Ya, nice idea but I've researched the idea and it seems that Reader's Digest will very seldom publish anything that has not already been published in another well known source. So far it has just not seemed to be important enough to me to research other outlets.

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Maybe not Readers Digest then, my wife had to jump through hoops to have her books published online via Amazon etc, mostly due to tax issues.. alas she's not making enough for either of us to retire but i guess it's horses for courses.

I found that to be a very emotional piece of prose and puts into words the way I'm feeling at the moment and what my next step will be.

_________________
Joan Archer
http://crossstitcher.webs.com

Another update on where i am, signed off work for another 3 weeks (remains to be seen if i'll need the full 3 weeks, or indeed if it'll need extended again).

Apparently the GP who's been handling my case for the last 5 months is a locum and now only appears to work at the surgery on Mondays, that and the fact i've been unable to get through to the surgery by phone all last week meant i had to use the e-Consult form to contact them.... not strictly true because i did get through once but was told by the receptionist that i couldn't arrange a callback that day because she wasn't working that day and they couldn't schedule a callback unless she was working on the day i requested one! ... so i filled in the e-Consult for a sick note and in the comments section asked if i could have a callback from the GP who has been handling my case...

An anonymous person (presumably a GP?) wrote back to me this morning to say they'd issued a 21 day sick note (that would be posted out) and have booked a callback from the GP i would like to speak with for Monday 8th.

Not ideal but i get that the healthcare system must be extrememly stretched at the moment, what with the highest hospitalisation numbers since the pandemic began in Scotland, coupled with that they need healthcare professionals for the vaccine rollout, i shouldn't complain.

As an aside i'd like to share another video with you:

Mouth wash, Colchicine and Vitamin D
https://youtu.be/ldFRt-i3QzY

The Colchicine section in the article is the middle third and i'm not sure why it's there because i feel it should be seperated from the other two in that the other two are simple things we can do for ourselves right now.

That said, watch the video and make up your own mind...

Personally, vitamin D is the one vitamin that i continue to take for the sole reason i haven't been outside in the sun for months and i know it's important, as for mouthwash, i've used that for years but not regularly and i NEVER gargled.
Since i found out about the possible benefit of gargling mouthwash a couple of months ago, notably that gargling turns it into an aerosol that also gets into the nasal passage...
I could go on and on about the benifits of both but i'll leave you to make up your own minds.

Stay safe.

I spoke to my wife yesterday, a published author.

My whole life for more months than i want to remember feels like it's been centered around me so i asked her if she had time could she put into words how my experience has been for her.

At first her reaction was one that lit her face up because i cared to ask, but as the conversation went on i'm not sure it'll ever happen.

I don't think she's ready to put into print what a nighmare this has been for her, i know she's really struggled mentally to cope with everything we've been through because even though she's had to accept it and i couldn't help her, i knew if the roles were reversed i'd be struggling to cope.

It can't be easy to see your spouse reduced to a vegetative state for months on end where they had to do everything for you.

My wife doesn't read this Forum, though she knows about it, in a way i wish she did but i like the fact we have seperate outlets... if she ever writes about her experience of my experience i will share it with you.

What a year, one that i hope will come to an end soon and i never have to repeat again.

Not really relevant other than it makes me feel good:
https://youtu.be/nCo9CaCk_XM

My GP called today and we had a chat about my still ongoing symptoms.

i.e. I feel like my health has improved but i feel it's only moved to a new plateau in that relapses still happen, where there used to be a 1-2 day gap between relapses they are now between 4-7 days apart.
One thing that hasn't improved is that when i relapse the symptoms i suffer from are still as random as they ever were.

As things turn out the Scottish Government still hasn't launched any Covid Centres, but apparently my local health board has... my GP has agreed that i should be referred to it, she did say she didn't know how long the waiting list is to be accepted to the centre but i'll take it no matter how long i have to wait.

CNN Exclusive: WHO Wuhan mission finds possible signs of wider original outbreak in 2019
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/14/health/who-mission-china-intl/index.html



For me this is important, not because it will change anything, but it piles up yet more evidence that explains how i suspect i caught Covid-19 in Feb 2020.

For those that don't know about, or don't have the time to read 7 pages of posts about my experience...

I suspect i caught Covid-19 in Feb 2020 but thought it was the common cold, this was at a time before the virus is believed to have been spreading in Scotland, during March through August i showed odd symptoms that left me bewildered, and (as i subsequently now know) left my GP guessing.
Then in August (to this day) i was hit as if by a bus by an extraordinary amount of never been seen before (by me) symptoms that meant i had to stop work.
From circa Oct 2019 through to April 2020 there were 20-30 Chinese nationals who all came from Wuhan working on site at my workplace, i had close contact with nearly all of them.

Suffice that if the virus wasn't spearding in Scotland in February then how did i catch it?
The only logical conclusion is that i must have caught it from someone who came from the source, the Chinese workers from Wuhan working on site at my workplace.

As i said, this won't change anything for me but it does go some way to my understanding of how and why i was exposed.

I don't recall if this was the day last year when i suspect i caught Covid last year but it is very close.

All i know is my birthday is 19th Feb and within days i caught something.

For me, this is the closest i'll ever come to battle.

I don't have a rememberence day because i don't know exactly when my life changed.

All i know is that my life changed, as it did for so many others.

February 1964 is the month when i was born, i cannot ever forget it because it was the month in 2020 when my life changed.

For obvious reasons the ceremony in Armiens is not related to me but in so many ways it is.

For the fallen, and suffering in Scotland.

https://youtu.be/Swvr_AjS73E

Well, Happy belated Birthday to you, Doddie. And may this year bring significant improvement to you!

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Belated wishes from me as well Doddie, my eldest daughter was born in 1964, the 7th March. It was more bad news as her father has just died, on Monday night, nothing covid related but it seems a fall has caused a fractured skull and bleed on the brain which they couldn't treat. He was a year older than me so now I'm the only parent my 4 children have left alive.

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Joan Archer
http://crossstitcher.webs.com

Sorry to read that Joan

I posted the following on 14th Feb:

Much to my surprise a local hospital called me today (The Astley Ainslie) to book me in for a call-back from an Occupational Health Therapist next Friday.

Apparently the OH Therapist will assess my needs and refer me to wherever they deem necessary.

Speaking to the administrator at the hospital who was booking me in almost had me in tears... i can't find the words to express how i felt, six months of my life so far are lost with no-one in the healthcare profession appearing to care (they did of course, but they had no answers so imo skirted around the issue), so to finally be referred and accepted to anything feels like i've climbed a mountain.

Great news, Doddie! May your appointment with the OHT go well!

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Doddie, CNN interviewed a Covid-19 'long hauler' tonight on their news (~6:40pm CST). He has had the effects of long Covid for a year. You can find more info regarding the various CNN interviews here:
https://www.google.com/search?q=cnn interviews covid long-hauler

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

Thanks BB, i can't find the article you are talking about, maybe CNN haven't uploaded it yet?

I tried both the US and International websites, i'll try again tomorrow.

As an aside, one of my greatest battles has been the not knowing when or if i'll be free of this disease, because i caught it at an early stage it's been really hard for me to know whether i should be feeling better or not... as each month ticks over so do stories like mine.

When i stopped work back in August i expected to be back at work the next month, then when that didn't happen, i expected to be back the next... i'm now on month 6 and i still hope to be back next month.

The reality is fast becoming i simply have no idea if or when i'll ever return to work and it's really beginning to have an effect on me.

To say that i am clinging onto the hope that the medical profession is playing catch up and will eventually have an answer would be the understatement of my life.

Hope is all i have now.

@bbarry Just so we are on the same page, pretty sure you know this but i've also had Long Covid for a year, initially my symptoms were mild and only lasted a few days.

I actually thought it was a mild cold because the virus wasn't known to be in Scotland at that time, to this day it still isn't recognised as being in the country at that time despite all my evidence pointing to the fact it was.

I don't mind that because my medics all agree that in all probability i had Covid-19 in mid Fed 2020, and continue to suffer the consequences to this day.

The truth will eventually out.

For six months prior to my having too down tools in August i suffered chronic fatigue, joint pain, skin issues.

None of those symptoms at the time were associated with Covid-19, with hindsight we now now they all probably were.

The fatigue was a real killer, i was sleeping 16+ hours a day, the joint paint really hurt in that i couldn't walk up or down steps, or hills.

The skin issue (Hives) not so much of an issue because the creams i was prescribed did help, what didn't sit well with me was the GP at the time tried to blame Hives on my attempt to lose weight despite never having suffred from any skin issues in my life before... my reaction at that time was...
With hindsight i wouldn't be so polite again.

Despite all of that i was able to push through the pain, and work.

Then on August 19th i was hit by a plethora of other symptoms....

Long Covid, Long-Hauler Covid, it doesn't matter what you call it, what it's called are regional names.

The only thing that matters now is that it is widely accepted that AT LEAST 10% of anyone who contracts Covid-19 will go onto contract long term health issues, and that needs to be recognised and addressed.

Doddie, I can't locate the article again either. But here is a 'spin-off' that you might find interesting.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/22/health/long-covid-clinics/index.html

And we are on the same page. I've been following your saga since your first posting. Occasionally I would pop in to express my heartfelt sympathy and to wish you well. I'm just not as prolific as Steve, lol.

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BB
http://barrypatch.net

Thanks again, shame the original can't be found but the CNN article about clinics was good to read, especially this quote:

The more clinicians that start to think that way the better the outcome will be for people suffering Long Covid, imo Post Viral Syndrome is just too easy a box to pigeon hole people into.

The CNN article mentions 100 symptoms, as an aid to remind myself of all the symptoms i've suffered from over the last 12 months i used the page below that lists 170 possible Long Covid symptoms .... without it i'd never have remembered all my symptoms, even then i still don't think it covers all of the symptoms i've suffered... so far my list is sitting at 43 symptoms!

When i suggested to my GP if she thought it would be helpful if i went through the list and noted the symptoms i've suffered from, she replied, absolutely make the list and tell the Covid Clinic about it when you talk to them.

170 symptoms that show you might have long Covid
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/long-covid-symptoms-may-have-19688381

So, the Occupational Health Therapist from my local health authority called today.

Suffice that i wasn't very impressed with how the call went, that said, i will persevere with her train of thought... it is conceviable that her methods might help, but even if i doubt that, i shouldn't dismiss it.

To do otherwise given i've been shouting for help in all directions would be hypocrytical of me to dismiss her help at this stage.

I'm still trying to process the phone call so will refrain from commenting further until i get my head around what was discussed.

Fwiw, even though i suspect i have plenty to say i need to sleep on it all before i comment further.

Sounds like a good idea.

_________________
stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

I've now had time to reflect on my last post re the call with the Occupational Health Therapist (OHT), suffice that i was disappointed in how the call went... possibly because i'd built up the potential of the call to a point i knew it could never reach at this time.
i.e. There is still no known cure nor treatment for Long Covid let alone an official name for it, so it was probably always going to be a fishing expedition by my health authority.

Fyi, don't get me wrong at no point was i disappointed with the nurse who called me, she was extremely empathetic and understanding and by all accounts fantastic at what she does... what i found disappointing was the remit she seemingly has to work within.

The call lasted just over an hour and i don't want to bore you with all the details so i'll try and condence it down to just a few points.

i. The call started with her asking what my history was, i.e. Why, when, how i thought i caught Covid?
The OHT agreed with myself, and the previous GP's, that given all the evidence i probably had contracted Covid at the time i suspect.

ii. My GP thought the OHT might be interested in my symptom history (dates/times etc.) so i pre-prepared a txt doc of symptoms and a PDF of the timeline, the OHT did not want to see those, instead potentially pushing those docs back for another time.

iii. The OHT became focused on what i was experiencing at the time of the call:
I explained that at the time of the call they were fatigue, exhaustion, trembling hands and racing heart rate (98bpm)... along with insomnia that i'd suffered from the night before which meant i'd only had 1 hour sleep in the 24 hour'ish period before she called.

iv. The OHT became fixated on the sleep issue and wanted to go into greater detail about my sleep pattern... which if you have read my posts has been an on/off issue for months and has probably been one of my longer standing issues so to a degree i appreciated that.

v. The OHT emailed me some docs, one was a 7 day sleep diary, the second was 12 simple ways to improve your sleep, and the third How to conserve your energy "aka the 3 Ps"... Plan, Pace and Prioritise.
The sleep diary i will of course fill in, the other two i read months ago and have been living since August but they have changed nothing.

Summary:
Nothing new came from the call which was frustrating, the OHT is calling me back on 19th March to review my 'sleep diary' and discuss next moves etc.

I've long suspected that so called Covid Clincs (until recently only applicable to England within the UK, The Scottish Govt still hasn't rolled them out though they have recently committed to them) are nothing more than an attempt by health authorities to be seen to be doing something even though they know they have no answers, on my experience so far that is exactly what they are... i just wish they'd be honest about that.

That said, i will try everything they suggest no matter if i've tried it before, i have no other option.

I've emailed everyone i can think of... UK MP, Constituent Scottish MSP's, Regional Scottish MSP's, local City Councillors... mailing lists from charities such as 'Chest, Heart, Stroke Scotland' etc... the list goes on and on.

Long Covid is a living nightmare for anyone who suffers from it, even if i should suddenly be free from it i cannot and will not be quiet about it until everyone is free from it.

Doddie I don't know if you've seen this but I've just seen a notice that on Monday on Channel 4 at 8 pm there will be a program called the Truth about Long Covid, it showed a couple of clips of people suffering from it so I don't know if you'll find anything useful in it, that's if you can get it in Scotland but I expect you should be able to.

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Joan Archer
http://crossstitcher.webs.com

Hi Joan, many many thanks for the heads-up

I hadn't heard about the programme, i have Sky for my TV and i've added it to the planner for recording.

I must have watched and/or read hundreds if not thousands of hours of videos and papers on Long Covid over the past 6 months... most are just the same thing repeated elsewhere, but every so often one has something new to say so i'll watch with interest.

I don't mind the same articles/videos being repeated by multiple sources for the reason that the more coverage there is on the subject the more seriously it will be taken... my greatest worry now is that it stops being talked about... an unlikely scenario given that the synopsis for the Channel 4 programme suggests there could now be as many as 500,000 people suffering with Long Covid in the UK today!

As an aside, the Scottish First Minister announced today in the Scottish Parliament that 50-60 year olds would begin being invited for their 1st vaccine from the middle of this month so i shouldn't have much longer to wait until i find out if the anecdotal evidence from a University in England and a hospital in New York that the vaccine might cure Long Covid in 30% of sufferers is true for me.

I have everything crossed that i might just get lucky.

Hope you find some new info in the program, I have Sky as well for my TV. Glad to hear you won't have long to wait before it's time for your vaccine, good luck with that. I'm just waiting for my second one, had the first on the 6th of February.

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Joan Archer
http://crossstitcher.webs.com

A blue envelope (indicating it was from the NHS and contained my vaccine appointment) dropped through my letterbox today!!

The good news is i have been booked in for Thursday this week, the bad news it means a round trip of 42 miles!

Due to my ongoing symptoms i am not confident enough to make a drive like that so my sister has agreed to drive me to/from the vaccination centre (thanks sis!).

My sister and i live within a mile of each other and there's a vaccine centre less than 2 miles from us, she told me she got her letter today as well and she's been booked in for her shot at the local centre on Monday, make of that what you will but it feels like the Covid God doesn't like me very much! LOL

An aside: My sister didn't want to leave for the appointment as early as i did, i want to go early so i didn't miss the appointment because of traffic etc, when i explained that there was anecdotal evidence that the vaccine shots were possibly clearing Long Covid from 30% of Long Covid sufferers she went into some sort of sister protective mode and even suggested we go an hour earlier than i suggested! LOL