Today marks my one year anniversary of getting Covid-19. On the outside I look unchanged. This is far from true. I have had 126 different tests and procedures in the past year. One of which was a surgery. Now it is believed I have P.O.T.S syndrome . I am supposed to keep my walking to a minimum and do primarily recumbent exercises. And even those I have to limit the activity. If I push the limit too much- I invariably end up with another setback.
Yesterday I went Little Zigzag falls trail on a .8 mile walk to a waterfall on mostly flat ground. It was so wonderful to be able to hike. It was about double what I am supposed to do. I am really hoping this doesn’t launch me into another setback.
It is incredibly frustrating to not be able to live my life the way I used to. A year ago- I never could have imagined that my “mild” case of Covid-19 would completely destroy my life, as I knew it. I had to quit my outrigger team, and can no longer go for long hikes with friends. I am on leave from work. I certainly cannot do the physically demanding work at Amazon, I can’t even stand for more than 20 minutes without getting really weak and shaky. I find mental exertion to be exhausting too. If I try to work on the computer too much – I get headaches and my brain vibrates.
I never know from one minute to the next how I am going to be. I can feel totally fine- then wham I am overwhelmingly tired, I feel awful and I can’t function. I have to choose wisely on how I exert my mental and physical energy. Even simple household chores are a challenge for me! Because of this, I am going to be moving to Colorado where I have family to help take care of me, and I won’t be so isolated.
As the rest of the world starts to go back to normal. I am still trapped in the nightmare of Covid-19. I have learned to make the most of my good days- and choose wisely on what I do. If you follow me on Facebook you might think- Sarah is all better- look at all she does! What it doesn’t show is that I now spend a lot of my time just sitting in my car looking at things. When I walk I do pursed lip breathing exercises to keep my heart rate down, after almost any activity I then come home and collapse. Some days- I have serious brain fog- at times it feels like I am getting dementia, I am so confused. Luckily – these episodes usually pass, fairly quickly.
I hope that by next year, this will feel like a lifetime ago! I hope to be back to living a active lifestyle! But I will continue to appreciate all the small things. My life is not perfect. But I am happy to be alive and I feel very blessed! 😊
If you are interested in hearing my interview about my Covid-19 experience- (it was in February). Subscribe to Subscribe to Epics Podcast to listen to it.
MyAmazing2ndChapter.com 
I do hope that by this time next year, this past year feels like a distant nightmare. I admire how you are moving forward and forging a new path within your limitations. 💜
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