Milwaukee COVID-19 long-haul transport is still in the process of recovery

Last year, I first spoke with Cynthia, a long-haul carrier of COVID-19. Read the story here..

Milwaukee — More than a year after the first COVID-19 infection, Cynthia is finally able to control long-distance symptoms.

Cynthia, who asked her to be identified by her name alone, first became ill in September 2020.The infectious disease Leaving her stubborn symptomsChest pain, palpitations, and fatigue all made it difficult to keep up with her job as a newborn ICU nurse.

However, by the end of 2021, she had suppressed some symptoms with a new dosing plan and strengthened her fitness with daily exercise.

Then came the Omicron variant.

“I reached a stable point in December, so there was so much disappointment when I got it again,” Cynthia said. “Similarly, I’m here. How can I get this again?”

The second infection was another setback of what Cynthia described as “a kind of crazy road” for COVID-19. Eighteen months after she was first infected with the virus, her recovery path is not over.

“You know, life throws you a lot of curved balls,” Cynthia said. “And I set aside much of that fear and focused on what I needed to do to get me back on my goal.”

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Recently, the United States has entered a new, hopeful stage of a pandemic.Wisconsin has seen its COVID-19 number Plunge from the peak of OmicronAnd the CDC has given many Americans a green light to loosen some of their precautions.

But with Cynthia Other long haul carriers like herThe effects of the virus continue to be very present.

There are various estimates of the number of patients with long COVID-19.Post-COVID Syndrome.. Some studies say that 10% of people infected with the virus Face protracted symptoms while others put that number Close to 50%..

But even at the low end, it can keep millions of Americans alive in the long run — it wasn’t easy for scientists to understand.

“There are still many questions to answer,” said Dr. Julie Biller, who heads the clinic for long-distance patients at Froed Tart and the Wisconsin Medical College. “And there is no clear reason why some people have prolonged symptoms after COVID infection. There are some more tips, but they are just hints.”

Biller Froed Tart & MCW ClinicCynthia has been receiving treatment since it opened in January 2021. She said more than 1,000 patients were seen on her team, all of whom had been coping with symptoms for at least eight weeks after COVID-19 infection.

According to Biller, in the past year there have been more clues about the possible root cause of the long COVID-19, but all science has warned that it is still “very preliminary.”

Some studies have Central sensitization It is also associated with disorders such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, but by making the patient’s nerves more sensitive, it can affect long COVID-19, Biller said. Other scientists Epstein-Barr virus,or Autoantibodies It upsets the delicate balance of the immune system, she said.

“Our body has pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory proteins, and being healthy is a bit like Goldilocks,” Biller said. “You have to be balanced and everything has to be right.”

But so far, experts do not have one definitive answer as to why some people are suffering from permanent health problems after COVID-19. Meanwhile, clinics like Biller are doing their best to manage the patient’s symptoms and bring the patient back into a part of their daily lives.

“There is no magical medicine,” Biller said. “There is no specific treatment that completely eliminates the symptoms of everyone, but there are some treatments that can improve and alleviate the symptoms.”

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Last year, many advances were made in Cynthia’s recovery.

By switching to a new drug at the end of 2021, I was able to get rid of some of her severe chronic pain. It was like “always walking around with her weight on her chest.” She said she also solved some of her previous problems with her heart inflammation and lung relapse.

Her Omicron infection was a setback to her recovery, she said, but not as severe as her first encounter with the virus. And even though she hasn’t fully returned to her previous health, Cynthia said she has regained some of her sense of self.

“My experience is still an ongoing journey. I’ve come to the point where I can say I’ve recovered about 80%,” she said. “It’s nice to be on the other side of the hill, so to speak, where you can finally regain a part of your life.”

Cynthia has returned to working part-time as a nurse. She is her job, stating, “It’s part of my identity and part of my passion.” She also plans to go to graduate school to become a newborn nurse practitioner.

And as of February, she was back in Irish dance. This has been loved since she was 7 years old and had to give up since the COVID-19 infection.

“It was huge enough to handle an hour of high intensity activity,” Cynthia said. “And again, I’m just back with my friends and in a positive community.”

Recently, Cynthia said she had to pay a lot of attention to what her body could handle.She is still struggling Fatigue after exerciseThat is, if she does a lot of activity, her fatigue and chest pain can burn up.

In retrospect, Cynthia said she had pushed herself too hard during the recovery process, including returning to work shortly after the initial infection. She had to focus on taking her things step by step.

“I learned a lot along the way. It’s very difficult for me and it’s a Type A personality. So much of my daily life right now is how I feel. It is built on the basis of, “Cynthia said. “Set aside time for breaks on days when chest pain is severe or fatigue is severe.”

Biller said he realized that chronic fatigue and mental health problems could be some of the longest-standing symptoms for patients. But overall, she has seen many of the first waves of long-haul transporters feel better over time and approach themselves before COVID.

Both Biller and Cynthia hope that future research will provide more answers to long-haul carriers and improve their quality of life. Biller advised those facing long-term symptoms to seek help rather than “suffering at home.”

And while recovery may not be an easy path, Cynthia encouraged other long-haul carriers to have faith.

There was a hurdle in her own path — the disappointment of passing years without feeling a complete recovery from fear of how her second infection would progress. Still, she wants to be able to continue to regain an important part of her life, but accepts that she may not be exactly the same as her previous COVID-19.

“I don’t mean this sounds miserable. I actually mean this positively. But when I say my life has changed forever, I can’t go back,” Cynthia said. Said. “I became a stronger person, and I became another person after suffering from this illness.”