Exactly one year ago I posted a run on Strava where I admitted in frustration to walking most of the 3 miles because my feet hurt so badly. I remember speaking to my rheumatologist about it and as a result, he prescribed Celebrex to ease the pain and a short course of prednisone. Not only did excruciating pain accommodate every step I took, but my ankles blew up like balloons as well.
In hindsight, I don’t think my foot pain had a rheumatological source, (I go into detail in earlier posts) but it was all an integral part of my whirlwind adventure with long Covid, cardiologists and rheumatologists over the past 3+ years.
Today I had my 3 month follow up with my doctor to go over blood work and do my usual check in. My last round of blood work had been normal, but we scheduled an appointment for the end of this summer just in case the same thing happened this year. I had some trepidation about hearing my results because I haven’t been very diligent about taking care of myself as well as I should have, aka eating like crap. But all my blood work came back normal and we both agreed it was no longer necessary to keep coming back. He was thrilled when I told him I ran 55K to celebrate my 55th birthday and he told me to keep doing what I’m doing because my body has obviously recovered.
It was weird to hear him recall that, when we first met, I was very inflamed and obviously needed medication. I was in a lot of pain and we couldn’t figure out why. That seems like another life. He basically summed everything up by saying we’ll never know definitively if it was long Covid, although he agrees it most likely was. He said even now they’re still learning, mostly by listening to each patient, lots of trial and error and then waiting to see how things play out.
I’m so grateful my scenario played out as it did. It was a long road full of frustration, scary episodes, lots of steroids, a heart procedure, endless blood tests and heart tests (I may have set a record), pain in so many places, starting over and finally learning to trust God. My back was against the wall, I couldn’t control what was happening, and I had to face some hard truths. Thank God I did because it eventually led me to letting go of things I can’t control, taking small steps, advocating for myself and discovering a new path.
I learned that nutrition, exercise, rest and mindset are keys to recovery. Without taking those things seriously our bodies can’t do what they need in order to heal. Especially as we get older, we really need to focus on healthy habits so that even when something out of our control invades us (like a virus) and begins wreaking havoc on us, we give ourselves a fighting chance.
I’ve learned so much about the power of faith, how our bodies work, what they need to thrive, and how resilient we are when we are proactive. Truthfully, I’m not glad it happened. It sucked. But I do believe it taught me so many valuable lessons and made me a better person, and for that I am very grateful!
So today I get to celebrate my graduation from rheumatology appointments! What a relief to look at my chart with no upcoming appointments. For a while, going to the doctor practically became a full-time job. Now I get to breathe a sigh of relief and get ready for the next chapter — setting another challenging goal (any ideas?) and sharing what I learned with others.
I hope my experience gives you hope and motivation to advocate for and educate yourself and to keep moving forward one small step at a time. I never thought I’d run again or figure out what was wrong with me. Yet here I am three years later — two half marathons and a 55K under my belt — celebrating excellent blood work and no more follow ups! There is always hope. Ask God for help and trust — one day at a time. Soon you’ll be sharing your story!