Rachel, 28, warns about worsening of symptoms
A WOMAN has told of her terrifying experience struggling to recover from Covid- 19 after being hospitalised over Christmas.
Rachel Gunn, from Dublin, said she has been suffering from serious fatigue for three months since she first contracted the virus in October.
The 28- year- old added she also started to experience lung pain whenever she would exercise but tried to power through it as she felt these were usual symptoms for anyone recovering from Covid.
But things took a turn for the worst before Christmas when she was left struggling to breath and was hospitalised.
Rachel said: “I contracted Covid- 19 in October. I was fairly sick with it – in bed for nearly two weeks – breathless, tired, achy.
“Once I felt semi better I went back to work. I have never been 100% since.
“For three months I had fatigue, anxiety and stress was through the roof and I experienced lung pain when I exercised but considered these normal post- Covid symptoms as I was able to go about my day semi normally and do minimal exercise and from what I read, I just had to get on with it and the symptoms would ease.
“Flash forward to December, my last week of work before Christmas and suddenly I went downhill.
“For nearly two weeks I was so breathless I couldn’t even get up the stairs without feeling like I ran 5k, even getting up and going to the bathroom was exhausting.”
Rachel told how she also suffered from migraines, intense palpitations and was sleeping for 15 to 16 hours a day.
Upon going to hospital doctors made a frightening discovery after she was admitted to A& E that her lungs were ravaged by blood clots and she is now facing months of arduous recovery.
She said: “I now have to stay on blood thinners for at least a year, maybe more. I am now susceptible to blood clots and this will affect my life forever. I am 28 years old, active, non- smoker, otherwise healthy.”
Rachel is now urging others to be vigilant during their post- Covid recovery and not to ignore any signs that they are still sick.
She added: “I want to get this across to anyone who is experiencing a worsening of symptoms not to ignore it.”