7.
“Exhausted after a cross-country move to Illinois, my partner and I were heading to Nashville for a long weekend getaway. The day before we were set to leave, a tornado tore through the neighborhood where we were going to stay, so we decided on a whim to go to St. Louis instead. On the last day of our trip, we had breakfast at a very small cafe. The older couple next to us were very sick, coughing and sneezing, and looking worse for wear. We left shortly after, but as we were leaving, I said I’d be really angry if I got sick. That also ended up being the day it was announced that COVID hit NYC. Five days later, I ended up extremely ill, the symptoms lasted for months, and months turned into years. Turns out COVID was not only in NYC, but it was sitting next to us at that little cafe in St Louis, and I ended up with a case of long COVID.”
“At the age of 37, I lost everything to post-viral disability. My career, dreams, and financial stability were gone in an instant. I went from climbing mountains to being unable to make it up a single flight of stairs, and because I was suffering in real time with a disease medical professionals had no idea how to treat, I ended up with thousands in debt on top of it all.
Six years later, I’m trying to navigate this new normal and figure out who I am within the limitations of my ability. It’s irrational, but I can’t help but wonder if that tornado was a sign to stay home. I could have caught it anytime and anywhere, but that trip changed my life regardless.”