The Brutal Truth about Living with #LongCOVID

Long COVID is a chronic condition, sometimes referred to Post COVID Fatigue Syndrome. It commonly lasts months—if not YEARS—after the initial infection has left the body. It can be debilitating as it has been with me, and affects literally MILLIONS of people worldwide. I’ve made this video as a source of information for people experiencing similar Long COVID symptoms or for people attempting to better understand this often-brutal condition. Long COVID is a multi-symptom, full-body dysregulation that attacks multiple systems within the body. In my case, the primary areas appear to be autoimmune, neurological and cognitive. I am not a medical professional, so don’t take ANYTHING here as medical advice. I am just relating (some of) my experiences with this condition that has rendered me completely able to work, and lemme tell ya, that sucks. Not just because of the financial impacts of not having an income, but also the psychological components of worthlessness, depression and anxiety that come—in part anyway—from being isolated much of the time. MY symptoms can probably best be described as being similar to what people with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) endure…and then some: • Crushing mental and physical exhaustion • Brain Fog • Migraine Intensity Headaches • Dizziness accompanying Tachycardia (Racing Heart Rate) • Significant Sleep Disruption • Generalized Anxiety • Did I mention the crushing feeling of exhaustion?!? I have okay days and okay weeks, and then really horrible days and horrible weeks. There is no such thing as a “good day.” Most days I feel hit by a bus, at least for a good piece of each day. “Crashes” are something that I have to endure and they happen a lot. It’s critical that I be careful not to overexert – this can be physical, mental and even emotional. It’s a weird thing to try to explain to people, especially because it’s common to be met with doubt from people who’ve never even heard of Long COVID in the first place. On a regular day, it's not uncommon for me to have to be completely horizontal anywhere from two to five hours, because I literally can't focus and I can barely think. Sometimes I have a hard time even walking across a room. Then there are the headaches. Sometimes they can last hours, and they have been known to last literally days. I've developed a really severe sensitivity to light, and light sensitivity can often trigger these headaches. Below, please find a few links so you can dig a little deeper and get a lnetter awareness of what Long COVID is. ===================================== Long COVID Explained:    • Long COVID Explained: Symptoms, Causes, an...   RECOVER: https://recovercovid.org/long-covid YALE Medicine: https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditio... Solve ME: https://solvecfs.org/me-cfs-long-covi... MAYO Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c... ===================================== As the president and owner of C/Z Records (Built to Spill, 7 Year Bitch, The Gits, Melvins, Skin Yard, Coffin Break Treepeople, Hammerbox, etc.) and the co-founder, primary writer and bassplayer of the band Skin Yard, I focus on content specific to these experiences. HOWEVER, that's beginning to change. I'm starting to post more about reflections on life, my new podcast, @CreativeAsylumCA and my oral history book on Skin Yard, and ongoing creative projects that I essentially require to stay sane and emotionally/mentally nourished. ===================================== PLEASE subscribe to The Creative Asylum for tons of cool interviews with tons of cool creative disruptors and visionaries: ===================================== YouTube:    / @creativeasylumca   Facebook:   / thecapod   Instagram:   / creativeasylumca   TikTok:   / thecreativeasylum   Website: http://theCApod.com