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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-16/children-with-long-covid-dismissed-doctors-myth-virus-harmless/103959078>
'Before she got sick with long COVID, Vivien* was at the top of all of her
classes at school. She loved playing basketball and netball and running around
with her dogs — she'd even take herself for runs around her family's sprawling
property in regional New South Wales, just for fun. She's still only 12 but for
the longest time Vivien has dreamed of being a vet when she grows up. "And she
was so social," her mother Katie* says. "My husband and I are both introverts.
Not V — she would party every day if she could."
Now, two years since she caught SARS-CoV-2 for the first time, a "good day" for
Vivien looks nothing like it used to. She's always exhausted, but her achy
limbs might feel less tingly and weak; perhaps her upset stomach is calm, and
her brain fog has cleared enough that she can do some school work or call a
friend. On a really good day, she can manage a visit with her grandparents, so
long as she's prepared to spend the evening in bed. "Long COVID makes my body
feel weak," Vivien says. "But I tell myself I am still powerful."
She's strong because she has to be. Like many kids with long COVID Vivien has
seen a dizzying number of doctors, not all of whom have believed or helped her.
She's made the tricky transition to homeschooling, learned to manage her
turbulent symptoms with pacing and medication, cried fat tears of frustration
after doing too much and wiping herself out.
"I want people to know that I'm not lying, [long COVID] is real and can happen
to anyone," Vivien says. "I want people to know I'm not just trying to get out
of doing school or sport — I wish I could do sport … I wish they understood I
am just trying to save myself from being stuck in bed in pain for days
afterwards."'
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
