“Long Covid put me to sleep 20 hours a day, so I can’t even take a shower.”

Two months ago, Llio Angharad had no idea about hanging laundry on the line, taking a morning shower, or jumping out for coffee with a friend. But almost two years after three vaccinations and the virus first hit the Earth since it caught the coronavirus in February 2022, the 34-year-old’s life was “upside down.”

When she first tested positive for the virus, it didn’t take long to realize that what she was experiencing was far from the “terrible cold” her friends described. bottom. At first glance it looks healthy and healthy, but within a few days Lirio’s condition worsened, with constant vomiting, diarrhea, severe malaise, and other covid symptoms.

When she visited the doctor, she even told her that she had never seen anyone suffering so much from the effects of the virus before the vaccine was available. Cardiff’s food and travel bloggers have never completely recovered from the debilitating effects of the virus since they were diagnosed with Covid for a long time.

read more:“My dad is trapped in his own body because of the Welsh ambulance crisis.”

Every day is now a struggle for Lirio, who can’t get out of bed or even turn on the TV. She is so exhausted now that she often sleeps for 18 to 20 hours a day and requires constant rest.

“I couldn’t believe how terrible I was,” Lirio said. “When I saw people around me infected with Covid and coughing a little, they were fine and thought,” What a hell, I had three vaccines, but it’s still so terrible. ” .. I remember going to the doctor at that time. They had a special Covid room and the woman who saw me couldn’t believe how bad I was.

“She [Llio’s GP] Basically, she said she had never seen anyone as bad as I was before the vaccine came out. Since then I haven’t been the same. “

She used to travel around the world, review new restaurants and promote her business in her hometown, but now even going out for coffee is a big achievement and “proud”. “Every day is different, but the average day means 18 to 20 hours of sleep,” she said.

“It depends on what I do, it’s a pain, sometimes I can’t even wash the line. Sometimes just taking a shower is really hard. What I do this morning I make a small list And it could be “shower”, “wash”, “put them in line”, that’s it-and more is a bonus and it may take a day to do those things Maybe, but that’s about You’re always so tired that you’re proud to have done them. “

Llio had to quit his job in both full-time and blogger business due to the effects of the virus. She recently said she met her colleague for a “shocked” lunch about how sick she was. “I think he had a hard time knowing how bad I was,” she said. “I don’t know how sick I am because the people around me are used to it.

“I have a fog in my brain and I’m having a hard time talking and thinking about what I’m trying to say, so I get a little stuttering that didn’t happen before. It’s okay if it’s comfortable. , Instead, even speaking can be very difficult. “She often finds herself struggling to breathe and describes it as” pretty scary. “

She said the severity of her illness while having Covid, and the long Covid’s struggles, are difficult to understand. “I was like’why me’, I’m young. I honestly thought I was dying, there was palpitations, I couldn’t breathe, and after it had Covid was.”

She also says it’s difficult to understand the uncertainty about how sick she is. Llio says he was diagnosed with a long Covid in early April 2022. This is a relatively short time after getting sick because of the severity of her side effects. As of December 2021, an estimated 1.3 million people in the UK have experienced long self-reported Covids, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

Many people feel better after a few days or weeks, and most recover within 12 weeks after a positive Covid test, but some may have longer-lasting symptoms. there is. The most common symptom of Long Covid is fatigue, which varies from person to person. “I was very shocked. I don’t know what will happen in the next few weeks. It’s scary. It depends on the person. Some people use it for 4 months, others use it for 3 years, so it’s hard to understand. “She said.

Rio said her daily life is now “unpredictable” and she doesn’t know how to feel from one day to the next. “You can’t make a plan, you know you can’t say” Oh, I’ll come to your wedding “because you don’t know what will happen.You will stress and sick yourself and being stressed will knock you back and you will get sick again

“One of the scariest things is that you don’t know your limits. There’s a knock-on effect because you don’t know when you pushed yourself too much. You always have to be careful. I had no incidents long ago. To, it was my partner’s birthday and he wanted to go to Newport on the market. I was really building myself and didn’t want to be trapped at home on his birthday bottom.

“We went there and ate a little to eat something like that, and then I felt very tired, it just hit me. I’m ruining his day I was so angry, but I couldn’t do that. I said, “I have to go home, or I’ll fall asleep here,” and I’m upset because I can’t control it. If you hit it, you have to lie down and sleep. , That’s terrible. “

Another side effect of the virus that has had a major impact on Lirio’s life is how it affected her diet and her ability to eat certain foods. She is currently suffering from high potassium levels. That is, avoid dairy products, beware of foods such as potatoes, and cannot eat bananas. All of this is difficult for anyone who has a career as a food blogger.

“I had to quit my job. I’ve never wanted to work that much in my life. You go to work and moan, but in fact, when it’s robbed of you It’s difficult. I couldn’t feel guilty. I’m supporting a lot of small businesses and I feel I can’t do it so I’m not doing a normal job. It’s hard to explain to people . “

According to the NHS Covid Recovery website, long Covid is an informal term and is commonly used to describe signs or symptoms that continue or develop after an acute infection with the virus. It is usually diagnosed 4 to 12 weeks after being infected with the virus. Lirio says her doctor diagnosed her with this condition in early April, about eight weeks after she tested positive.

“I had an X-ray test, a lot of tests, a lot of imbalances in blood tests, etc. My doctor was absolutely great. I couldn’t praise them enough. To be honest, they called me weekly to see if I was okay. I’ve been taking tests that have been pretty much involved in it, so I tend to chat with him every week. “

It was her GP who suggested she was introduced Nuffield A long Covid course of rehabilitation. The program is described as “a blend of physical and emotional support designed to help an ever-growing number of people who find it difficult to recover from the long-term effects of Covid-19.” This is a 12-week course by a group of about 10 people who suffer from a long Covid and offers physiotherapy, physical and mental health support, rehabilitation specialists and more.

This course is designed for people suffering from fatigue, muscle aches and weakness, shortness of breath, anxiety and depression, memory loss, and sleep disorders, and is generally unable to carry out activities. , I can’t go back to my previous lifestyle-Illness.

Until recently, Lirio hadn’t spoken openly about her long struggle with Covid, but she shares her illness in the hope that her loneliness and heightened isolation will connect and raise awareness. It came to be. She states: “I think it’s a very lonely illness. I’ve never seen many people talk about it or say they have it. I’ve actually seen it in my circles and even social networks. Never. Many people talk about it.

“The main symptom of long covids is thought to be fatigue, but in my experience I think it’s actually mental health. It’s a very lonely illness that’s hard to explain to people, especially. I’m doing a lot of food and things like traveling, but it stopped me on my truck. I wondered why I’m fighting it. I have it You have to accept that, and you know, maybe there are others out there.

“I was in bed, I was in bed all day, I couldn’t turn on the TV or even do anything, so I wanted to tell people. I was sitting on social media all day. It’s an escape route. To find out what’s happening, immersing yourself in someone else’s life, what’s happening, mainly to escape the fact that I’m lying in bed. “

Have you been suffering for a long time since you got the virus?Leave a comment below

Since sharing her story on her social media account, Lirio says she’s been flooded with messages from other long Covid patients who are in the same position and understand what she’s experienced. increase. “Now I have a small network that I can talk to and hopefully support them. I don’t think people are talking enough about it,” she said.

“I think it’s very important to talk about, connect with, and talk to Covid for a long time, because it can be very lonely. Even my partner, why me. It’s very difficult to explain if you’re tired. In fact, it can have a big impact on your mental health, so you may talk to or have it so that you don’t feel lonely. It is very important to contact people.

“But I wanted to tell people how long Covid has been and how lonely I can feel. At the age of 34, I never thought I would feel so lonely. It’s okay to say that.

“It’s terrible and annoying. If you feel lonely, you’ll probably feel a lot of loneliness. I feel like I’m holding everything. Someone can’t do it like I’m lying in bed. I thought it must be. You will want to do anything and talk about it.

“The problem is that there are no pills. There is nothing you can take. You have to ride the waves until you feel strong. It doesn’t matter your age or health-this is for everyone. It has different effects. “