My Mission

To get the word out that

Long COVID is very real

and requires more research.

From the desk of Tracey Spicer AM

What started out as a good old dose of COVID-19 in January has become a living death. But I’m not the only one. The virus and its aftermath affect people in marginalised communities at an exponentially higher rate.

A dear friend built this site so I could pass on all of the information I discover during the recovery period. So what exactly is Long COVID? It’s a constellation of symptoms that persists for longer than 4 weeks after their initial infection.

These include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain or tightness, heart rate fluctuations and palpitations, fainting, problems with memory and concentration, cystitis, digestive issues, migraines and sinusitis. And don’t even get me started on small fibre neuropathy, which feels like electric shocks to your extremities!

If you’d like a more detailed list of long-term effects, including the risk of stroke or heart attack, read this article by the world famous Mayo Clinic. At the very least, it will reinforce that Long COVID is very real - and you are not alone.

My best advice is to find a GP or local clinic with an understanding of similar conditions, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS).

There are now Long COVID clinics in most states and territories. The waiting lists are long, but you might be able to get an earlier appointment is someone drops out.

Resources in the menu above is a list of sites and articles that I have found extremely helpful. I hope they are to you too.

The Low Down in the menu above is a series of blog articles from Facebook posts on my experiences so far. I hope this information helps with your recovery, travelling to the other side of the abyss.

Love, Tracey. x

 
Covid Recovery

This sums up the past year.

If you too are suffering, stay the course.

Breathe deeply and focus on making it from one day to the next.

Latest Blogs - The Low Down

Featured
Day 750: The one about feeling 99.5% better
Day 750: The one about feeling 99.5% better

Finally I can report that I feel 99.5% better…some 750 days after my first interaction with Covid-19

Read More →
Day 395: The one about the inquiring mind
Day 395: The one about the inquiring mind

Liam Mannix is a renowned science reporter, known for his inquiring mind. He always takes a thorough, forensic, and critical approach to his work.

When he emailed to ask whether I'd be up to chatting about my road to recovery from Long COVID, I leaped at the chance.

Stories of hope helped to get me through the dark days of winter in 2022.

In this piece, Liam acknowledges one person's story is by no means scientific proof. But he maintains that patients' experiences must be heard, at a time when mainstream medicine doesn't have the answers.

We need a patient-led approach to this problem. And the medical profession should pay attention to people who've lived for years with ME/CFS and related conditions.

Read More →
Day 387: The one where I feel 50-60% better
Day 387: The one where I feel 50-60% better

After almost a year of living with Long COVID, I'm feeling 50-60% better!

So what's the cure? Well, there isn't a 'magic bullet'. However, there are a few things which helped.

Of course, consult medical practitioners about your particular symptoms.

*Radical rest and pacing. COVID-19 damages all of your organs. If you're experiencing any post-viral illness, you need to spend as much time as possible in bed. Huge thanks to the warriors in the ME/CFS, dysautonomia and fibromyalgia communities for their wise advice on pacing activities, to conserve energy.

Read More →
Day 352: The one about Jess Davis
Day 352: The one about Jess Davis

I’ve been living in what I describe as soup, a cloudy, opaque soup, for nearly a year.

For months I couldn’t read. Debilitating fatigue crushed me. Each morning I’d wake up heavy, my face pale and puffy and my head full of concrete.

It’s more than just tiredness, the fatigue weighs over you like a heavy blanket, unable to move your limbs from under it.

When I got COVID-19 in January, I was laid flat for a couple of weeks but aside from the fatigue my symptoms were relatively “mild”.

I thought, like those around me, that I would get back to normal soon. I was wrong.

Read More →

TV Hub

Featured
The Virus: Who is most likely to develop Long Covid? | The Virus
The Virus: Who is most likely to develop Long Covid? | The Virus
Long COVID sufferer's warning for Australians | 7NEWS
Long COVID sufferer's warning for Australians | 7NEWS

Associate Professor Nada Hamad has suffered from the symptoms of COVID for four months now and warns ‘’if you do value your quality of life it's worth avoiding’’.

More than 7 million Australians have had COVID; most have recovered from acute illness. But some have lingering symptoms for months or longer.

The World Health Organisation defines long COVID as symptoms present three months after infection, lasting at least two months, that cannot be attributed to other diagnoses.

Australian researchers make breakthrough in understanding long COVID | 7NEWS
Australian researchers make breakthrough in understanding long COVID | 7NEWS

Australian researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding long COVID. They've proved brain fog is real and know what causes it.

Australian researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding long COVID. They've proved brain fog is real and know what causes it.

Long COVID Treatment, Symptoms, and Recovery (Long Haulers)
Long COVID Treatment, Symptoms, and Recovery (Long Haulers)
Dr. Seheult of MedCram gives a COVID update on Post COVID Syndrome ("Long Haul" COVID, Long COVID Syndrome). This video was recorded on June 1, 2021 and is U...