I was going to comment that this piece brought tears to my eyes, but then I audibly sobbed. It couldn’t have been easy to write. Thank you for sharing, and reminding me that all of it was real.
Thank you, that means so much. I honestly couldn't bring myself to share the worst parts: the gaslighting even during sepsis, the physical wasting, the botched GI surgery, the complete abandonment by former friends.
We're not equipped for the things we're forced to go through. I feel torn between trying to let go of the trauma for the sake of sanity and remembering it for posterity.
COVID Long Hauler here. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I felt so seen and understood in ways that only someone else going through this can understand.
Grieving who you were, hoping and praying for things to be better only to be disappointed when they stay the same or get even worse. It took me forever to learn to accept that this is my now whilst also not accepting the status quo/push for change.
💯. I wouldn’t wish Long Covid on my worst enemy. But if there are any silver linings from this experience, they definitely include my realisation that I’m not my work nor my productivity. As you aptly put, we matter because we exist. And that in itself feels like a radical statement to make, to believe, to embrace, in the world we live in.
I was going to comment that this piece brought tears to my eyes, but then I audibly sobbed. It couldn’t have been easy to write. Thank you for sharing, and reminding me that all of it was real.
Thank you, that means so much. I honestly couldn't bring myself to share the worst parts: the gaslighting even during sepsis, the physical wasting, the botched GI surgery, the complete abandonment by former friends.
We're not equipped for the things we're forced to go through. I feel torn between trying to let go of the trauma for the sake of sanity and remembering it for posterity.
There is so much grief tied in with the trauma. My heart goes out to you for everything you experienced.
I guess writing is both documenting and letting go, and that’s partly why we feel called to do it. 🥲
Writing really does feel like a sort of emotional catharsis, a form of personal therapy.
This is an important, beautiful piece of writing. I am inspired by your resilience and optimism. Thank YOU!
Thank you for taking the time to read my words and hear my story. It means the world.
COVID Long Hauler here. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I felt so seen and understood in ways that only someone else going through this can understand.
Grieving who you were, hoping and praying for things to be better only to be disappointed when they stay the same or get even worse. It took me forever to learn to accept that this is my now whilst also not accepting the status quo/push for change.
Thank you for your spirit. Sometimes we need a reminder that we are enough, and our worth isn’t tied to productivity. You matter because you exist.
💯. I wouldn’t wish Long Covid on my worst enemy. But if there are any silver linings from this experience, they definitely include my realisation that I’m not my work nor my productivity. As you aptly put, we matter because we exist. And that in itself feels like a radical statement to make, to believe, to embrace, in the world we live in.
Absolutely, every day we survive is an act of radical resistance. Believing we are inherently worthy is resistance.