Meet Devin Kadis, a 22-year-old from Colorado who has been on a challenging journey battling COVID-19 long-hauler syndrome. 🌟
Devin contracted COVID-19 last August and immediately went into quarantine, hoping for a swift recovery. \"I definitely was very sick. I was bedridden, I had all the symptoms pretty much besides a fever actually,\" she recalls.
Initially, Devin began to feel better, but her recovery took a hard turn when everything started to go downhill again. She experienced what she calls 'body crashes,' leaving her unable to move. \"I couldn’t move. My friends had to pick me up physically off the ground and put me in bed, and I couldn’t even speak. I was slurring all my words,\" Devin shares.
The loss of smell, occasional trouble breathing, and persistent brain fog plagued her into the fall. Desperate for answers, Devin reached out for help, feeling unheard and alone in her struggle.
Eventually, Devin found support at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, one of at least 33 U.S. medical facilities tackling long-hauler syndrome head-on. \"I think it’s being recognized as a much bigger problem as people are starting to recover from COVID,\" she says.
Dr. Natasha Altman, a cardiologist who helps run the post-COVID clinic, works with a team of specialists to understand and treat patients like Devin. \"Long-hauler syndrome is a bizarre, often debilitating by-product of COVID-19. It’s marked by strange, wildly different symptoms. Doctors don't know what causes it,\" Dr. Altman explains.
Through various treatments, including recumbent exercise, plenty of fluids, and time, Devin has made significant progress. \"I would never want this to happen to anyone else, because it's been tough,\" she admits. With the clinic's support, Devin is now nearly recovered and optimistic about a return to normal life.
Her story is a testament to resilience and the importance of medical support in overcoming the lingering effects of COVID-19. 💪✨
