Coming Back from Covid
In January of 2022, when the Omicron variant was rapidly covering the globe, I got the ‘Rona. It was pretty typical at first, with many of the usual symptoms. It mostly cleared up after a couple weeks, but the cough and profound fatigue dogged me for about three months. More concerning however was my heart rate, which would shoot up at the slightest provocation - whether exercise or stress. Even just standing up caused a wild swing.
A long saga ensued, involving a cardiologist, many tests, some very bad medical advice, and a misguided recommendation to just train myself out of the elevated heart rate (thanks a lot Doc!). In the summer of 2023, I was training with my family to hike South Sister (another story for another post), and was pushing myself every weekend with increasingly demanding hikes. On September 9, we succeeded in summiting South Sister! On September 11, I came down with Covid again.
This time it was not usual. It was 18 days before I made it 24 hours without a fever, and three months before I was able to return to my part-time chaplaincy work. By then I was totally de-conditioned and the heart rate problems from before reached another level. I met the requirements for POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), though in reality I became one of the millions of people suffering some form of Long Covid - mine involving a form of dis-autonomia.
This meant that when I moved from sitting to standing, my heart rate would go up more than 30 bpm. In the early days, it was usually closer to 50. I suffered PEM - post-exertional malaise, which would put me on the couch with fatigue after over-exerting myself. I could over-exert myself wiping down the kitchen counter.
At this same time, I had been pursuing my personal training certification. I felt the deepest sense of irony when I sat for my exam, weak from the walk into the building, just days before returning to work from medical leave. How could I become a personal trainer when I couldn’t exercise?
In the year since I was leveled by Covid, I’ve gained a new wealth of fitness knowledge. I’ve learned about pacing and managing limitations, about tiny, incremental changes that lead to greater gains. I’ve learned when to push it and when to rest. I’ve grown so much better at listening to my body and giving it what it needs. I’m still on my way back, carefully watching my heart rate with exertion, and slowly re-building strength, endurance, and agility in my body. It’s been difficult - but I refuse to let it be wasted!
If you’re struggling with fatigue, de-conditioning, or challenging conditions like PEM or POTS that make exercise feel impossible - I would love to share what I’ve learned from personal experience and to help you get your strength back!