"Long Covid Clinic"

I took Covid Aug 2021 it hit me pretty hard, I was in ICU for 9 weeks. When I was discharged home I was seen by the respiratory nurses because I was on oxygen. Before I took covid I had COPD but it was well managed. I used to go to the gym and do spin. The respiratory nurses and physio came out to me at home. I had physio and got my oxygen levels checked when I was walking. The respiratory nurses thought that the Long Covid Clinic would be good for me. I went to the rehab classes in Mid Ulster hospital they helped me to get my strength back. The clinics were brilliant, they gave me confidence again and gave me the opportunity to speak to other people. In ICU I had dreams and hallucinations, when I was coming out of the coma, I thought I was going doolally. The classes gave me the chance to speak to other people who had experienced the same sort of thing as me, I was reassured this had happened to other people as well, I wasn’t on my own.

One day Elaine came to talk to us, that was very good, she explained a lot of things, about the dreams, about the energy that had been taken from me. When I was at the classes I cried a lot, Elaine approached me and offered me the opportunity to speak to her. I had a couple of sessions with Elaine, she helped me to understand this is the way it is. She referred me to a psychologist, Hanna, she just let me talk through things. The way she approached me helped me to talk it out. I can’t remember much about being unwell and coming into hospital. But I do remember before I went into coma, I asked the doctor what my chances were for survival, he said, ‘Not great’. He advised me to say anything I wanted to, to my children that affected me very badly. At the time I was so exhausted I just wanted to go to sleep but when I got home it hit me what could have been.

The rehab only lasted 6 weeks but they put me through the 6 weeks a 2nd time. It was great, I miss it, it gave me a purpose in life, something to get up and do, to get going.

I still think about the dreams, I still feel on edge and confused if I wake up from sleeping. I really think I still need support, although when I finished the sessions with Elaine and Hanna I thought I was OK.

My experience of the rehab clinic was excellent, they couldn’t have done any more for me.

My GP didn’t even know I was in hospital, till I came out, he has rang me once since I was discharged, I have had very little contact with him.

Rehab twice a week gave me motivation, now days any outing for me is to a hospital appointment. Covid has changed my life a lot.