At this point, more than two years from the original infection ( a so-called "mild case" ) I am essentially disabled, yet have found out that saying it out loud if asked why I'm sick or why I can't do this or that, etc, there are mostly two reactions when people hear it.<p>- They assume I have COVID right now, and I am walking around with the infection. Which naturallly freaks people out.<p>- They think I'm making things up. At most I may get the occasional "oh yeah, I still get tired myself sometimes..." but still a funny look nonetheless.<p>Being "tired sometimes" is not being unable to breathe and oxygen levels dropping like crazy for no reason, or having liver failure, or unexpected and sudden hemorrhages, heart disease that came out of nowhere ( 100% healthy and very fit before COVID ) and a million other things which make life very miserable and difficult. In short, being disabled.<p>And yet people react as if it's made up.<p>I know I am lucky as anxiety does not cause hemorrhages or unexplained liver failure, or a number of things that happen with this disease. I feel for those with "simple" migraines, or the like, who can't even find "comfort" in a doctor rushing them to the ER because clearly you need to be there right now -- no psychosomatic anything here, you get to the hospital or things get very ugly very quick.<p>How do you deal with this problem ? Have you been hiding it ?<p>Edit : Supposedly there is an incredible number of people affected by PASC. In two years I have never met one, no one other than me. It's beyond frustrating.
I'm afraid that's just what it's like to be disabled. Nobody believes you, eventually even your own family turns on you thinking you're exaggerating or faking. Lots of us learn to minimize it, or hide it entirely when possible.<p>Finding people to talk to who've been through the same thing is comforting, I hope you'll find people with PASC, but even if you don't, don't hesitate to reach out to disability forums there is a lot of overlap between disabilities, both the health issues as well as the social aspect.
You may find the following video useful:<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lfGu_UA75A" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lfGu_UA75A</a>
No PASC here but a similar situation with SIRVA. I mean the US government even has a reimbursement program for it, but yeah, don't bring it up in conversation, people either think you're anti-vax and give you that look, or use it as fuel for their anti-vax viewpoints. lmao