Long Covid: What Happened For Me

March 2020 is a date I will never forget. It marked the beginning of a journey I never saw coming—one that changed my life in both difficult and deeply meaningful ways.

I became unwell, and after weeks of trying different approaches with my GP, nothing worked. 5 months later, I came across a long COVID article and realised that was what I had been experiencing. I was officially diagnosed a year and a month after my symptoms had started.

Everything changed. My body needed me to sit and rest. Even talking became difficult. Simple things—walking, climbing stairs, holding conversations—were no left me breathless with chest pain, like I did many marathons. If I overdid anything, it would take a week to recover. The hardest part was that I would feel fine on the outside, but my body would remind me later at night, that I had overdone it.

This experience taught me something powerful: when you can’t do the “small” things, you realise they were never small at all.

At the time, I was working as a pharmacist in a busy branch. During the pandemic, the demands increased but my body was finding it hard even with the adjustments I'd made. After a further decline in my health following the loss of a close family member the year after, I had to make a prayerful decision I never imagined: I pivoted into a new career that would suit this new body.

After months of searching and over 140 job applications, I found something I never heard of but had unknowingly been looking for. I discovered Health Coaching. Through that, I discovered strengths I didn’t know I had. I began speaking, running workshops, webinars, facilitating group discussions, coaching, article writing, and even started my own podcast—some of which I once believed were beyond me, because I had believed I was a shy introverted person.

What also surprised me was my recovery. It didn’t follow a conventional path. There was no clear formula—healing simply took time and after 5 years, I fully recovered. Even how I knew I recovered was unconventional. When I was able to resume the final thing-dancing without breathlessness, I knew I was fully recovered. Full recovery with Long Covid is not the reality for everyone.

Many people are still living with long COVID, with some (381,000 UK) who have been severely limited in their ability to carry out their day to day activities. Some have sadly died. Current figures show that in the UK, more than 2 million people are living with Long Covid while in the age group of 3-17 years old, 111,800 have been affected by Long Covid. 732,000 people are said to have been unwell for at least 3 years. "The University of Birmingham published a modelling study that estimated that long COVID primary care consultations alone could cost over £23 million each year" (source:Long Covid SOS factsheet)

Looking back, I can see how my life before 2020 prepared me. My faith, and habits like gratitude journaling became anchors during the hardest moment. I know this is how I thrived despite my health and the challenges that came with it. Studies have shown, belief in a Higher Power can play a significant role in our health and life experiences.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is this: health is not a one-size-fits-all. It's important to find what works for you. Watch my YouTube video on how to do this by clicking here. This is why I love what I now do. It's all about you. I also learnt being open to explore health options thoughtfully, carefully and prayerfully can lead to good things. Understanding the rationale behind any health tip or advise/recommendation given, can help you turn "knowing what to do" into actually doing it. When respiratory physio suggested walking, I couldn't fathom such a thing because I couldn't even stand for 5 minutes. When my Dr in Kenya (because I couldn't see any for a year on the NHS) explained to me why, and the risk of staying that way, I got moving at my own pace and discovered this new love and another new love alongside it-flower photography.

Sometimes the journey is more about finding your peace again. Your smile again. Your sense of self again. What you can do today, i.e whats realistic based on how you feel today. Tomorrow, you can re-evaluate. Any win is a win even if its "a small win".

Today, I’m grateful. Grateful for the new things I discovered along the way. I love to walk. I love networking and meeting new people in my additional profession. A miracle in itself for someone who believed they were introverted. I am grateful I have my freedom back to live without restrictions, creative adjustments and having to think in advance of how I will manoeuvre in any endeavour, indoors or outdoors, big or small.

I'm grateful I no longer have to look at the picture below with sadness. It was taken a week before I got sick and for the 5 year Long Covid Journey, I avoided looking at it. It was a reminder of what was and now wasn't. Read the full story by clicking here. I’m also grateful that this journey has allowed me to help others in ways I never could before. There is an empathy for someone's health journey you develop when you've been through your own health journey. I will dare to say A.I can't match that.

This experience has shown me that in this life, you just never know how it will go, both negative and positive despite being in the valley of life. In this life, there will also be tribulation—but within that, you will discover new strength, new resilience, new grace, a new you because you grow in ways you could never have asked, thought or imagined. I’m thankful to God for the unexpected blessings that unfolded throughout this journey. In this Long Covid awareness month, I am incredibly grateful.