Long COVID?

[Andy Mink]

I got an appt with the cardiologist...in December.

 

[Tony S]

I got an appt with the cardiologist...in December.

Oh jeez.

 

[Jerez]

I got an appt with the cardiologist...in December.

Thats just outrageous.

 

[Andy Mink]

Thats just outrageous.

Yep, it is. I am on a cancelation list and when the lady refreshed her screen while I was on the phone with her she got one for August 14. Unfortunately I'm about 900 miles away right now and won't be back until the 20th. I have no doubt I'll get in before then but it's kinda nuts to have to wait that long.

 

[Jwrags]

Thats just outrageous.

And what is your solution?

 

[scott43]

And what is your solution?

ChatGPT obviously..

 

[tball]

@Andy Mink, I'd think about getting in with any cardiologist sooner to get tests done, as the tests will probably also take some time to schedule. (possibly echo, CT angiogram, ???) Keep your Dec appointment and follow up with your preferred cardiologist or use that as a second opinion.

Also, if you have shortness of breath or other possible cardiac symptoms, consider going to the ER, and you'll get a cardiac workup the same day, hopefully reassuring you that it isn't anything scary.

 

[msutherland]

Ie had it atleast 4 times i know of. I coach 3 different wrestling teams from 4 year olds to high school. Its impossible not to get it in a hot humid room of 80 sweating kids for 5 months straight. Plus jam packed tournaments every weekend with thosands of people crammed into gyms. My fist case was when it was pretty seriois and it was by far the worst symptoms ive had. The others were very mild. But i have never recovered physically. I get tired / sore much more easily and I 100% have memory loss. Its very frustrating as I never used to forget anything prior to covid.

 

[Andy Mink]

@Andy Mink, I'd think about getting in with any cardiologist sooner to get tests done, as the tests will probably also take some time to schedule. (possibly echo, CT angiogram, ???) Keep your Dec appointment and follow up with your preferred cardiologist or use that as a second opinion.

Also, if you have shortness of breath or other possible cardiac symptoms, consider going to the ER, and you'll get a cardiac workup the same day, hopefully reassuring you that it isn't anything scary.

I'll try when I get back to Reno. Of course there are required referrals etc.

 

[Pequenita]

I'll try when I get back to Reno. Of course there are required referrals etc.

In my experience with cancellations for medical appointments, they tend to pop up a couple days before an appointment, so ask again when you are back in town and know more about your schedule.

 

[Tricia]

I got an appt with the cardiologist...in December.

This is exactly what happened to me last year when I was referred to an endocrinologist.
I called in July and got an appointment for Dec 9th. By then I was pretty much fixed.

 

[tromano]

I had a good appt with the pulmonologist today. She confirmed there is nothing wrong with my lungs. No scar tissue, 97% capacity, all good. Next up is a trip to the cardiologist.

Overall, I seem to be improving though I still have the occasional bonk day. Saturday @AKMINK and I went for a side by side ride. Long day but not to physically intensive. Sunday was miserable. Zero energy and I just wanted to sleep. Then I felt great on Monday. The day after a 6 mile hike a week or so ago I felt fine. Seems to be no rhyme or reason to what sets off the fatigue.

Maybe dust from the dirt trails?

 

[Andy Mink]

Maybe dust from the dirt trails?

I don't think I go that fast!

 

[RoninSkier]

Yep, it is. I am on a cancelation list and when the lady refreshed her screen while I was on the phone with her she got one for August 14. Unfortunately I'm about 900 miles away right now and won't be back until the 20th. I have no doubt I'll get in before then but it's kinda nuts to have to wait that long.

See if a nonspecialist MD can request an ultrasound of your heart. This is how I found out I got a damaged, leaky heart valve.
Now the MDs cant decide if it was pre-existing or due to COVID. Yeah right, 'you're just getting old' guy who used to avg 36kph on 100km rides with little training, stay with the lead group on steep single track climbs on the MTB before getting COVID & long COVID.

Part of the BS dismissive attitude towards those with long COVID. Yes, you can end up sounding like a pathetic needy hypochondriac. 'Oh you poor thing you went through trama' and other pandering 'its in your head' crap. Weed out these useless dumb asses. Above all, don't become a perma invalid.

Use science. Keep data with photos of your -

Resting, inactive, active HR & O2 sat
Racing heart conditions for no reason
Blood pressure
O2 sat & blood pressure monitors are cheap on Amazon. Base line against your doctors instruments - they are accurate for trend monitoring.
Inflammation in joints
Odd physical symptoms such as unusual skin discoloration, body hair loss etc
Get your eye sight & hearing checked regularly
Do weekly to monthly coordination & balance checks
Do a weekly physical stress test with HR & level of effort + time to recover & follow-up fatigue crashes & severity
You can do most of this yourself and pretty cheaply.

So that you show, you are not dismissed as being a needy head case. And more important to use performance data to show both your self and those healthcare professionals who are willing to help. Or weed out those who are useless incompetent & lazy.


GL

 

[tromano]

I don't think I go that fast!

I know whenever I go off roading in the summer, I get alot of dust all over. The roads / trails here are routienely 2" of dust on top and it just kind of coats everything.

 

[Andy Mink]

I know whenever I go off roading in the summer, I get alot of dust all over. The roads / trails here are routienely 2" of dust on top and it just kind of coats everything.

Oh, yeah, on the SxS! Yes, that gets pretty dusty. When riding with our group we tend to stay pretty far apart until the dust settles or blows off to the side. I thought you meant on my bike.

 

[RoninSkier]

Long COVID treatment update - not encouraging.
2.5ys & a billion later ..... next to nuthin. Got a uncomfortable sickening feeling this, road to nowhere, was in progress here in AB Canada about 1.5yrs ago.

'But both scientists who study long Covid and patients who have struggled with it say the trials are unlikely to deliver meaningful treatments, suggesting the federal government’s landmark Covid research effort may have been wasted.'

I guess we need to extend the quip 'physician heal thyself' to the sick. Don't be a perma invalid.

‘Underwhelming’: NIH trials fail to test meaningful long Covid treatments — after 2.5 years and $1 billion

The NIH says it’s used up most of its $1.15 billion of long Covid funding and more money is not forthcoming, per new budget details.

www.statnews.com

 

[geepers]

Long COVID treatment update - not encouraging.
2.5ys & a billion later ..... next to nuthin. Got a uncomfortable sickening feeling this, road to nowhere, was in progress here in AB Canada about 1.5yrs ago.

'But both scientists who study long Covid and patients who have struggled with it say the trials are unlikely to deliver meaningful treatments, suggesting the federal government’s landmark Covid research effort may have been wasted.'

I guess we need to extend the quip 'physician heal thyself' to the sick. Don't be a perma invalid.

‘Underwhelming’: NIH trials fail to test meaningful long Covid treatments — after 2.5 years and $1 billion

The NIH says it’s used up most of its $1.15 billion of long Covid funding and more money is not forthcoming, per new budget details.

www.statnews.com

Not really any better in Australia - except we didn't commit to that level of funding. Basically medical science has been next to useless for long covid - unless they uncover some condition that was probably unrelated. Or, as in my wife's case, they give a clean bill of health to something - at least we know it isn't heart or lungs or any of the readily checkable stuff.

Wife is making progress. It's not steady - there are times she's drained and just needs to rest up. But week on week her activity levels have been building and the reversals have been less frequent and shorter. Still early days. Doubt she could work a full shift (nursing) and there's simply no way she'd make it through a normal working week. A day's skiing is completely out of the question - would be done by the time she'd geared up. OTOH we just spent 10 days in New Zealand (mostly driving around inspecting houses) without a significant reversal and even that level of activity would have been impractical 3 months ago.

 

[VickiK]

In my friend's case, a full work week + several hours of yard work over the weekend = feeling like crap for the entire following week. No question of a mountain bike ride or a multi-day ski trip. We need to try a flat road bike ride around the Rose Bowl first (just over 3 miles), a local ski day next winter, and see how things go. I worry how altitude might affect him, I worry about a bunch of stuff. This is really tough for a guy who's used to hammering.

 

[RoninSkier]

Not really any better in Australia - except we didn't commit to that level of funding. Basically medical science has been next to useless for long covid - unless they uncover some condition that was probably unrelated. Or, as in my wife's case, they give a clean bill of health to something - at least we know it isn't heart or lungs or any of the readily checkable stuff.

Wife is making progress. It's not steady - there are times she's drained and just needs to rest up. But week on week her activity levels have been building and the reversals have been less frequent and shorter. Still early days. Doubt she could work a full shift (nursing) and there's simply no way she'd make it through a normal working week. A day's skiing is completely out of the question - would be done by the time she'd geared up. OTOH we just spent 10 days in New Zealand (mostly driving around inspecting houses) without a significant reversal and even that level of activity would have been impractical 3 months ago.

Hang in there. Dont give up, dont give in.