7 Mar 2025, 09:47
Long Covid Awareness Day – 15 March
A Reflection by Victor Hulbert (former TED and BUC Communication and Media Director)
The only certain thing about the future is that it is uncertain. If you had told me five years ago that I would get seriously ill, end up hospitalised, have to give up work and retire early, I would not have believed you. After all, I was a very active, hard-working individual who enjoyed my job, life, family, and active outdoor hobbies.
That all changed in March 2020 with my first, fairly mild dose of Covid. That is when the chronic fatigue started. In January 2021, I was hit harder with a more severe dose that left me hospitalised, on oxygen in a high-dependency unit.
OK. I survived, and I am thankful for that, but my life and the life of my family were changed forever. I never managed to return to work, even though I really tried. My wife became my carer, and many things I took for granted became a struggle.
But it is not all bad. Retiring early, we chose to move to the country. We now live in a lovely, supportive village environment, and being surrounded by nature therapy is certainly a massive asset.
Additional ideas and resources
1. If you have Long Covid or are a carer, I recommend the Long Covid Support Facebook Group. It is run by a charity in the UK that provides a lot of extra information on its website, Long Covid Support.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I have benefitted from NHS services, including occupational therapy, Long Covid clinics, and respiratory physiotherapy.
3. Counselling has helped me with the keywords ACCEPTANCE and PACING.
4. Be honest with family and friends without overburdening them. If you need to rest, go and rest. If you can’t do something, say no. But equally, do what you can within your limits.
5. I’ve had to give up a lot, but I have found I still have the gift of encouragement. I had to give up or adapt a lot of my hobbies, but I found I can still share the joy of nature and mindfulness through my photography.
6. For what I can do, I try to pace with realistic timelines and as few deadlines as possible. You simply have to work out your pace and try to live within it as much as possible. Overdoing it is a big mistake that can set you back for days or even weeks.
7. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, express an attitude of gratitude. This may be related to your faith or simply choices to love, share, and admire. It is easy to become depressed, and I certainly do struggle with that, but an attitude of gratitude is a great tool to help keep that in balance.
8. You are not alone. We are in this together.
Thank you for being a part of the journey.
If you would like to share Long Covid Awareness Day on your social media, the profile frame is available by clicking here. Long Covid Kids runs a shop with some excellent pins, T-shirts, and more.
My grandchildren recorded this very special message for International Long Covid Awareness Day.
You can read Victor’s previous posting on Covid and Long Covid here
*This article was originally posted at the blog-hulbert.org.uk
The only certain thing about the future is that it is uncertain. If you had told me five years ago that I would get seriously ill, end up hospitalised, have to give up work and retire early, I would not have believed you. After all, I was a very active, hard-working individual who enjoyed my job, life, family, and active outdoor hobbies.
That all changed in March 2020 with my first, fairly mild dose of Covid. That is when the chronic fatigue started. In January 2021, I was hit harder with a more severe dose that left me hospitalised, on oxygen in a high-dependency unit.
OK. I survived, and I am thankful for that, but my life and the life of my family were changed forever. I never managed to return to work, even though I really tried. My wife became my carer, and many things I took for granted became a struggle.
But it is not all bad. Retiring early, we chose to move to the country. We now live in a lovely, supportive village environment, and being surrounded by nature therapy is certainly a massive asset.
Additional ideas and resources
1. If you have Long Covid or are a carer, I recommend the Long Covid Support Facebook Group. It is run by a charity in the UK that provides a lot of extra information on its website, Long Covid Support.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I have benefitted from NHS services, including occupational therapy, Long Covid clinics, and respiratory physiotherapy.
3. Counselling has helped me with the keywords ACCEPTANCE and PACING.
4. Be honest with family and friends without overburdening them. If you need to rest, go and rest. If you can’t do something, say no. But equally, do what you can within your limits.
5. I’ve had to give up a lot, but I have found I still have the gift of encouragement. I had to give up or adapt a lot of my hobbies, but I found I can still share the joy of nature and mindfulness through my photography.
6. For what I can do, I try to pace with realistic timelines and as few deadlines as possible. You simply have to work out your pace and try to live within it as much as possible. Overdoing it is a big mistake that can set you back for days or even weeks.
7. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, express an attitude of gratitude. This may be related to your faith or simply choices to love, share, and admire. It is easy to become depressed, and I certainly do struggle with that, but an attitude of gratitude is a great tool to help keep that in balance.
8. You are not alone. We are in this together.
Thank you for being a part of the journey.
If you would like to share Long Covid Awareness Day on your social media, the profile frame is available by clicking here. Long Covid Kids runs a shop with some excellent pins, T-shirts, and more.
My grandchildren recorded this very special message for International Long Covid Awareness Day.
You can read Victor’s previous posting on Covid and Long Covid here
*This article was originally posted at the blog-hulbert.org.uk
