‘I lived to tell the tale and that makes me feel so lucky’

Mum struck down by coronavirus 14 months ago talks of painful battle with Long Covid and the lifeline provided by the NHS

WHEN Lisa Brown fell ill during a snowboarding holiday in Spain she wasn’t aware of what coronavirus was.

Physiotherapist Lisa was in Sierra Nevada in February last year as the first cases were reported back home in England and before the outbreak was declared a pandemic.

Suffering from breathing difficulties and a very high temperature she was admitted to hospital and kept alive with oxygen and steroids.

Fourteen months later Lisa is now battling against the effects of Long Covid – but says she feels so humble and lucky to still be alive.

Lisa, 54, said: ‘I’m one of the ones who lived to tell the tale and that makes me feel quite humble and lucky. I was really sick. You become fearful. I was so ill from what I had, my body could not sustain anything else.’

As she fights her way back to health Lisa is being helped by one of the six rehab-focused clinics launched by the NHS across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to help patients suffering from long covid. ‘For a lot of people, it’ll be a real lifeline – they’re brilliant,’ she added.

A LONG Covid sufferer who ‘lived to tell the tale’ has described the pain that condition can bring – and praised a ‘brilliant’ NHS service helping people with lasting coronavirus symptoms.

In January, the NHS launched a new service to help patients suffering from Long Covid, and there are now six rehab-focused clinics open across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Fareham mum Lisa Brown is one of hundreds of local people to be referred to the Long Covid clinics.

A physiotherapist, Lisa is still suffering with symptoms despite battling her initial illness more than a year ago.

Lisa, 54, fell ill during a snowboarding trip to Sierra Nevada last February – before she was even aware of Covid-19.

She said: ‘When we got to Spain I started to feel really unwell with a massive headache.

‘My chest was making this really strange noise – when I breathed out it was like crackling.

‘I was coughing, and coughing, and coughing. I could barely breathe in, it was so painful.’

Concerned that Lisa’s temperature had become very high and she seemed delirious, Lisa’s partner drove her to hospital where she was put on oxygen and steroids.

Lisa, who has two daughters and is also a grandmother, said: ‘I’m one of the ones who lived to tell the tale, and that makes me feel quite humble and lucky. I was really sick.

‘You become fearful. I was so ill from what I had, my body could not sustain anything else.’

Although Lisa recovered from her initial bout with Covid-19, returning to work as a case manager for people with catastrophic injuries, she has been left with lasting symptoms and is periodically unwell.

She said: ‘Now I get this tightening, burning in my chest that makes you feel that you need to lie down.

‘The fatigue is the weirdest thing, I’d go out in the garden and my legs would give way. My body just didn’t have the strength.

‘My chest was wheezing like mad, and that’s what I’ve been left with – and I’ve gone from being a person who never had a cough, never smoked or anything, but now I get this tightening, burning in my chest that makes you feel that you need to lie down. It comes and goes in waves for me.’

Long Covid, which refers to the symptoms experienced by patients sometimes months after the initial Covid-19 infection is over, can leave sufferers with a range of symptoms including fatigue, breathlessness, chest pain, and mental health problems. It can affect anyone who has had Covid-19, even those who are young and fit or previously healthy.

Figures show that Lisa is one of many Long Covid sufferers in the area, with data for the clinics in Hampshire and Isle of Wight demonstrating that there were 318 referrals to the clinic service by March 5.

Lisa was referred to the Long Covid clinic by her GP after Christmas, and now she speaks to them remotely via telephone consultations.

She said: ‘It’s just having somebody validate your experience, having somebody tell you there’s loads of other people experiencing the same thing helps.

‘For a lot of people, it’ll be a real lifeline - it’s a great service.

‘They’re brilliant - you can just dial into a Zoom meeting or telephone call.

‘It’s fantastic as it means you can still sit at your desk, just pick up the phone if you’re anxious or worried about something.’

The fatigue is the weirdest thing, I’d go out in the garden and my legs would give way. Lisa Brown