'As though I had a stroke': Woman shares her excruciating long COVID symptoms

Some people do not experience any COVID symptoms after their recovery. However, others may continue to struggle with serious problems, long after their initial infection is over.

These symptoms are still affecting the day-to-day lives of millions of people, and can range from mild to severe.

According to the NHS UK, if your COVID-related symptoms continue beyond 12 weeks, you are likely to have post-COVID syndrome, also called long COVID.

This was the case for Lynne Woodhouse, from Nottingham, who is still dealing with the long-term implications of a serious COVID infection. Woodhouse, 57, said that she still feels only about "50 percent" better from her initial diagnosis, according to Express UK.

Woodhouse shared that her initial COVID symptoms included “a bit of cough and a sore throat.”

However, she didn’t think much of it. A few days later, her condition rapidly deteriorated and she suffered a blinding headache, terrible chills, vomiting and diarrhea.

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Woodhouse’s condition worsened and she became delirious, unable to leave her bedroom.

She was rushed to hospital and spent six weeks being cared for at Nottingham University Hospitals, including at Queen’s Medical Centre in an induced coma. On emerging from the coma, she was moved to Nottingham City Hospital for rehabilitation.

Woodhouse has a lack of mobility of her arms, due to which she still struggles to put on long sleeve tops. She also has insomnia and suffers from stress.

She explained, “I still cannot smell or taste and I haven’t slept under the covers of my bed as I feel trapped, as though I can't breathe.”

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“I also had a panic attack at the dentist. While they were working in my mouth I couldn't swallow and breathe and I looked up to see staff in full PPE, which brought a few things back to me,” she said, adding, “it was as though I was an OAP or had had a stroke.”

When she came back home, she needed oxygen from a portable machine and help from her son who moved in with her to help with her daily activities.

Talking about feeling helpless because of her health, she said, “Because I have lived on my own for 20 years and done everything for myself, it felt like I had totally lost my independence, which upset me.”