Our Stories

Hello, September 2020 we got sick for the first time, it was hard, could not breath and felt like a heart attack everyday for 2 weeks., but it passed.

April 2021. First 3 weeks was sick and + , was horrible and did not think it would pass, had to get depends as it was out of control "literally". End of that 3rd week I went to the emerg and could not breathe, dr took 1 look and said You have covid go home.... 3 days later I was admitted... just about 36 hours later my 3 week ventilator adventure began, felt like a year.

I was given memory wipe drugs to help forget and my mind made 3 alternate realities, where in 2 I died horribly... when I awoke took me over a week to see what was real... and they told me I coded 2x on vent. 5 weeks later they released me to come home, second day home my leg felt like a cramp turns out a 10 inch blood clot and another over night at emerg.

Been home since May 30, relearning to breath and walk, but no longer on walker, a cane now. can't even walk my dog..... My mind and body are screwed, my partner saved my life. on the day i came off the vent, I had given up, sat in a dark void broken, i was done playing it's game, then my step mother who passed started yelling at me to get up, go to my girl she needed me, she did not raise a quitter..(she died 3 years ago) and I found myself in an old 1970 office, metal desks, and old white computer.

I found myself sitting there looking at outtakes of the tv show of the hospital, seeing me as an actor and some weird shit. then i found a webpage of my partner sitting next to me holding my left hand, i could literally feel her warmth.

I clicked "Click here to resume" . and i awoke Saturday at noon... after been off vent for 3rd week and in ICU for a week and a half. It was for the love my Fiancée and my Pug that kept me going https://www.instagram.com/pumpkinpatchthepug/

It is now end of July, my lower back is still numb or asleep and I am cautious even with 1 vaccine shot. anyhow thanks for reading, helps to get it out at times. Charles

I contracted the UK variant mid April 2021, It targeted my sinuses mainly. My taste and smell are back, but not completely, and sometimes get what I describe as a nail polish remover taste at the back of my throat towards the back of the nose. Fatigue and brain fog impacted me, and sometimes it feels like my sinuses act up, like I'm fighting an infection and my lymph nodes swell below my chin. Other than the 14 days in April, I have worked all through the pandemic and still have that job.

I became sick with the virus in March 2020. Acute symptoms lasted about 14 days, I was very sick, but not hospitalized. Chest pressure and pain, shortness of breathe, muscle pain, weakness and fatigue persisted. Climbing a short flight of stairs was nearly impossible. I developed gastrointestinal issues, allergic reactions to foods, throat swelling, strange sensation that something is constantly stuck in my throat, severe headaches, neurological symptoms, rapid weight gain and extreme fatigue.

On a cognitive level I am easily mentally exhausted, have poor recall and memory issues. All the testing I have had done comes back normal, it has been a very frustrating process. Improvement is extremely slow, but I am able to walk up stairs now without feeling like I will pass out. I can walk more now but must be very careful to not push it or I will go backwards fast.

I'm hoping that one day I will feel better.

I had covid in May/2023. I had long covid symptoms in Sept/23. I drove to a music lesson about 10 min from home. I don't remember driving there. I do remember parking my car and walking into the building. I participated in my group lesson but don't remember it. My instructor noticed something was wrong and at the end of the lesson called my husband to pick me up. He took me to the hospital.

By then, I was fine. They couldn't find anything wrong and sent me home. In Nov/23 a home care worker was at our house to help my husband with some medical issues. She thought I had passed out and called 911. I hadn't passed out. I was kept in the hospital for 5 days. I had numerous tests including 2 spinal taps. All tests were negative. I have had many episodes of being very confused. I have had lots of days of being nauseous for parts of days.

I saw a neurologist in Jan/24. She said I didn't fit into any of her boxes and diagnosed me with epilepsy. I'm taking anti epileptic meds since Sept/24. I've had many episodes since then. Since Sept/23 til now I've had lots of confusing, including not know my name or any of my families names. I've had approx 30.

No one knows what's wrong with me. I am very scarred.

Very little taste and smell. Legs and feet swollen. Caused my toenails to lift, and come off. My Left leg is now bigger than the right. My ankles have broken veins looks like bruises all the way around.

I have brain fog, forgetful, fatigue, gastrointestinal. Headaches that are in my temples, and sharp pains. Not the normal headache or migraine that I use to get.

Sleep totally lost. No appetizers..Can my digesting any food. Seriously constipate. All system is wrong… Cry for help. Family doctor can do nothing. Sleeping pill my working at all. Lost 30% of weight. .. please let me know any good doctor. I am in Toronto Canada.

In March of 2020, my husband unknowingly brought Covid-19 home to our family. He was a perfectly healthy 45 year old with zero underlying health conditions. I've never seen him so sick. His skin was grey and he was too weak to respond to text messages from his quarantine in the basement. On day 15 of being told to "stay at home" by 811 and Doctors, his family Doctor finally said to bring him to hospital as I was now sick myself and unable to keep caring for him.

He was turned away by 911 and one hospital, but I managed to get him into Surrey Memorial Hospital. He was finally tested and diagnosed with Covid pneumonia in both lungs as well as bacterial pneumonia. They said, "The ICU is ready for you, but we are going to help you fight this."

After 5 days on oxygen and antibiotics in hospital he made a miraculous recovery.

My experience with Covid was quite different Our 8 and 11 year old's as well as myself all became symptomatic on my husband's day 12 of being sick. We were denied testing but deemed presumptive positives. Our 8 year old was sick for about a day or two, while our son had a headache and nausea for 16 days. I was sick for about 3 weeks, and then felt about 90% better.

Then the after effects started. I developed about 30 different symptoms that came and went with no rhyme or reason, with the main ones being fatigue, tinnitus, vertigo, acid reflux, vision difficulties and hot and cold skin sensations. These continue to this day, 10 months later. I now have a hearing aid to try and help with the tinnitus and resulting hearing loss. My son continues to have ringing in his ears as well the comes and goes.

No one has been able to help with these lingering symptoms, nor to tell me if and when they will be gone.

In February 2020 I rapidly got very ill. Sickest I've ever been in my life. Extremely congested, shortness of breathe, uncontrollable cough and phlegm production. Sharp pains in my chest, aches all over, elevated heart rate, chronic bone crushing fatigue and an inability to focus or remember things (brain fog).

I was never hospitalized but was largely bedridden for February and March 2020.

I was in the ER twice, I saw my family doctor once per week. Slowly recovered by April/May but plateaued and haven't made any progress since.

Still coughing, still producing phlegm, chronic fatigue, elevated heart rate, brain fog. I'm not able to work full time. My life is on hold.

Recent CT scans show damage to my lungs and heart. Still investigating the extent of the damage. I'm living day to day, in survival mode. Hoping for the best and an eventual or overall recovery.

The uncertainty is frustrating, plus getting medical professionals to listen can be a challenge.

I am an RN, I got COVID at work. I was off work for four months, it me almost a year to get back to full duties.

I was left with memory loss, frustrating brain for, difficulty with word finding. I am sob, that is difficult to explain, I have a constant cough. I wake daily with either cold or flu like symptoms.

I am tired every day, I don't have the energy or motivation that I once did. I muscle tension dystonia, my voice comes and goes. This is a huge frustration for me. It makes it more difficult for me to concentrate at work.

I no longer can stand working 12 hour shifts. I am willing to be part of a study. This has vastly changed my life.

It is so very confusing the pharmaceuticals so gave me this issues due to my body so rejecting my fourth vaccine shot and not one bit of advice or help just excuses.

And I so wish for death as also being a diabetic and the daily life style and not being able to in any way properly to take care of myself. The professionals have abandoned me.

I now have no respect or understanding as these so called professionals have failed me so many times in life threatening issues. How can I ever trust your inactions and mistakes that continue to so happen. I only hear excuses, nothing more. You don't admit you are making mistakes, but just keep collecting money and tell me to go home and take care of myself. I so say shame on you, you so called trained people whom just want your paychecks and forget about what you are suppose to be trained for!

I'm really upset today after having received a notice that the Ottawa Post-Covid Rehab Program at the Ottawa Hospital is closed, effective immediately, due to "changes in funding".

I got on the waitlist one year ago in June, and have been avidly awaiting my turn. Almost one year in, i'm learning that the long awaited day won't come.

I've been referred out to private physio clinics, but these will fall short of assessing my baseline heart and lung function, of providing me with specialized, evidence based diagnoses for dysautonomia and post exertional malaise, and for neurocognitive dysfunction.

And while I have some level of private insurance coverage, I know that many people without coverage will no longer have access to any kind of treatment. Most upsetting, perhaps, is the fact that the program is quietly closing due to funding cuts i've never heard of prior to this point. It's extremely upsetting.