#long covid recovery

[softnoodlesdoodles]

It is what it is

[theregencyreticule]

Well, another week trying a new strength training app and yet another (mild) shoulder injury. I should know this by now and stop trying cause I'm just far too hypermobile for my own good and it's easy for me to hyperextend.

So it's back to the drawing board of weighted pilated workouts. Working up to 5 workouts a week and hoping I can get my body to stick it out this time.

[travelinglowcarb]

I had another great water workout this morning. 😊💦❣️

I struggled Monday: froze up and went into tremors with cognitive impairment, but luckily was near the edge and able to get myself back out after it passed (I'm shaky & weak & have vertigo after those episodes). 😵‍💫

I was in a pretty harsh crash all week but thought the cool water would help with the muscle fatigue & joint pain. 😬🤦‍♀️

I went to acupuncture Thursday and got a great reset 🙌 and was able to enjoy a good half hour of physical therapy / exercise yesterday and today. 💖

I'm so proud of myself for getting back up and trying again, over and over, and doing what I can - when I can. And also knowing when to rest & recover, which is a lot of trial & error: figuring it out as I go. 🙃

I wanted to go swim early this morning at 830am but I had a whole respiratory flare-up that set me back... but once that passed, I still went. ✨️😁✨️

It's been almost 3 years now, but I'm still hopeful for a full recovery, and doing everything I can to be the happiest healthiest version of myself I can be today (every day) - and for my future self.

🎯

Whatever YOUR "hard" is, keep focusing forward while fully living in the NOW - creating your day and your future with mindful intention. "Choose Yourself" in ways that serve you best, that also allow you to better serve others. 💕 xo

[kdhume]

It's been more than 3 years since I got long covid and for almost a year I've been tracking my energy levels and expenditure every day and just trying my best to rest and heal. I want the numbers to show a linear progression but most of the time they just don't.

Still, keeping track helps me cope. It's a form of agency, a way of working towards a goal that can't be achieved through work. Every day I'm gathering information on my condition and every day I have this visible reminder that I'm doing my best to heal.

[jegography]

The Elation of the Wheel: Yoga and Long Covid - On returning to an out-of-practice yoga pose in the face of long-covid; rediscovering the ability to breathe.

[16woodsequ]

[nowstomorrow]

[flango87]

I’m looking to compile current resources (studies and such) on Covid and long covid, so they’re all in one place and I can have the information on hand when ppl argue that covid isn’t a thing anymore, or that it’s just a flu. If you have any good resources pls send them my way!!! Ill create a master doc or something with everything so other ppl can have it too

[willowreader]

This pretty much goes against the California "you can go back to work after one day" policy. Two weeks might not even be long enough. Rest people, rest.

[toxooz]

been binging tf outa Avatar the last airbender bc ive been puking my EVERLOVIN guts out since yesterday and hear me out

[fortheloveofnutrition]

I like to re post this every now and again because it's good advice I frequently forget.

Also I post it in part because I'm laying in bed with Covid (for the first time) at the moment and eating as much fruit as I can to expedite recovery. I grabbed a banana and orange, ate the banana and asked myself if this was a good combo or not. Glad I checked, because it was not. The last thing I need is indigestion.

But because it's me, my main focus has been doubling down on nutrition and observing my own results. I was eating plant based before, but sometimes I went a little too hard on the peanut butter trail mix, breads, or other sweet treats.

My doctor said rest and hydrate, but I took it a step further and since testing positive have cut out wheat, sugar, and any kind of dairy or processed foods. I figure nothing that could make inflammation worse. I've been consuming tons of herbs like cinnamon, ginger, echinacea, and turmeric while eating fresh citrus fruits like lemon, orange, strawberry, and pineapple daily.

Now I did a bit of tooling about the internet to see if any studies had been done over the last four years regarding a plant based diet and it's effects on Covid. The results were hopeful.

I found one study that said,

"Merino et al revealed that healthy plant-based foods could decrease the risk and severity of COVID-19.21 In this large survey, it was shown that as the quality of the diet rises, the risk of disease COVID-19 (HR 0.91) and severe COVID-19 (HR 0.59) diminishes.

Which gave me hope so I kept digging.

Another one stated, "Compared with an omnivorous Western diet, plant-based diets containing mostly fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, with restricted amounts of foods of animal origin, are associated with reduced risk and severity of COVID-19. "

And I can tell you that has been my experience thus far. I developed a fever that went away after 24 hours and didn't go over 100.4. My only other symptom has been a stuffy nose with sinus pressure. Im definitely tired and need to limit activity but I can still taste and smell, breathe through my nose a decent amount of the time, and I'm not coughing. I'm lucky in that I have time off from work and for that I am grateful, as rest is another key component.

And why would a plant based diet be so beneficial for mitigating Covid symptoms? Because, "plant-based dietary patterns are rich in antioxidants, phytosterols and polyphenols which positively affect several cell types implicated in immune function and exhibit direct antiviral properties."

The full study can be found if you pop this into Google::

Acosta-Navarro JC, Dias, LF, de Gouveia LAG et al. Vegetarian and plant based diets associated with lower incidence of COVID-19. BMJ Nutr Prev Health 2024:e000629. doi:10.1136/bmjnph-2023-000629

I was really scared at first and this information helped me feel more empowered in my health and recovery. It's not a substitute for any medical attention or prevention like vaccines, hand washing, and mask wearing- all things I was doing regularly prior to getting sick which may have also been variables in keeping my symptoms down. A little help goes a long way.

Has any other plant based person had a similar experience? Let me know.

[softnoodlesdoodles]

Kids with a lot of vague health problems don't really grow up to be adults who deal well with having new health problems 😅. I'm trying to be kinder to myself then the adults of my childhood.

[theregencyreticule]

Roadside Attraction.

2.5k at 10:17/km. Been feeling so much better lately I decided to try a faster pace again. Ngl, it was such a slog though. My muscles are definitely not what they used to be!

As long as I don’t have a big rebound in symptoms like last time, I hope to be back to my regular workouts!

[laurellynnleake]

🚨 COVID19 WEATHER REPORT: HOLIDAY SPIKE RAGES ACROSS USA 🚨

1/1/2024: Okay! Things are bad! We're JUST beginning to see how many people caught COVID-19 during the holidays. Right now it's moving through the USA causing AT LEAST 2 million infections per day (and that's the under-counted government numbers alone).

During this surge, ~100 million people total (~1 in 3 people in the US) will likely get COVID. Different areas will peak at different times, so keep an eye on your local numbers.

Reminder: All our viral data (recorded infections, deaths, wastewater viral count, etc) works on a 2 week delay - the length of COVID-19's initial acute phase where people are contagious and shedding viruses.

We want to slow the current spike down as much as we can by using respiratory masks like N95s, air filtration, and isolating and testing for COVID-19 multiple times after exposure. Hopefully we'll hit the peak soon (and not get hit as hard as Omicron in 2022).

DON'T GIVE UP HOPE! RESPIRATOR MASKS STILL PROTECT US

Respirator masks like N95s and KN95s use electrostatic filters that block at least 95% of dangerous virus-carrying respiratory aerosols, and can be adjusted to fit snugly around your nose and mouth. The few viruses get in, the less "sick" you'll get during the acute phase, and the less long-term damage they'll cause to your vascular and immune system (aka Long COVID).

If you are sick, please stay home and REST for as long as you can - the goal is 14 DAYS even if the surface symptoms seem "mild". People physically need rest to prevent worse damage to our organs. We need immediate emergency aid from our local and federal government to keep people staying HOME and fed and with medicine like Paxlovid.

If you are forced to work while sick, please wear a well-fitted N95/KN95 respirator mask to prevent further outbreak (but surgical/cloth masks are better than none). Avoid CROWDED PLACES, COVERED SPACES, and CLOSE CONVERSATIONS. Stay hydrated and eat easy, bland food, keep cleansing your sinuses and throat with nasal sprays/CPC mouthwash, and take ibuprofen/aspirin instead of tylenol for pain. If you keep struggling to breathe and you can't get enough oxygen, you need emergency hospitalization (look for blue/purple/grey tips to fingers, tongue, lips).

Please take care of yourself and each other! We will get through this.

[ed-recovery-affirmations]

I am a few months into recovery and just lost my sense of smell and most taste to covid. I cannot smell anything, and I can only taste "sweet" and "salty." Nothing else. No flavors. Food is just...textures to me now. Do you have any advice on how to continue to repair my relationship with food when I cannot smell or taste it?

Oh this is tough, OP! I’m so sorry to hear of your recent COVID and your post-COVID symptoms. I think a lot of people are struggling with symptoms like this, especially people who were hit with the OG strain.

This is so hard because taste and smell are huge parts of a positive relationship with food! My suggestion would be to make balanced meals into fruit and yogurt smoothies and puree soups, so that you can just fill your belly with nutrition quickly and easily with neutral textures. You can make these sweet and salty if you would like to emphasize the tastes you can still experience. You can also add protein and vitamin powders to keep you topped up nutritionally. Things like plain rice with soy sauce might also be a good supplement in this regard.

Try to focus on how nutritious foods make your belly and body feel, since you can’t taste! And don’t lose hope - some people do start to recover these senses, even if it takes a long time! Maybe do some research and find out if anything has helped the process of recovering smell and taste post-COVID, but in the meantime, try to focus on how a sufficiently full belly makes your body feel. Try to engage in activities you enjoy so that you can remind yourself that fueling your body helps you enjoy these activities. It might be hard not to focus on your body or your relationship with food during these activities, so work jointly on your mental health AND your eating. The more you are able to enjoy your life, the easier it will be to prioritize fueling yourself to live it.

[a-room-of-my-own]

Very proud to say I managed a 20 minutes bike ride without collapsing or dying.