My name is Katie, and I’ve been sick with Long COVID for the past two years. With your help, I may be able to take another small step towards recovery.
What happened?
Long Covid caused me to become bed-bound with a heart condition, persistent vertigo, neurological issues, and more. I’ve spent over $22k on specialists and treatments to stabilize my body, but I’m still unable to exist very much beyond my couch.
What is Long COVID?
Long COVID is a fatiguing illness that limits my ability to think, walk, talk, work, work out, or take part in everyday activities like showering and feeding myself.
In addition to the physical limitations of Long COVID, I also struggle with debilitating cognitive issues. The doctors are referring to this form of brain inflammation as Mild Cognitive Impairment. The symptoms mirror the symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s.
What’s the problem?
The treatment for Long COVID, besides all the meds, is lots of rest and sleep. Unfortunately for me, I have sleep apnea. So, I struggle to get restful sleep. Even when I sleep 18 hours a day, I’m still exhausted. Enjoy this collage of me struggling to breathe while sleeping!
What have you tried?
I’ve tried everything to manage my sleep apnea non-invasively, including C-PAP, dental devices, nasal sprays, antihistamines, and tongue training, but nothing has worked. So, it’s time to bring out the big guns: surgery.
Will this help?
Very little is known about the treatments and long-term outcomes for those of us with Long COVID. Research is being conducted, but the learnings won’t be known for years.
I’m staying informed about the studies, as well as participating in some of them. My doctors have been open to trying outside-the-box treatments – many of which have helped me find new levels of stability. This is one of those treatments, but based on what we know, it has promise.
We’re not the only ones who think treating my sleep apnea could help. In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic discussed cognitive issues from Long COVID. The article stated:
Tell me about the surgery!
This will be a two-year process that starts with a palate expansion to widen my nose and ends with a double jaw surgery to keep my tongue from falling into my throat when I sleep.
Check out this cool digital mould of my palate. You can see how narrow and high it is. Changing this will allow me to breathe through my nose!
This series of procedures has a very high chance of completely curing my sleep apnea, which could significantly improve my chances of recovering from Long COVID. Worst-case scenario: it improves my long-term and overall health, but I continue to live life close to home.
What do you need?
Unfortunately, it’s an out-of-pocket expense, and since I have been unable to work for over a year, I need financial support to cover the cost of this much-needed procedure.
The $18k we raise will fully cover the cost of both the palate expansion and the jaw surgery that’s required to treat my sleep apnea.
Your help will be life-changing for me. It’s a long road ahead, but I fully believe I can get my life back with your help.
I hate reading
That’s valid! For info on the procedure and how it will help, check out my video on this page.
If you have questions, please reach out to me. I miss you and would love to hear from you.