Speaker: Lisa Nolan
What has long COVID taken from you?
Lisa Nolan: Oh wow. What have I lost from long COVID? Um Probably not. I mean, I don't wanna compare myself to others cause I, I know there's others out there that are, that are worse off than I am. But, um, for me personally, um I definitely lost my ability to work outside the home anymore. My issues are neurological and so, um the things that I've lost from that uh working outside the home, like I said, um basically means that, I mean, I can't, I can't run around like I used to, I can't run up and down stairs. I can't liftings. Um You know, uh looking up, uh things of that nature, um, reading and comprehending, uh paperwork can be difficult and, and requires me to get help from my mother. Um I've lost the ability to socialize the way that I used to. I used to go out and just listen to music and dance and I can't dance anymore. Um The dizziness that's just constantly there from moving too fast or looking up or look, trying to look around um is too much um to the point where that I even use a cane to steady myself. Um, I lost the ability to read books, um, which I used to love, love, love to read. Um, I've lost the ability to, not the complete ability to sing but, um, seeing to the point that I'd like to, um, I have to sit to sing. Um, but even then there are times when I just, I can't, uh, the pressure in my head is too much or the tinnitus kicks in and, and that just causes a lot of issues. Um, I've lost the ability to always be able to drive myself to and from and things like that, you know, on a good day, it's great on a bad day. No, it's not gonna happen. Um, I have to plan ahead, uh, where I'm going so that I can try and make sure I go to a traffic light, that kind of thing. Um, my ability to, like I said, comprehend, um, has taken its toll and I mean, there's, there's so much more that I've lost, I mean, just, I feel like I've just lost me. Um I'm 52 years old and, uh my 17 year old daughter and I, we live with my parents. I rely on them, um, for basically everything. Um I can't keep a house, uh, like I used to, um, the, the fatigue, um, you know, it, it comes and goes in different levels because the insomnia goes, comes and goes in different levels and it's just, uh, it's hard. It's hard. And, um, I feel for every single person dealing with this and the fact that so many have family and friends that just don't understand. Um, I know that I have a few but thankfully I have my parents and, um, I am grateful for that but, um, the financial burden that's put on them and caused issues for them is just, it's unbearable at times. Um, so, yeah, I've lost a lot and, um, I just pray for every single one of us that, um, eventually we might get answers. We might not, but I just try to keep going on, pushing forward and doing my best. Thank you.
