start to feel hot it’s very tempting to jump straight in with the paracetamol and try to cool down. As a Lymie, I’m aware that Hyperthermia treatment is a very expensive Lyme treatment option which involves raising your body temperature very high in order to kill off lots of bacteria in your body.
A temperature is an immune response, the purpose of which is to make your body inhospitable to bacteria and viruses. I was amazed I managed to get a temperature at all, but I did get a moderate one and decided to capitalise on that by wrapping myself up for a few hours at a time to keep it high.
3. Removing stress
It’s easier to say than do, but stress heavily affects immunity, in real and measurable ways and takes up loads of vital energy. Currently, thanks to the fear campaigns surrounding Covid, our fear of catching it can be heightened and that’s hugely unhelpful if you develop symptoms. Focus more on healing and less on the particular pathogen which is causing your symptoms.
While you are unwell, stay away from anyone who is likely to go into an anxiety meltdown about you having Covid. It's not the time to be trying to manage other people's emotions. Focus on yourself.
A few stress reduction suggestions:
· Don’t use social media, or limit to one hour a day. Block, mute, unfollow or defriend anyone who is often posting divisive or annoying content. We all have those friends who have been sucked down the various online rabbit holes of this pandemic and they won't know if you mute them;
· Don’t read the news, or limit to one quick scan of headlines once a day. Stay away from daily death toll figures or wars. It can all wait until you are better;
· Mute or leave Whatsapp groups which propogate fearful opinions about the virus and/or related conspiracy theories;
· Avoid interactions with people who are stressed and reflecting that onto you. We kept it quiet that we had the virus until we were on the mend because we didn’t want messages every day from well-meaning people checking if we were dead yet;
4. Eating well
I’m obviously a huge advocate of the importance of food in health and healing, but when you are really unwell it’s time to listen to your body and quiet the critical self-talk. You can go back to gluten-free, keto, paleo etc when you are on the mend.
Soups, juices and good quality ready meals were the mainstay of our food for two weeks. I usually always cook from fresh, but that simply wasn't possible. It pays to have a few better quality frozen options and frozen veggies just in case you need them. If you have the energy and/or ample freezer storage then invest some time in batch cooking healthy meals that can be easily reheated.
It might be prudent to have a pre-planned shopping buddy who can get you what you need if you end up in quarantine. If you have any health-concious friends and family then put them at the top of the list. Don't be afraid to be specific about what you want or make a draft shopping list now. If you say 'soup' you may want a carton of fresh ingredients with no additives and end up with a can of grey slop with 1% 'vegetable' content and lots of MSG!
I drank loads of filtered water and gallons of herbal tea and ditched coffee for two weeks. Coffee can be great, but it's dehydrating. Electrolytes are useful if you feel you aren't absorbing enough fluids. Dehydration is a real issue for many Lymies. A popular home made electrolyte recipe is half OJ, half water, quarter spoon of Cream of Tartar (for potassium) and quarter spoon of sea salt.
6. Movement
Moving is important because lymph stagnates when you are still for long periods and exercise thins the blood and oxygenates our tissues. I made sure I got up regularly, even just to walk around the house or the garden. As soon as quarantine was up I started 15 minute walks and built up.
I like to get my feet on the grass every day in all but the worst weather and believe grounding has helped me claw my way back from some significantly worse health crashes than this one.
Some lymph-movement tips:
A note on organising regular medication and medical notes
Many of us have medical histories which make War and Peace look pithy, and take various medications. It's hard enough to keep track of it all yourself, let alone expect anyone else too. It's a good idea to have a list of your diagnoses and a list of your medications, doses and the times of day you take them, in case anyone else needs to temporarily manage this for you.
We aren't supposed to be hoarding medications, but make sure your repeats are up to date and that your usual pharmacy and your GP's details are listed on your summary sheet.
In conclusion…….
Whilst having COVID-19 symptoms wasn’t very pleasant, I feel grateful that it wasn’t a whole lot worse and was heartened by how completely I recovered. When you are led to believe your body is broken, or live in a body which you feel is precariously balanced, the idea of adding an extra burden is terrifying.
My experience reminded me that despite a myriad of limitations, my body is still fighting and strong in many ways. Whilst we must do all we can to avoid infection, I hope my story helps you to feel some level of reassurance and to have faith that if you do show symptoms, your body may just surprise you too.
I’d love to hear about your own experiences with COVID-19 and chronic health conditions.
You can message me any time through Instagram (@The_Chronic_Tonic) or through my Facebook page Chronic Tonic Wellbeing.
Stay safe, stay well and stay connected.
NOTE:
This article does not cover infection prevention or emergency care. There is plenty of available information on both these topics. Suffice to say there is a time to ditch the self-care and call an ambulance. Be conservative and always err on the safe side in this regard.
In the two years since we had the illness we have gathered so much more knowledge about the disease, that there are now several more things you can do which could increase the chances of a quick and healthy recovery and minimise the chances of any long term effects.
The Recovery Strategy:
1. Resting
I can’t emphasise this enough. My husband went back to work on day three when he felt better, then got hit a whole lot harder by the double-dip.
Expect to rest completely for two weeks and mostly rest for three. If you feel like you can work from home, don’t. If the Prime Minister can take a few weeks off to recover from Covid, then so can you. Or in my case, if the kids are trashing the house, there’s no proper dinners and homeschooling consists of an iPad, that’s ok. Let it happen. Now is the time to relax your standards.
Sleep as much as you can, napping once or twice a day was essential for me. Melatonin is anti-inflammatory to the brain and helps sleep. I used 10mg a night and kept to a sleep/waking routine to keep my sleep stable.
2. Temperature
Once you start to feel hot it’s very tempting to jump straight in with the paracetamol and try to cool down. As a Lymie, I’m aware that Hyperthermia treatment is a very expensive Lyme treatment option which involves raising your body temperature very high in order to kill off lots of bacteria in your body.
A temperature is an immune response, the purpose of which is to make your body inhospitable to bacteria and viruses. I was amazed I managed to get a temperature at all, but I did get a moderate one and decided to capitalise on that by wrapping myself up for a few hours at a time to keep it high.
Interestingly, my youngest daughter and my father both had really high temperatures for three days and both had the shortest illnesses and quickest recoveries in our family. I don’t feel that’s a coincidence.
I use an infra red sauna mat and this is an excellent way to reap some of the benefits of having a high temperature as well as being brilliant for detox.
Obviously, do not let your temperature reach dangerously high levels and be particularly mindful that children can have fits if their temperature remains high for too long. Drink lots of water and consider some electrolytes, especially if you have POTS.
Obviously, do not let your temperature reach dangerously high levels and be particularly mindful that children can have fits if their temperature remains high for too long. Drink lots of water and consider some electrolytes, especially if you have POTS.
3. Removing stress
It’s easier to say than do, but stress heavily affects immunity, in real and measurable ways and takes up loads of vital energy. Currently, thanks to the fear campaigns surrounding Covid, our fear of catching it can be heightened and that’s hugely unhelpful if you develop symptoms. Focus more on healing and less on the particular pathogen which is causing your symptoms.
While you are unwell, stay away from anyone who is likely to go into an anxiety meltdown about you having Covid. It's not the time to be trying to manage other people's emotions. Focus on yourself.
A few stress reduction suggestions:
· Don’t use social media, or limit to one hour a day. Block, mute, unfollow or defriend anyone who is often posting divisive or annoying content. We all have those friends who have been sucked down the various online rabbit holes of this pandemic and they won't know if you mute them;
· Don’t read the news, or limit to one quick scan of headlines once a day. Stay away from daily death toll figures or wars. It can all wait until you are better;
· Mute or leave Whatsapp groups which propogate fearful opinions about the virus and/or related conspiracy theories;
· Avoid interactions with people who are stressed and reflecting that onto you. We kept it quiet that we had the virus until we were on the mend because we didn’t want messages every day from well-meaning people checking if we were dead yet;
· Watch relaxing content. I love a period drama when I’m unwell and enjoyed catching up on ‘Downton’ and ‘Call The Midwife’. Leave ‘Walking Dead’ and ‘Contagion’ for another time;
. Arrange short chats with people who lift you up emotionally and who you can rely on not to go into crisis mode on learning you have symptoms;
Try out some meditation - great apps to support this include Aura, Meaning of Life and Headspace. Or just put some Rainforest Sounds or Beach Sounds on and spend a few minutes focusing on the breath.
4. Eating well
I’m obviously a huge advocate of the importance of food in health and healing, but when you are really unwell it’s time to listen to your body and quiet the critical self-talk. You can go back to gluten-free, keto, paleo etc when you are on the mend.
Soups, juices and good quality ready meals were the mainstay of our food for two weeks. I usually always cook from fresh, but that simply wasn't possible. It pays to have a few better quality frozen options and frozen veggies just in case you need them. If you have the energy and/or ample freezer storage then invest some time in batch cooking healthy meals that can be easily reheated.
It might be prudent to have a pre-planned shopping buddy who can get you what you need if you end up in quarantine. If you have any health-concious friends and family then put them at the top of the list. Don't be afraid to be specific about what you want or make a draft shopping list now. If you say 'soup' you may want a carton of fresh ingredients with no additives and end up with a can of grey slop with 1% 'vegetable' content and lots of MSG!
I drank loads of filtered water and gallons of herbal tea and ditched coffee for two weeks. Coffee can be great, but it's dehydrating. Electrolytes are useful if you feel you aren't absorbing enough fluids. Dehydration is a real issue for many Lymies. A popular home made electrolyte recipe is half OJ, half water, quarter spoon of Cream of Tartar (for potassium) and quarter spoon of sea salt.
We now know that micro clots in the blood seem to be a factor in Long Covid. There are some foods which thin the blood, which include dark chocolate, pure pomegranate juice, garlic, spices such as turmeric, ginger, cayenne pepper and cinammon.
5. Taking supplements
I was interested to note when I looked at the Institute for Functional Medicine’s recommendations on supplements which may be supportive in preventing and treating COVID, that I was already using the majority of them because they are essentially a list of the best anti-inflammatory compounds around.
5. Taking supplements
I was interested to note when I looked at the Institute for Functional Medicine’s recommendations on supplements which may be supportive in preventing and treating COVID, that I was already using the majority of them because they are essentially a list of the best anti-inflammatory compounds around.
It is important to note that many of these are very high doses, which are useful in the initial stages of an infection but not a level you would take every day.
I strongly recommend that you have your vitamin D levels checked annually as this will define how much you need to supplement to keep your levels topped up.
I’ve summarised the IFM’s recommendations below:
I’ve summarised the IFM’s recommendations below:
Quercetin 500mg - 1g
Vitamin C 1-3 grams daily
Vitamin D with K3 - 5000IU daily
Resveratrol 100-150mg daily
NAC - 600-900mg daily
Curcumin 500mg-1g daily
Vitamin A- 10,000 to 25,000mg a day (short term only)
Melatonin - 10-20mg a day
Elderberry - 500mg a day
Zinc - 30-60mg a day.
Since we now know that increased blood viscosity and specifically micro-clots in the blood might be a factor in the development of Long Covid, it may be beneficial to take the following supplements to thin the blood:
- Krill oil or Fish Oil
- Gingko Biloba
- OTC mini aspirin
It may also be beneficial to take supplements which break down fibrinogen and therefore may help to thin the blood and reduce micro-clots:
- Nattokinase
- Lumbrakinase
- Serrapeptase
6. Movement
Moving is important because lymph stagnates when you are still for long periods and exercise thins the blood and oxygenates our tissues. I made sure I got up regularly, even just to walk around the house or the garden. As soon as quarantine was up I started 15 minute walks and built up.
I like to get my feet on the grass every day in all but the worst weather and believe grounding has helped me claw my way back from some significantly worse health crashes than this one.
Some lymph-movement tips:
- Go for a short walk, especially in the morning.
- Get your bare feet on the ground if it is warm enough
- Lie out in a chair or lounger in the sun. Even in winter you can do this in a big coat!
- Use a dry brush to get your lymph moving
- Try a cold shower or a quick burst of colder water for as long as you can manage.
A note on organising regular medication and medical notes
Many of us have medical histories which make War and Peace look pithy, and take various medications. It's hard enough to keep track of it all yourself, let alone expect anyone else too. It's a good idea to have a list of your diagnoses and a list of your medications, doses and the times of day you take them, in case anyone else needs to temporarily manage this for you.
We aren't supposed to be hoarding medications, but make sure your repeats are up to date and that your usual pharmacy and your GP's details are listed on your summary sheet.
In conclusion…….
Whilst having COVID-19 symptoms wasn’t very pleasant, I feel grateful that it wasn’t a whole lot worse and was heartened by how completely I recovered. When you are led to believe your body is broken, or live in a body which you feel is precariously balanced, the idea of adding an extra burden is terrifying.
My experience reminded me that despite a myriad of limitations, my body is still fighting and strong in many ways. Whilst we must do all we can to avoid infection, I hope my story helps you to feel some level of reassurance and to have faith that if you do show symptoms, your body may just surprise you too.
I’d love to hear about your own experiences with COVID-19 and chronic health conditions.
You can message me any time through Instagram (@The_Chronic_Tonic) or through my Facebook page Chronic Tonic Wellbeing.
Stay safe, stay well and stay connected.
NOTE:
This article does not cover infection prevention or emergency care. There is plenty of available information on both these topics. Suffice to say there is a time to ditch the self-care and call an ambulance. Be conservative and always err on the safe side in this regard.
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