Chronic Complex Illnesses Meet Covid — Personal Dance with Delta

Published: December 5, 2021

Several months have passed since I started writing this post. Seems blogging has become an at-will hobby — entirely at the will of my brain + body. Completely at the mercy of if/when brain cells decide to form somewhat, comprehensible sentences. Connecting said sentences into coherent paragraphs (much less full blog post), well, that’s another level of “magical” maneuvering altogether!

To fill the gap in my writing, two cited, published articles were posted on the blog recently — both of which hit close to home. If you missed these publications, hope you will take a moment to give them a read: Physician and the Vaccine Tyranny and How I Became a Sick Person. Well written. Enlightening. Good reads.

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Chronic Illnesses Meet Delta

Having been a minute since writing, specifically about my health, this post will provide such an update.

When originally beginning this post, mid-September, another rough patch hit — while in the midst of previously mounting rough patches. Teetering my balance. Feeling a bit lost. Weary. Frustrated. Overwhelmed. Flailing like I tend to do, when miserableness hovers for much too long.

Faith and hope tightly clinched.

Life had me upright less, and resting more… and more. Even more than more. Based upon the past six years (of the last 21-years of this 44-year illness + healing journey), I didn’t think ‘more than more’ resting was even possible! Bed-bound proficiency. That’s my CV. Such an over-achiever… apparently, in all of the wrong areas!

For added fun during this well-versed, unwellness/yucky season, the Delta variant came to our home. An unwanted, yet not unexpected visit.

Let me share (for posterity purposes), I have never coughed as violently and for as many non-stop hours/days as during that seven-to-ten day period. My throat was angry, raw and beyond sore. Lost my voice for almost three weeks (hubby was in heaven!).

Let me also share, hallelujah for great friends… and even greater drugs!

Anyone who follows me on social media, knows my take on COVID and the importance of early treatments + prophylaxis therapies (above and beyond the jabs). Will preach from the rooftops how well ivermectin, azithromycin + prednisone, combined with high dose vitamin D + C, zinc, quercitin and good-for-the-body elderberry syrup — all came to the rescue; along with chemical-ridden cough syrup and pain reliever (major MCAS/ histamine/ sensitivity activators for me, but by day two of coughing loose a rib, I didn’t care!).

Was it a fun ride. Nope. Not one bit. However, other than the relentless (and just plain evil) cough, this nasty bout with Delta was equivalent to personal (nasty) experiences encountered with seasonal flu viruses. And, for someone who copes with flu-like symptoms, et al., the majority of the flipping time (because: immunocompromised; living with multiple chronic, complex diseases) there is zero doubt that the preventative therapy followed (since March 2020), plus early treatment, all combined, kept me out of the hospital — and allowed me to recover much more quickly than had I not treated at the first onset of symptoms. Definitely chose long ago to stock-up my medicine cabinet and dismiss health experts advising the public to — wait at home until having trouble breathing. Shame on any physician, medical professional, hospital and/or government official who touted/ implied such medieval “advice” — potential death sentence — instead of educating the public on all C19 preventatives, beyond wearing multiple masks + lockdowns + getting infinitum jabs.

Not to focus this post primarily toward Covid or the vaccines — I’ve done that in previous reflections: Has the World Gone COVID Mad?. I am simply wishing to emphasize how important early treatment is for COVID and all her mutating variants. She/he/they are not going away. Viruses are gonna virus — infect, spread, mutate, repeat. It is up to each of us to do what we feel is best for our individual bodies, our children’s bodies and their safety. And even if choosing or (tyrannically) mandated to get the C19 shots + boosters, sincerely hope that we, the public, will educate ourselves on all available, effective, preventive therapies and treatments.

The following link is an informative site (one of many) providing effective protocols/therapies: covid19criticalcare.com.

I am happily one of the successful recipients of such protocols. My husband is as well. Many of my family members and close friends follow such protocols (most are unvaccinated), and thus far have not met up with rona and variants. Only a matter of time before they/everyone will. Praying for all to meet C19+ as quickly, wisely and safely as possible.

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Post Delta

Follow up consultation with my Infectious Disease (ID) + Integrative MD, resulted in gold stars all around for how well my body handled rona/delta. My doc was more than pleased (and relieved) that I did not end up in the hospital; and commended my local GP for her promptness on getting me additional necessary drugs. (I wasn’t as “way to go GP,” as I really could have used a prescription cough syrup to stop the gag-coughing — for however many straight days. Clearly an issue I need to let go. But seriously!)

Satisfied with how well my Covid-care plan flowed, my ID moved straight on to a new post-covid treatment protocol — to attack any lingering viral invaders/evaders, and potential post-infection damage that could join the already full, illness party.

Diagnostic testing is always in R&D (research & development), but private labs* and kick-booty docs (experts in the trenches, physically treating patients—daily) are busy doing all they can to help covid and long-covid patients recover. (You know, instead of pushing only fear and jabs. These specialists are working to develop effective treatments and proper/reliable testing. But I digress.)

From this point forward, symptoms (post-covid) will be somewhat challenging to identify: are symptoms due to previously existing diseases, possible delta damage, or a newly developed combination. Concerns every immunocompromised patient will face, just as we do with every viral infection we contract. Ask any of us about re-activated EBV + HHV6, to name only two viruses that may lay dormant within the healthy human body. For many of us, these viruses continue to attack, over and over again.

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* For post covid patients experiencing lingering symptoms (referred to as long-covid, or long-haul covid), if you haven’t already, perhaps consider discussing with your treating physician(s) having labs done via this group: covidlonghaulers.com or incellDx.com

Incredibly grateful to the physicians who are part of the groups referenced in this post, and many, many others — going above and beyond — each and everyone of them. Of which, these doctors DO NOT have BigPharma profits steering their work or purpose. May they be left alone to continue helping patients, in the most pure + sincere of ways.

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Disclaimer: No Medical Advice is given, nor should be interpreted as such, by any information shared in this post and/or throughout this website. All treatment protocols discussed are based upon personal experiences and/or opinion only. Seek direct medical advice from trained medical professionals.

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Spinning Wheel of Illnesses

So lovelies, I will bring this reflection toward a close with an additional update, post Delta and new treatment protocol.

Please note: waiting to share specific detail about this protocol. Waiting to see how my body continues to progress. I am a guinea pig, of sorts!

And no, not a Freudian slip. I did peck the word ‘progress.’ Serious hesitation + caution is always a given when sharing “positive” forward movement, especially too prematurely. I know all too well how progress can quickly halt/reverse. However, I feel it is only proper to share: following the disappointing rough patches (spring thru Sept, 2021) along with the added delta dance, approximately three-to-four weeks after starting the new post-covid treatment protocol, I had two a-m-a-z-i-n-g weeks!

Keep in mind, ‘amazing’ for me these days constitutes being out of bed and upright, low-to-no symptoms of major significance, and happily piddling about the house — with the sass meter off the charts!

Even though still housebound (lack of endurance and a bit unsteady) the feeling of progress was definitely in the air!

If only my circadian rhythm could correct and magically reverse… that would take me even closer to being a “normal” human. (If only family and friends were wide awake, wound up and ready to do peopling things between the hours of 10pm and 4am!)

And before anyone thoughtfully + kindly offers the perfect sleep remedy (and yes, have tested my cortisol levels… often), you name it, it’s been tested and tried. Have been working to reverse my sleep patterns longer than I care to reflect upon. Being nocturnal is not my jam! Unfortunately, it is where this body has me. Not giving up. Just one more complicated piece to this complex illness puzzle.

Last addition: to keep this update as real and current as possible. I have (since the ‘progress’ update above) experienced the re-introduction of not-so-fun flares (increased symptoms, general malaise, mainly horizontal, with lousy + really lousy days in the mix). Does this indicate that flares are simply a fixture within my life? Temporary or permanent? Was that two-week period of feeling quasi-normal a fluke, or an indication of potential, continued progress to come?

These are all legitimate questions. And unanswerable. I have been somewhere near “here” before. Not my first rodeo. Only time will tell… as is the case for any one of us in this lifetime. We move forward, one day… one breath at a time. It’s what we do.

I am too many years into this fight to allow myself to get overly excited about new treatments or improvements anymore. Mainly because I am soooo over the disappointment that can often follow. Please do not take any of these thoughts as negative or lacking Hope. This chick always Holds on to Hope! And my feet are firmly planted on the ground. Some days are quite simply a little numb and flat. Patiently waiting to see what the next several weeks/months have in store — while remaining cautiously optimistic. Accepting this current here and now. Until it changes.

Real feels: this/anyone’s illness journey is flipping hard. No doubts there. The disappointments are an increasing challenge — in that you don’t want to allow your thoughts to turn negative, or dark. But overly positive — toxic positivity — is just as harmful. When coping with grief of any kind, we have to allow ourselves to feel whatever we need to feel. Period. There are no set rules, instructions, and definitely no expected timeline when coping with grief/loss/difficult life-circumstances.

And while waiting, and holding on to the Hope of healing and possible improvements… I shall remain incredibly grateful for this truly magnificent and wonderful life! May each of us do our daily best to (hopefully) never take such a blessing — this gift of life — for granted.

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Closing with a post recently viewed on social media — a loosely quoted quote. Should anyone recognize the author, please let me know in the comments.

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I am grateful for the bad days, for they make me appreciate the good days even more.

—Unkown

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Until my next Reflection…

Sending much love, healing vibes, and uplifting prayers to any and all in need.

Be well, lovelies. Live not in fear.

—terry xx

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